Butter-basting steak is an advanced cooking technique that enhances flavor and texture but requires precision. Douglas Keane, a chef at Cyrus Restaurant, emphasizes using cold butter to maintain a smooth emulsion and prevent burning. The process involves balancing butter and oil as they heat, which can go wrong if the butter is too warm. Understanding the science of butter as an emulsion is crucial for achieving a glossy, flavorful finish rather than a burnt, greasy mess.
Butter is an uneasy truce, a sensitive emulsion of water, fat, and milk solids, each wanting to go their separate ways as soon as things start heating up. When the pan gets hot, the water starts to escape as steam, the sugary milk solids sink, sticking and browning on the bottom of the pan, and the structure holding everything together falls apart.
The secret is actually very practical and within reach, 'Cold butter works best because it won't separate too fast and, with some finesse, you can keep the frothy loose emulsion of butter and oil going for a while, which will finish your steak perfectly,' Keane explains.
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