Compound butter or board sauce?

minniemoh

I'm having some of my colleagues over tomorrow night for dinner. Right now, we're planning to make green lightning shrimp and reverse seared ribeyes. I have never done a board sauce but I have been contemplating it for a while. I have done a "thrown together" compound butter a couple of times and once it was really good and the other time it was a little "meh".

What would you do on some nice 1 1/2" ribeyes? Anyone have a go-to for this cook?

blind99

I have the same feeling about butter on steak. @NPHuskerFL has done some nice board sauces ala APL, maybe he can shed some light

NPHuskerFL

@blind99 Thx
Lately preferring a finish w/ a compound butter.  Why do you say yours was meh?  How and what are you using in the butter?
Board sauce is also delicious. 
I had a thread somewhere on how I made mine. 

minniemoh

The last time, I think I put in too much thyme. It was a very last minute decision and I thought I could just whip some up. The first time, I used more rosemary, chives and garlic and it was pretty good. Maybe I just need a good recipe to follow? I did use unsalted butter if that matters.

I have a couple of first-timers coming and the others have created a reputation for this meal so I have to make sure it's a good one if you know what I mean. 

NPHuskerFL

I looked for my recipe on here. Could've swore I posted it.  The following is by memory only so it could be off a bit but, you'll get the jest of it. I used softened unsalted sweet cream butter (2 full sticks), 4 cloves garlic (roasted and then sauteed & pressed the garlic careful to only get the flavor vs chunks of garlic), fist full thyme, half fist sage, half fist rosemary [leaves only but of course]. Kosher salt and cracked pepper. Used Ninja w/ dough blade on pulse until it looked like I wanted. Took an empty plastic butter container and placed cellophane (plastic wrap/Saran wrap) over it (used this as a form). Pressed the butter mix into the cavity till level. Placed in frig until stiff. Or I've also made into logs using cellophane AKA saran wrap. 
I've done it just using a knife but, preferred the texture with the last few batches using the Ninja method. 

Botch

I use compound butters a lot, but I cook for myself.
A board sauce, prepared in front of several colleagues, would be much cooler in that situation.  Both would taste fine; in a party situation, "the show" is worth a few points!  

Focker

Hard to beat a chimichurri.  Keeps for a few weeks in the fridge with the added acidity.
http://nymag.com/restaurants/recipes/inseason/58057/

Focker

Board sauces, chimichurris, compound butters are very flexible.  I'm always adding flavorful/smokey heat like calabrian chiles.  Best advise, be careful with the pungent herbs.  Use more parsley, basil, thyme.  It doesn't take much of herbs like sage, oregano, or rosemary to take over.   

For presentation and the "WOW" factor when slicing, I agree with Botch on the board dressing.  

blind99

Here's some nice looking steak from @JohnInCarolina with a board sauce. 

hopefully you can get some shots of the food!