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Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak (+ Tips for Cooking the best Steak)

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This is one of my star dishes,  rosemary garlic butter steak, one I’ve been making forever and that just never fails. 
It will make a master steak cook out of you. Just follow the tips below!
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Cut pieces of juicy Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak on wooden board

About steak in Argentina

Now, most of you probably know I live in Argentina, where meat is officially our national food. It is serious business.
Barbecue has become the number one choice here, a blue ribbon flaunted by milanesas (extra thin slices of meat, breaded and fried) in the past.
And while our grilling would be considered plain for most of you – no marinades, rubs or additions of any kind, except for salt and pepper – the fat in the meat does the flavor trick, and making a great piece of barbecue meat is no beginner’s luck, no matter how much chimichurri or salsa you pile afterward.
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Cut pieces of Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak on wooden board
The meat here is very fresh, no fourteen or twenty-one days waiting for it to age. Why wait? Slap that piece of red on the grill or skillet and eat it! Make mine medium rare, please.
That said, I change it up a bit when I’m grilling meat indoors. So today’s recipe comes with add-ons (image below).
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Garlic and rosemary, clove, sprig and minced

Why Rosemary and garlic?

Rubbing garlic, rosemary and salt (image below) has been my easy way of adding extra flavor to steak without a lot of work.  Or time.
It adds SO MUCH to the end product, it’s one of those simple secrets that you’ll be forever grateful for.
I discovered it almost by accident and it’s become a staple. It takes just a few minutes to prepare and the results are extraordinary!
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Raw piece of sirloin Steak in skillet with rosemary, garlic and butter
You just have to try this amazing steak, cooked in butter with a splash of white wine at the end. A little reduction, and voilà, the best steak is served.
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Skillet with cooked Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak in wine, smoke coming up

What type of meat should you use?

I have two cuts I swear by when making this garlic butter steak:

Sirloin strip steak:

Lean but flavorful and perfect for grilling indoors or out.
This is what I’m using today, and I stripped away most of the outside fat since I was making it in a skillet. When using the outdoor barbecue, I like to leave the layer of fat (see the second image here) so it chars slowly and adds even more flavor to the meat.
I don’t know where you live, but here you can buy the whole piece of sirloin, a 5-6 kg (11-13 pounds) piece of meat that you throw directly on the barbecue and let it cook for a few hours. So amazing.

Rib-eye steak:

My favorite when barbecuing outside.
It has two types of meat, lean and tender on one side, flavorful and chewier on the other.
This steak cut is amazing for marinating before cooking. It is a crowd-pleasing type of meat, at least in my experience.
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Cut pieces of Garlic Butter Steak, rosemary sprigs, wooden board

My tips for cooking the best steak:

1. Always have the meat at room temperature. That way it’ll be more tender. If it’s frozen, defrost it overnight in the fridge. The less change in temperature while defrosting, the better.
2. Add salt right before it goes into the skillet. If you want to infuse some garlic and rosemary, rub them on the steaks, leave them at room tº for twenty minutes, and salt them at the last moment.
3. A steak should be two or three fingers (1.5 to 2 inches) thick if you want it medium rare with a good crust.
5. Make sure the skillet or steak iron griddle is preheated.
4. Sear the steak on both sides over high heat, but finish it over medium/low, unless you like it very rare inside, almost raw. It will become flushed, as we say here, which means the outside is too dark before the inside gets a chance to cook properly. That is, unless you like overcooked, thin steaks.
5. Always let it rest for 5 minutes after you remove it from the heat source. The juices go to the outer part of the meat piece while cooking, and resting redistributes them.
6. Never pierce or cut a steak to check for doneness. To test them, lightly press them down with a fork or kitchen tongs. The more it gives, or the flabbier it feels, the rarer it’s still is. When it’s very cooked, the meat will hardly yield when you press it.
Did you know that the area below your thumb (yes, in your hand!) is quite accurate when testing steaks?
Now, lightly join the tips of your thumb and index finger (you will form a circle) and press that area below the thumb; that is rare steak. If you join the middle finger and thumb it gets a little tighter; that’s medium rare. The ring finger is cooked and the pinky is very cooked.
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Close-up of cut Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak on wooden board

Other recipes you might like:
Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
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Cut slices of juicy Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak on wooden board

Rosemary Garlic Butter Steak + Tips for Cooking a Great Steak

  • Author: Paula Montenegro
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

The best and easiest recipe to cook a perfect steak! Tips and types of meat to use.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 sirloin strip steaks, about 7-0z each (1 to 1.5-inches thick, room tº)
  • 2 or 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbs  fresh rosemary leaves
  • 3 Tbs  butter
  • 1 Tbs  olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • A splash of white or red wine

Instructions

  1. Mince garlic and rosemary.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and mince it a little longer. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.
  3. Rub the paste over both sides of each steak.
  4. Heat a skillet over medium/high heat and melt butter. Add oil to prevent it from burning too much.
  5. Add steaks, season them with pepper and cook 1 or 2 minutes on each side.
  6. Turn it over, cook it 2 or 3 more minutes and add the wine (you can add extra garlic and rosemary now too to the skillet). It will steam furiously.
  7. Cook the steak 2 or 3 additional minutes for medium rare, remove steaks and let rest for 5 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, cook the wine until reduced and a kind of sauce if formed.
  9. Slice the steaks and serve them with the sauce.

