When I need Father’s Day dinner ideas, I make this steak. It saves a lot of dramatic overthinking. Butter, garlic, and steak rarely miss.
Last year I tested it for a Father’s Day dinner, and my husband went oddly quiet. That’s usually the best review. Even the Father’s Day grill felt useful.
If you’re stuck on what to make your dad for fathers day, start here. It looks impressive with very little heroism. It earns a spot on any Father’s Day menu.
Father’s Day Cowboy Butter Steak
EQUIPMENT (PAID LINKS)
- Grill
- Meat thermometer
- Small spoon
Ingredients
- 2 New York strip steaks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose steak seasoning
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot finely diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Bring Steak to Room Temperature: Take the steaks out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This helps them cook more evenly.2 New York strip steaks
- Season the Steaks: Rub the steaks with olive oil, then season all sides with the all-purpose steak seasoning. Set them aside while the grill heats and the butter sauce comes together.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons all-purpose steak seasoning
- Make the Cowboy Butter: Add the butter to a skillet over low heat. When it starts to melt, stir in the shallot, garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning, parsley, chives, crushed red pepper flakes, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until fully melted and combined. Remove from the heat.8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 small shallot, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon steak seasoning, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Heat the Grill: Preheat the grill to 500°F for direct heat cooking. Make sure the grates are hot before adding the steaks.
- Grill the Steaks: Place the steaks on the hot grill and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes total, flipping every 30 to 40 seconds for an even crust. For medium-rare, remove the steaks when the internal temperature reaches 120°F to 125°F.
- Rest the Steaks: Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes so the juices stay in the meat.
- Slice and Serve: Slice the steaks against the grain and serve with the warm cowboy butter spooned over the top or on the side for dipping.
Father’s Day Cowboy Butter Steak: The Little Things That Keep It From Going Sideways
A few small moves make this way easier and way better. Also, they help you avoid serving expensive steak with the texture of regret.
Don’t start with cold steak unless disappointment sounds fun
Let the steaks sit out for about 30 minutes before grilling. Cold steak on a blazing hot grill is a great way to get an overcooked outside and an undercooked middle, which is a very rude trick for dinner to pull. Room-temp steak is not a fussy restaurant thing. It just works.
Pick a thick steak and save yourself some stress
Go for steaks that are at least 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick if you can. Thin steaks cook fast, which sounds convenient until you blink and they’re suddenly gray all the way through. A thicker cut gives you a little breathing room and a much better shot at that juicy center. This is not the moment to buy the saddest discount steak in the meat case.
If you don’t have New York strip, don’t spiral
Ribeye works beautifully here if you want something richer, and sirloin is a decent budget-friendly backup. Filet can work too, but it’s a little less dramatic in the flavor department, and this recipe is very much in its dramatic butter era. Use what you can get, just don’t pretend paper-thin steak is the same thing.
Don’t drown the meat in seasoning
You want enough seasoning to build flavor, but not so much that the cowboy butter has to fight for attention. This recipe already brings garlic, mustard, herbs, and heat to the party, so the steak seasoning should support the whole thing, not try to become a personality. There’s a fine line between well-seasoned and “why is my tongue vibrating?”
Cowboy butter should melt, not sizzle like it’s angry
Keep the heat low when you make the butter sauce. You’re melting and combining, not frying. If the garlic cooks too hard or the herbs get weird, the whole thing loses that smooth, rich finish that makes it worth dragging steak through like a savage. Low heat is boring, and boring is correct here.
Want it milder? Fix it before everyone starts sweating
If your crowd is not into heat, cut back the red pepper flakes and cayenne a bit. The sauce will still taste rich and punchy without making people reach for a gallon of water halfway through dinner. On the flip side, if your family thinks black pepper is “too exciting,” definitely start smaller. You can always add heat. You cannot un-spice a butter sauce once chaos begins.
Fresh herbs are better, but dried herbs are not a crime
Fresh parsley and chives give the sauce a brighter, fresher flavor, but if you only have dried parsley, use less and move on with your life. Chives can be swapped with a little green onion in a pinch, though the flavor will be sharper. This is dinner, not a purity test.
No shallot? Your kitchen will survive
A little finely diced onion works if you don’t have shallot, though it’s a bit stronger. You can also skip it entirely if needed and lean a little harder on the garlic and herbs. Shallot is nice because it slips into the butter without taking over, but the recipe is not going to collapse without it. Use the fancy small onion if you have it; use normal-person onion if you don’t.
Use a thermometer and spare yourself the guessing game
A meat thermometer makes this wildly easier, especially if you’re flipping often for an even crust. Pull the steaks when they’re a little under your final target temp, because they’ll keep cooking while they rest. This is one of those annoying kitchen tools that turns out to be right.
Let the steak rest, even if everyone is hovering
Yes, people will want to cut into it immediately. No, they should not. Resting gives the juices time to settle back into the meat instead of flooding the cutting board like a sad little river. Ten minutes feels long only because steak smells rude in the best possible way. If you skip the rest, the juices leave and take the glory with them.
Slice against the grain unless you enjoy unnecessary chewing
Take a second to look at the direction of the muscle fibers and slice across them, not with them. That one tiny move makes the steak way more tender, especially for strip steak. Good slicing is one of those low-effort things that makes you look suspiciously competent.
Make the butter ahead and act like you planned your life
The cowboy butter can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a few days. Reheat it gently before serving, or let it firm up and use it almost like a compound butter on hot steak. This is especially handy if you don’t want to juggle steak timing and sauce timing at the same moment. Anything you can do ahead while still wearing clean clothes is a win.
Leftovers are rare, but let’s pretend
Store leftover steak and butter separately if possible. The steak reheats best gently, or you can slice it thin and use it in sandwiches, wraps, or a very smug lunch the next day. The butter is also great on potatoes, roasted vegetables, or bread, which means it absolutely will not go to waste. Cold leftover steak dipped in leftover cowboy butter is not elegant, but it is honest.
If the grill isn’t happening, use a skillet and move on
You can absolutely cook the steak in a cast-iron skillet if the weather is bad or your grill is being difficult. Get the pan very hot, sear the steak well, and finish to your preferred temp. It won’t have the same outdoor-grill mood, but it will still be very good. Sometimes the most powerful cooking technique is refusing to be derailed.
