Oakridge BBQ Rub Butter

Rub Butter! What could be better than real cream butter?  How about a compound butter made with your favorite bbq rub.  The culinary term “compound butter” sounds so fancy, but it’s really nothing more than just plain butter with extra crap mixed into it and then re-formed back into a butter stick or roll shape.  So, today I’m going to show you how to make two compound butters using two Oakridge BBQ rubs.  Soon, you’ll be amazing your friends with your new-found culinary virtuosity…

Step One…  Soften two sticks of UNSALTED butter by letting them set on the counter for a couple hours.  If you don’t use unsalted butter, your compound butter could end up being way to salty after you put the rub into it.

Step Two…  Put softened butter into small mixing bowl and add 2 Tablespoons of rub to it.  In this batch, I’m using two tablespoons of Santa Maria Steak Seasoning.

Step Three…  Using a spatula, spoon or other suitable stirring device, gently fold rub into softened butter until thoroughly combined.

Step Four…  Stretch out a long piece of plastic wrap and deposit your butter mixture in a line at one end.  Gently roll the butter up with the plastic wrap, leaving the two ends open.  Once fully rolled in plastic, grasp both open ends of the “butter tube” with either hand and begin rolling the butter log on your counter top while continuing to hold the ends.  This will cause the butter to become compressed into a log shape.

Step Five…  Now, just refrigerate for an hour or so until the butter hardens back up.  Then, just use it like you  would normal butter.  Try putting a pat on top of your steaks during the last few minutes on the grill, or use to butter your corn on the cob, or on your baked potato.  The second compound butter roll below (the darker red one) was made from two sticks of butter and two tablespoons of Oakridge BBQ Competition Beef & Pork rub.  It will get put on top of some steaks as they finish on the grill.

One of our other favorite compound butter variations is to incorporate one head of roasted garlic, chopped fresh sweet basil, a dash of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper into two sticks of softened butter.  Use a fork to mash the roasted garlic cloves into the butter then add the basil, olive oil and S&P.;  Roll up into a log as shown above and refrigerate for several hours.  This stuff is absolutely wonderful on fresh Italian bread…