Grilled Beef Steak

Sometimes the best steak preparation is the simplest. Season with salt and pepper, grill over a hot fire, and finish with a compound herb butter that melts into the surface as you carry the plate to the table.

The herb butter is where this recipe goes from basic grilled steak to something genuinely French. Softened unsalted butter gets worked with minced shallots, parsley, and chervil over very low heat until creamy and fragrant. Chervil has a delicate, anise-like flavor that’s more refined than the usual parsley-and-garlic butter you see on most steakhouse menus.

The serving technique matters. Half the butter goes on the hot plate under the steak, half goes on top. As the butter melts from both sides, it creates a pool of herbed sauce that bathes every bite. Hot plates are not optional here. Cold plates solidify the butter before it can melt.

Sirloin is a lean, beefy cut that benefits from the richness of all that butter. Six tablespoons for two steaks is generous, and that’s exactly right.

Chef Tips

• Get the grill screaming hot before the steaks go on. High heat sears the surface and locks in juices. A cool grill steams the meat.
• Let the steaks rest for 3 to 5 minutes after grilling. Cutting into them immediately lets all the juices run out onto the plate.
• Mix the herb butter gently over the lowest possible heat. You want it creamy and blended, not melted into a liquid.
• Use fresh chervil if you can find it. Dried chervil loses most of its delicate flavor.

Variations

• Add a clove of minced garlic to the butter for a more robust, bistro-style version.
• Swap the chervil for tarragon for a classic béarnaise-adjacent flavor profile.
• Make the herb butter ahead, roll it into a log in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Slice rounds off as needed.