Ingredients

2 sticks salted butter, softened
1/3 cup finely minced fresh parsley, plus more if needed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
A pinch of coarsely ground black pepper, plus more if needed
1 clove garlic, finely minced|
1 lemon, zested an halved
Salt (optional)

Instructions

For the Cowboy Butter:
Well in advance, make the cowboy butter.
Place the softened butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Whip the butter until it's fluffy.
Add the parsley, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic, lemon zest and the juice of half the lemon.
Mix it until it's totally combined, scraping the sides as needed.
Add more parsley, more lemon juice, more pepper or salt if you'd like.

Lay out a long piece of plastic wrap and scoop the butter mixture in a long strip down the middle of it.
Carefully pull one side of the plastic wrap over the butter, squeezing it gently to form it into a log.
Continue to roll the log of butter into a roll.
When it's all rolled up, twist the ends (like a piece of candy) until they become very taut
(this means the butter is pressing together inside the plastic to form a cohesive roll).
Place the roll of butter into the fridge so it will harden, or into the freezer if you need to speed along the process.

*For Steak:
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks.
Melt the butter in a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
When it's melted and golden brown, sear the steaks for about 45 seconds per side.
Set in the oven to finish, about 3 minutes.
Lay a thick slice of cowboy butter on top of each steak so it will begin to melt.
Serve within 5 minutes.
* This is just one way of cooking a steak, per the Pioneer Woman. We mostly barbeque our steak.
This butter is an added treat.

**Other uses for cowboy butter: Stir into cooked pasta, lay a pat on grilled chicken or fish, stir it into rice or spread on crusty French bread.