Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
What is a diffuser plate, and why do I remove it?
The diffuser plate on a Yoder Smokers YS640s sits between the fire pot and the cooking grates, deflecting heat for indirect, convection-style cooking. Removing it exposes the grates directly above the fire, turning the grill into a direct-heat charcoal-style cooker. For this recipe, you need that direct, intense heat to char the shallot halves properly — indirect heat would just soften them, not char them.
Why grill the shallot before adding it to the butter?
A raw shallot has a sharp, pungent bite that would overwhelm the butter and make it unpleasantly harsh. Charring it on the grill caramelizes its natural sugars, mellows the sharp edge, and adds a smoky sweetness that plays perfectly against the lemon zest and hot sauce. This single step is what separates compound butter from flavored butter.
How long does compound butter keep?
Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated, this compound butter keeps well for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months — slice off rounds as needed straight from frozen, which is particularly convenient for finishing steaks or grilled fish right off the grill.
What else can I use this compound butter on?
It's designed for grilled meats — especially steaks and seafood — but it also works as a finishing touch on roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, pasta, or spread on grilled bread. A pat of this butter melting over a just-rested ribeye or a grilled lobster tail is the classic application.
Can I substitute different herbs or seasonings?
Yes — compound butter is essentially a blank canvas. The same technique works with fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, blue cheese, roasted garlic, smoked paprika, or any combination you prefer. Keep the proportions similar (1 stick butter to roughly 1 tsp each of your mix-ins) and taste before rolling.
Can I make this indoors?
4 out of 5 — Great in the kitchen, better on the grill. A cast iron skillet over high heat chars a shallot half effectively and produces a similar result to grilling — you'll get slightly less smoky depth than live-fire charring, but the caramelization and sweetness carry through. The rest of the recipe (mixing, rolling, chilling) is entirely countertop regardless.
Recipe Highlights
The butter must be room temperature before mixing: Cold butter won't blend smoothly with the diced shallot, garlic, and zest — you'll end up with lumps rather than a cohesive, evenly flavored butter. Pull it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start, or it will fight you the entire way through the mixing step.
Use a microplane for both the garlic and the lemon zest: A microplane grates garlic finely enough that it distributes evenly through the butter without leaving detectable chunks, and it zests only the fragrant outer layer of the lemon without the bitter white pith underneath. A box grater or knife-minced garlic both produce a coarser result that won't integrate as smoothly.
Roll the butter tightly in the plastic wrap before refrigerating: Twisting the ends of the plastic wrap firmly and rolling the butter into a compact, even log is what gives you clean, uniform rounds when you slice it later. A loosely wrapped log produces uneven slices and can pick up fridge odors through the gaps.
Slice rounds straight from cold — don't let it soften first: Cold compound butter melts gradually and evenly over hot meat or vegetables as you plate them, creating that glossy finishing effect. A room-temperature pat of butter just pools and separates rather than melting cleanly over the surface.
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