Butter-Glazed Jamaican Jerk Steak

This is the kind of dish that makes you teary-eyed. Not just from the pure joy of each bite, but from the spicy jerk seasoning. And, depending on the level of heat in your jerk rub, your nose might run too. Not to worry, there's a perfect balance happening here - creamy butter compliments and smooths the vibrant essence of cloves, allspice and red peppers from the jerk seasoning. This is especially handy if you use a fiery variety. All that zesty, buttery love, on juicy grilled steak.

I suggest you read the label on your jerk seasoning and adjust the amount of buttery glaze you add before serving. Some varieties are loaded with jerk flavor, not heat. Some are incredibly spicy. The steak marinates in the same seasoning before grilling, so there is already a LOT of flavor in the meat.

We like heat in my house, so I buttered with reckless abandon. In fact, my buttery glaze was so hot, the aroma hit your throat when you walked into the kitchen. Now that's hot.

About the steak: I used a boneless chuck steak because, while I was shopping, THAT is the steak that looked best to me. It really doesn't matter what cut of meat you choose, but I suggest a thicker cut so you have robust slices to glaze with butter. That said, you can also use skirt or flank steak - just reduce the cooking time (and I prefer skirt over flank for its level of marbling, which cooks up more tender).

Butter-Glazed Jamaican Jerk Steak 

1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning or rub, mild or hot
Salt and ground black pepper
1 1/2 pound thick cut steak, such as rib-eye, tri-tip, boneless chuck steak, or thick cut of sirloin
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Chopped green onions for serving, optional
Lime wedges for serving, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil and jerk seasoning. Remove and reserve 3 tablespoons of the mixture for the glaze. Transfer the rest of the marinade to a shallow dish.
Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper and add the steak to the marinade. Turn to coat.  Marinate for 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours (when marinating for more than 20 minutes, cover the steak with plastic wrap and refrigerate).
Coat a stovetop grill pan or griddle with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high. Remove steak from the marinade and add it to the hot pan. Cook until charred on the bottom, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook for 4 to 6 more minutes for medium-rare meat, or a minute or two longer for more fully cooked meat (remember, the steak will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat).
Remove the steak from the pan, transfer to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Meanwhile, to make the glaze, transfer the reserved 3 tablespoons of marinade to a small saucepan and set the pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in butter until melted. Remove the pan from the heat.
Slice the steak, across the grain, into slices.
Brush the glaze all over the steak slices. Top with green onions, if using. Serve extra butter glaze and lime wedges on the side.

Serves 4