Bavette Steak with Whipped Green Garlic-Pistachio Butter & Spring Crunch Salad
Let's talk about butter. Specifically, that melting, seductive coin of herb butter that crowns a steak at any respectable Parisian neighborhood bistro. I used to make those classic beurre maîtres d'hôtel by the hundreds in culinary school. But honestly? I got a little bored.\n\nHere in California, spring gives us green garlic—sweet, mellow, and just begging to be whipped into good cultured butter. I mix in toasted pistachios and a hit of Meyer lemon zest for crunch and sunshine. Last week, my favorite farmer, Julian, brought me the first snap peas of the season, practically vibrating with green energy. Instead of serving this steak with heavy pommes frites, I tossed those peas with shaved radishes and a sharp vinaigrette for an obscenely crunchy side.\n\nWhat makes this dish so special to me is how the melting pistachio butter mingles with the steak juices to create a natural sauce that coats every bite of the salad. It is rich, yet entirely bright.\n\nMy advice? Don't be precious about the cut. A skirt steak or flank works beautifully if bavette is hiding from you. Just sear it hard, keep it rare, and pour yourself a glass of chilled, funky Gamay. Santé!
Featured Recipe
Bavette Steak with Whipped Green Garlic–Pistachio Butter & Spring Crunch Salad
In Paris, a steak always arrives with a coin of herb butter melting seductively over the top. Here in California, I take that same bistro energy but swap the heavy potatoes for an obscenely crunchy, bright salad of shaved spring snap peas and radishes. The butter—whipped with early spring green garlic, toasted pistachios, and Meyer lemon zest—is the true star, mingling with the steak juices to create its own sauce.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 1 lb Bavette steak (or flank/skirt)(Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking!)
- 1.5 tsp Kosher salt(Plus more to taste)
- 4 tbsp High-fat cultured butter(Room temperature. Please, I beg you, do not skimp on the quality here.)
- 2 stalks Green garlic(Finely minced (sub 1 small garlic clove + 1 scallion if needed))
- 3 tbsp Toasted pistachios(Roughly chopped)
- 1 whole Meyer lemon(Zested and juiced)
- 1.5 cups Snap peas(Strings removed, sliced thin on a sharp bias)
- 1 bunch French breakfast radishes(Thinly sliced on a mandoline)
- 0.5 cup Fresh mint(Torn)
- 0.5 cup Fresh dill(Roughly chopped)
- 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil(For the salad dressing)
- 1 tbsp Neutral oil (like grapeseed)(For searing)
- 1 pinch Flaky sea salt(For finishing)
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper(Freshly cracked; used for seasoning the salad in Step 6)
Instructions
- 1
Pull the bavette from the fridge and season it aggressively with 1.5 tsp Kosher salt. Let it sit at room temperature while you make the butter. In a small bowl, smash the softened butter with the 2 stalks Green garlic, minced, 3 tbsp Toasted pistachios, zest of 1 whole Meyer lemon, and 1 pinch salt. It should look speckled and gorgeous. Set aside.
10 min
Tip: If your butter is too cold, grate it! It will soften almost instantly.
- 2
Prep the salad vegetables. Slice the 1.5 cups Snap peas on a severe bias (it makes them look elegant and exposes more surface area for the dressing), shave the 1 bunch French breakfast radishes, and pick your herbs (0.5 cup Fresh mint, 0.5 cup Fresh dill). Place them all in a mixing bowl. In a tiny separate bowl, whisk the juice of 1 whole Meyer lemon and 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil. Don't dress the salad yet!
10 min
Tip: A mandoline is your best friend for the radishes, just watch your fingers.
- 3
Place your favorite heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Let it get legitimately hot—you want a superb crust on this meat. Pat the 1 lb Bavette steak completely dry with a paper towel (moisture is the enemy of a good sear) and add the 1 tbsp Neutral oil (like grapeseed) to the pan.
3 min
Tip: Turn on your vent hood before the pan starts smoking!
- 4
Carefully lay the bavette in the hot skillet. Let it sear undisturbed for about 3 to 4 minutes to build a deep mahogany crust. Flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes for a perfect medium-rare, or until it reaches 130°F internally.
8 min
Tip: Bavette takes beautifully to high heat but can get tough if cooked past medium.
- 5
Transfer the steak to a cutting board. Immediately slather 2 tbsp High-fat cultured butter of the green garlic-pistachio butter over the hot meat so it melts into every crevice. Let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes. Do not touch it! Resting is cooking.
10 min
Tip: The melting butter will mix with the resting juices to form a lazy, perfect sauce right on the board.
- 6
While the steak is in its final minutes of resting, pour your juice of 1 whole Meyer lemon, 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil dressing over the bowl of 1.5 cups Snap peas, 1 bunch French breakfast radishes, and herbs (0.5 cup Fresh mint, 0.5 cup Fresh dill). Toss vigorously, and season generously with 1 pinch Flaky sea salt and 0.5 tsp Black pepper.
3 min
Tip: Dressing at the absolute last second keeps the snap peas violently crunchy.
- 7
Slice the bavette against the grain into thick pieces. Arrange on a platter, pour over any of the buttery, meaty juices left on the board, and pile the bright spring salad right alongside (or even slightly over the top). Serve with the remaining 2 tbsp High-fat cultured butter compound butter on the side.
4 min
Tip: Slicing against the grain is mandatory for bavette to ensure it's meltingly tender.
Chef's Notes
My farmer, Luc, always saves me the first slender stalks of green garlic in March. It has a milder, sweeter bite than mature garlic and screams 'spring' to me. If you can't find it, a tiny bit of regular garlic mashed with a scallion works beautifully. Pour a slightly chilled Gamay or a crunchy Cabernet Franc with this—it cuts right through that rich, nutty butter like a dream.
Marguerite Lavigne
French soul, California sun
I grew up in a small village outside Lyon, where my grandmother taught me that the best meals come from respecting your ingredients. After training at Le Cordon Bleu and spending years in Parisian kitchens, I moved to San Francisco and fell in love with California's farmers markets and wine country. Now I cook the food I wish my grandmother could taste—French technique with California abundance, where a perfect roast chicken might come with Meyer lemon and wild fennel instead of tarragon.