The Key To Making Steakhouse-Style Mushrooms At Home Couldn't Be Easier

Sometimes, the foods we're left craving after dining out weren't even the main attraction. Who hasn't  stuffed themselves full of cheddar-garlic biscuits at a certain nationwide seafood chain, instead of lobster, for instance? The same can be said for steakhouses. Even if you savored a thick, juicy ribeye or New York strip (yes, there's a difference!), you might find yourself drooling over the memory of the mushrooms. Believe it or not, the "secret" to steakhouse mushrooms isn't some expensive or unobtainable mystery ingredient — it's butter, and lots of it.

Culinary professionals on the internet back this up. On a Reddit thread regarding steakhouse mushrooms, a user put it pithily: "If you're trying to make something taste like it does in a restaurant, particularly a steakhouse, the answer 99.9% of the time is butter. More butter than you've ever used for a dish. More butter than you've ever comprehended using for a dish. It's always butter."

One of the main reasons that steak tastes different at a restaurant is because the chef doesn't skimp on butter. Anthony Bourdain once told Oprah Winfrey (via Facebook) that it's usually the first and last thing in the pan, and the reason our food never has the same magic at home.

Beyond simply bathing your mushrooms in butter and letting them develop a golden crust in the pan, chefs have a few extra tips for perfect steakhouse mushrooms. First of all, choosing the right mushroom is of the essence. Cremini mushrooms, also called baby bellas, are just right for making steakhouse style, although they need not be the only option. The white button mushrooms that you find at the grocery store are simply immature portobellos. That's good for standard size, but not as good for flavor. If you want the "cap" appearance of steakhouse mushrooms, you will need to trim them before cooking to remove the stem. Whether or not you opt to use water, don't forget to clean your mushrooms!

A few predictable flavor enhancers will also give life to your mushrooms. Minced garlic and fresh thyme are classic choices. Soy sauce or Worcestershire is a question still up for debate, but it's a guarantee that a few glugs of either will lend beautiful brownness and meaty savor to your skillet. Some diced shallots will also enhance the bold flavor. Lemon juice for acidity? Definitely! Along those lines, keep in mind that moisture is the great enemy of crispy, flavorful steakhouse mushrooms. When you wash your fresh mushrooms, pat them nice and dry. Don't drown them in liquid in the pan if you choose to use stock or wine. No matter what flavors you utilize — on top of butter, of course! — let your mushrooms crisp up without too much fluid, and you will hopefully be happy with the results.