Flavor Trends, Strategies and Solutions for Menu Development

By Rob Corliss
August 16, 2023

Share on Facebook  Share on X (Twitter)  Share on Pinterest  Share on LinkedIn  Share thru Email  

Brown butter is a one-ingredient wonder with the ability to transform foods with its roasted, toasted flavor and silky texture, earning the moniker of liquid gold. The character of brown butter is an ideal flavoring for grilled meats as it provides complexity without weighing down other flavors. Brown butter merits being incorporated into menu development for grilled items.

Here are 12 menu ideas that place brown butter front and center year-round, complementing grilled appetizers and entrées with elegant flair.

GRILLED AND TOSSED

TRY THIS

  • Brown Butter-Everything Pig Wings: Grilled wings tossed with everything seasoning, brown butter and minced chives, served with a cream cheese crema dip
  • Blueberry Noisette Pork: Grilled pork tenderloin medallions tossed with smashed blueberry brown butter with thyme and lavender, served with honey-glazed carrots
  • Brown Butter-Miso Skirt Steak: Grilled skirt steak sliced and tossed with white miso-brown butter and black sesame seeds, served over pineapple fried rice
  • Brown Butter-Hot Chicken: Grilled boneless chicken thighs tossed with brown butter hot sauce with lemon juice, garlic, parsley and black pepper, served with jalapeño creamed corn

SKEWERED AND BASTED

TRY THIS

  • Hot Hickory Syrup-Brown Butter Pork Kabob: Grilled pork loin and butternut squash skewer basted with harissa-shagbark hickory syrup brown butter, finished with crushed walnuts
  • Tangerine Brown Butter Surf-Turf Skewer: Grilled smoked pork belly chunks and shrimp skewer, basted with honey-tangerine-rosemary brown butter
  • Brown Butter Italian Summer Steak Kabob: Grilled sirloin steak, cherry tomato and zucchini skewer, basted with Calabrian chile brown butter, then drizzled with tonnato sauce
  • Brown Butter Apple Five-Spice Chicken Skewer: Grilled skewered boneless chicken thigh strips, basted with Chinese five-spice-brown butter apple cider glaze

GRILLED AND SAUCED

TRY THIS

  • Truffled Brown Butter Porterhouse Pork: Grilled pork porterhouse steak sauced with Pommeray truffled brown butter
  • Sofrito Brown Butter Pork Steak: Grilled Sazón pork flat iron steak sauced with brown butter sofrito
  • Sunshine Brown Buttered Sirloin Steak: Grilled sirloin steak sauced with roasted garlic and sun-dried tomato brown butter with salted sunflowers seeds
  • Dilly Brown Butter Chicken Breast: Grilled chicken breast sauced with shallot-caper-dill brown butter with queso fresco crumbles

 

 

About The Author

Rob Corliss

Rob Corliss is a three-time James Beard House guest chef with more than 30 years of experience that includes running world-class hotels, launching new concepts, working in top marketing agencies and owning the culinary consultancy ATE (All Things Epicurean) since 2009. Based in Nixa, Mo., ATE has an energizing passion focused on flavor innovation and is dedicated to connecting people to their food, environment and wellness. Rob is also a regular contributor to Flavor & The Menu.