Add A Packet Of This Soup Mix For A Steak That Truly Shines
Onion soup mixes are surprisingly versatile. These dry spice blends can quickly add flavor to a variety of dishes, whether you're making a quick broth, mixing them with sour cream (or labneh) for French onion dip on game day, or spicing up a homemade casserole.
When making steak, many people stick to a routine. Coat the meat with salt and pepper on both sides, sear it in a hot pan, maybe baste it in butter and herbs if you're feeling fancy, rest, and serve. This formula works, but for a boost in flavor, consider using onion soup mix as a steak rub. While the exact ingredients will vary by brand, packets often contain onion powder or dehydrated onion, salt, sugar or corn syrup, and soy sauce, as well as a few other food additives like anti-caking agents, preservatives, or color. In all, these provide a burst of umami flavor that complements the beef well.
To add the dry rub the right way, without burning the spices in the packet, coat the steak with a thin layer of oil, salt it, and sear the steak first. After this initial sear, you can add the soup mix onto the steak. Finish cooking it at a lower heat, and serve. Your steak will have an earthy, umami taste. This dry rub upgrade is similar flavor-wise to topping a steak with caramelized onions, but the process is easier and won't have you standing at the stove for an hour stirring onions.
Another way to use this soup mix to flavor steak
If you decide to butter baste your steak in the pan for added richness, you can incorporate the onion soup mix directly into a compound butter instead. By adding the mix into butter instead of directly rubbing it onto the steak itself, it has a chance to emulsify with the butter and other complementary ingredients, like herbs, giving your steak a more complex flavor profile.
For compound butter, it's best to make it ahead of time to allow the flavors to fully impart. You can use this formula to build your own compound butter for steak. Adding fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme will give your steak an aromatic edge, and alongside the onion mix, it's a showstopper.
To baste, add the compound butter into your pan when the steak is nearly done and use a spoon to pour the melted butter over the steak repeatedly as it finishes cooking. You can also choose to add a pat of compound butter directly onto the steak when serving. The herby tang and savory flavor of the soup mix-infused compound butter will complement the richness of the steak nicely. Steak is the perfect dinner choice for many, and no matter how you choose to make it, any cut can be easily enhanced with this soup mix.
