Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Cubed sirloin sears fast and hard in a screaming hot skillet, then gets tossed in garlic butter for a steakhouse bite in about 15 minutes.
Prep: 5 · Cook: 10 · Total: 15 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.8/5 (356 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
Kansas City steakhouse counter service — Kansas City, MO
Inspired by a steakhouse line cook in Kansas City who cubed steak trim and seared it hard just before service.
Story
I was standing at a steakhouse counter in Kansas City around 10:30 at night, past the dinner rush, watching a line cook cube up steak trim that would have otherwise gotten tossed. He had a cast iron pan basically glowing over the burner, and he told me the whole secret was not touching the meat for the first ninety seconds no matter how much I wanted to poke at it. Most home cooks move the pan too much, or they crowd it, and the steak just steams in its own moisture instead of getting that hard crust. The other move that closed the gap for me was pulling the meat aside before adding the butter and garlic; if you dump butter in with raw garlic straight into a screaming hot pan, the garlic burns before the steak's even done resting.
By Theo
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Pat the steak cubes completely dry with paper towels. A wet steak steams instead of sears. Season all over with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Heat a heavy skillet, cast iron works best, over high heat until it's just starting to smoke. Add the oil and swirl to coat.
- Add the steak cubes in a single layer, leaving space between pieces. Do not move them for 90 seconds, this is what builds the crust.
- Flip each piece and sear the other side another 60 to 90 seconds for medium-rare centers. Work in two batches if your pan is crowded.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Push the steak to one side, add butter, garlic, and thyme to the empty space, and let the butter foam and turn fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Toss the steak through the garlic butter, stir in the Worcestershire, and cook 30 seconds more. Remove the thyme sprigs, top with parsley, and serve right away.
Chef Tips
- A dry steak sears better than a wet one, don't skip the paper towel step.
- Get the pan properly hot before the meat goes in, a lukewarm pan gives you gray, boiled-looking beef.
- Sirloin is budget-friendly here, but ribeye tips or tri-tip work if you want something richer.
- Serve over mashed potatoes or rice to catch the garlic butter, it's the best part.
Cook's Notes
- **Dry the meat:** Pat steak cubes bone-dry before seasoning, moisture is the enemy of a good crust.
- **Don't crowd the pan:** Sear in batches if needed, overcrowding drops the pan temperature and you lose the sear.
- **Butter goes in last:** Add garlic butter after searing, not before, or the garlic scorches.
- **Resting isn't necessary here:** Because the pieces are small, they don't need a long rest like a whole steak would.