To many, a piece of meat is a thing of beauty. Have you ever tried taking your meat up a notch by adding a topping? A topping is a way to make any piece of meat better whether tender or tough, thick or thin, rare, or well done. From flavored butters to rich sauces, these ideas add a whole new layer of flavor to any meat you serve.
Steak Butter
You can’t go wrong with butter. A dollop of plain butter adds an appealing richness to just about any grilled steak, but compound butters are even better. Mix up softened salted butter, garlic, salt and pepper, and fresh herbs and pour over steak. Pro-tip, you can put that butter on anything and everything – dinner rolls, toast, chicken, or seafood.
Salsa
Want an incredibly delicious chicken dinner loaded with fresh flavors? Spoon fresh salsa over chicken for a fresh, light meal, then serve the leftovers with crunchy tortilla chips. Keep it convenient with a jar of store-bought salsa, or use your farmers market haul to make it at home. Actually, any meat that’s a little bland can use the assistance of salsa. Serve it alongside grilled chicken or steak or even spoon it over meatloaf.
Au Jus
Au Jus is traditionally served with rib roasts, prime rib or other thicker cuts of beef. You can adjust any Au Jus recipe for other meats like chicken or turkey by replacing the beef stock with the matching stock. Au Jus is great to have on hand in the freezer for your next veal or beef dish.
Mushroom Sauce
Mushroom sauce makes the absolute best topping for steak and is also great served over chicken, pork, and seafood. Steaks are so delicious in a gravy sauce and take on a whole new flavor/texture. Bonus – mushrooms are very healthy and contain many nutrients including Vitamin B, copper, potassium, and Vitamin D. Mushrooms are low in calories, high in fiber, and low in carbohydrates.
Hot Pepper Jelly
A jar of hot pepper jelly is bright, with pops of spicy pepper flavor and sticky sweet. Your taste buds will thank you with each bite. Cook your pork chops are you do then top with a generous amount of hot pepper jelly sauce. Be sure to spoon plenty of the pepper mixture and the sweet and tangy liquid over the top. The chops should be tender and juicy, and the simple glaze will add a great punch of savory, sweet flavor.