Notes

  1. Always have the meat at room temperature. That way it’ll be more tender. If it’s frozen, defrost it overnight in the fridge. The less change in temperature while defrosting, the better.
  2. Add salt right before it goes into the skillet. If you want to infuse some garlic and rosemary, rub them on the steaks, leave them at room tº for twenty minutes, and salt them at the last moment.
  3. A steak should be two or three fingers (1.5 to 2 inches) thick if you want it medium rare with a good crust.
    5. Make sure the skillet or steak iron griddle is preheated.
  4. Sear the steak on both sides over high heat, but finish it over medium/low, unless you like it very rare inside, almost raw. It will become flushed, as we say here, which means the outside is too dark before the inside gets a chance to cook properly. That is, unless you like overcooked, thin steaks.
  5. Always let it rest for 5 minutes after you remove it from the heat source. The juices go to the outer part of the meat piece while cooking, and resting redistributes them.
  6. Never pierce or cut a steak to check for doneness. To test them, lightly press them down with a fork or kitchen tongs. The more it gives, or the flabbier it feels, the rarer it’s still is. When it’s very cooked, the meat will hardly yield when you press it.
  7. The hand test: Did you know that the area below your thumb (yes, in your hand!) is quite accurate when testing steaks? Now, lightly join the tips of your thumb and index finger (you will form a circle) and press that area below the thumb; that is rare steak. If you join the middle finger and thumb it gets a little tighter; that’s medium rare. The ring finger is cooked and the pinky is very cooked.
  • Category: main dish
  • Method: Grilling
  • Cuisine: Argentinian

Keywords: steak, steak dinner, meat

 

Paula Montenegro

A baker for more than 30 years, I love testing recipes and sharing the best of what I find. I'm mostly self-taught with some time spent in baking school. I believe we can all be bakers and cooks with the right instructions and simple ingredients. If you're craving easy recipes with amazing results, you're in the right place. Let's get into the kitchen!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Diane Balch says

    September 14, 2013 at 13:27

    I always thought that Americans were the largerest consumers of beef, but I read that Argentina beat us by a large margin. I always wanted to try aged beef in the Argentina style… well, you have definitely learned to do beef well. Gorgeous steak, great version of the recipe.

    Reply

  3. Deb says

    September 14, 2013 at 04:42

    I am sharing this post with Mr R as he is our resident steak grill master! (Also hoping to plant the idea of having steak this weekend!) Great post Paula!

    Reply

  4. Mary Hirsch says

    September 14, 2013 at 01:57

    That steak is made to purrrrr-fection, Paula, and I would expect nothing less from you. I was able to enjoy some of your wonderful beef when I was in Argentina last year and have absolutely no complaints about how you all prepare your national food. You are the pros. Your four pictures of sliced beef are phenomenal – they look real. I'm also a new fan of chimichurri so I appreciate your providing another recipe for me. Do you consider chimichurri and salsa interchangeable?

    Reply

    • wp_vknotes_admin says

      October 3, 2013 at 01:27

      I can imagine you ate meat here Mary, how could you not? It's everywhere…! Chimichurri and salsa are two different things, but, if you just want to add an extra flavor both work. I like to add BOTH to the meat, together.

      Reply

  6. tricia s. says

    September 14, 2013 at 00:34

    Oh my your steak looks amazing – and your gorgeous photos really did the results justice. So glad you included all these great tips on cooking meat. Believe it or not it is one of the dishes I am never comfortable trying….but since I want to get better I am encouraged by all you shared.

    Reply

  8. Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says

    September 13, 2013 at 23:56

    No joke, that looks like the perfect steak to me. Earthy rosemary + salt + butter + pink in the middle = perfection!

    Reply

  9. Renee says

    September 13, 2013 at 23:32

    I just ate dinner and now I see this fine steak. Thanks for making me hungry again and craving a perfectly cooked steak.

    Reply

  11. Cocoa and Lavender says

    September 13, 2013 at 19:44

    I love your steak cooking tips! Your version of using the hand to ascertain doneness is much better than the one I was taught! I have never seared a runp steak – I will have to try this. ~ David

    Reply

  12. Chef Di says

    September 13, 2013 at 18:04

    OMGoodness, these are incredible, Paula! Not only a delicious recipe, but these photos are the best I've ever seen showcasing one of my favorite things! Perfection.

    Reply

  14. Cher Rockwell says

    September 13, 2013 at 16:35

    Beautiful and yes to #6 – it drives me nuts when someone cuts into meat to check it. Why let all those juices out?????

    Reply

  15. Joan says

    September 13, 2013 at 16:30

    Thanks for the lesson in how to tell the doneness of a steak without a thermometer. I'm 73 years old, and this was the first time I'd seen that.

    Reply

    • Shana Nagel says

      March 14, 2015 at 23:07

      I have also heard that you can take your pointer finger and press the large muscle of your thumb (on the same hand) this is rare.Middle finger to thumb muscle this is medium (just a bit more firm). Ring finger to thumb muscle is even more firm…this is medium well. Pinkie to thumb muscle which is very firm & is well done. While determining with pointer finger of other hand match the firmness of the meat to which ever doneness prefered. (Geez I hope that made sense)

      Reply

  16. Rose says

    September 13, 2013 at 16:02

    Looks delicious. I always have a hard time convincing my husband of points number 5 & 6. He always wants to cut into it to see if it's done. We've finally had to agree that he's only allowed to do that with his steak, not mine!

    Reply

    • Kim says

      May 26, 2019 at 15:11

      Get a good digital thermometer. Temperature tells the truth about some mess! Stick it in before cooking and set it at the temp for his desired wellness. Cutting into it really does a disservice .

      Reply

  20. Terra says

    September 13, 2013 at 11:49

    Since hubby and I love beef too, I need to have him somehow grill your beautiful recipe. I love the flavors included, especially butter! Sounds fabulous, Hugs, Terra

    Reply

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