Grilled Herb Mustard Steaks is a flavorful Montana-inspired dish that pairs well with other hearty, rustic dishes that Montana is so known for.

This recipe, adapted from sources like RecipeLand and Food.com, uses a tangy mustard and herb rub to enhance the beef’s natural flavor, making it perfect for a summer barbecue or a cozy Montana meal.

The recipe is simple, quick, and elevates any cut of steak with a zesty, aromatic crust.

This recipe originally came from the Montana Beef Council free Grilled Beef recipe booklet.

Ingredients:

• • 4 (1-inch thick) top loin, ribeye, or sirloin steaks (about 1 lb each)
  • ¼ cup (or yellow mustard for a milder flavor)
  • 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
  • 1 tbsp each of Chopped Rosemary, Thyme, and Oregano (or 1 tsp each dried)
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper (freshly ground)
  • 2 tbsp Water (for garlic prep)
  • 1 tsp Salt (to taste, added after grilling)
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil (for grilling, optional)

Directions:

• • Prep Garlic: In a microwave-safe glass measure, combine minced garlic and water. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds to soften garlic flavor. Drain water if desired.
  • Make Mustard-Herb Rub: In a small bowl, mix Dijon mustard, softened garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and black pepper until well combined. The mixture should be spreadable but not too thin.
  • Coat Steaks: Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Spread the mustard-herb mixture evenly on both sides of each steak, pressing gently to adhere. Let steaks sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 4 hours for deeper flavor).
  • Preheat Grill: Prepare a charcoal grill with medium-hot coals or heat a gas grill to medium-high (about 400°F). Lightly oil the grill grate if needed to prevent sticking.
  • Grill Steaks: Place steaks on the grill. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side for medium-rare (130-135°F internal temperature), turning once. For top loin steaks, grill 8-9 minutes per side for medium. Avoid overcooking to keep steaks tender.
  • Rest and Season: Remove steaks from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes, tented with foil, to redistribute juices. Season with salt to taste.
  • Serve: Slice steaks thinly across the grain for maximum tenderness. Serve with Montana sides like Bannock Bread, roasted potatoes, or a huckleberry-dressed salad to complement the meal.

This dish, Grilled Herb Mustard Steaks, fits Montana’s love for bold, simple flavors that highlight quality meat, much like the Venison Roast or Butte Pasty.

The mustard-herb rub adds a tangy, aromatic twist that pairs well with the state’s outdoor grilling culture, evoking summer barbecues in Big Sky Country.

The use of fresh herbs echoes the rustic, foraged ingredients common in Montana cuisine.

Bannock Bread is a simple, versatile flatbread with deep roots in Montana’s culinary history, often associated with Native American tribes, fur traders, and early settlers.

Traditionally cooked over an open fire, it’s a quick bread that’s perfect for camping or pairing with hearty dishes like venison or trout.

Ingredients:

• • 6 cups of Flour
  • 3 Tbs. Baking Powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 2 1/2 cups Water

Directions:

• • Heat oven to 350° Stir together; flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add water, (if dough is too dry add more water).
  • Knead until dough is not sticky.
  • Grease a large baking pan, spread dough in pan and bake 35 minutes.

Serve hot with chokecherry jelly and thin sliced fried potatoes, beef from a roast, sliced thin before cooking and then fried.

Peppermint tea or coffee is usually served with Bannock Bread.

(can be fried stove top in a skillet as well)

“This is a traditional meal for our people.” – Earl Old Person, Chief (Chief of the Blackfeet Nation).

The Butte Pasty is a Montana icon, a hearty, portable meat and vegetable pie brought to the copper mines of Butte by Cornish immigrants in the late 1800s.

Known as a “letter from ‘ome” by miners, this savory half-moon pastry was a practical, filling meal for workers, with a crimped edge serving as a handle to keep dirty hands from the food.

Below is a traditional Montana-style Butte Pasty recipe, inspired by sources like The Taste of Montana, Southwest Montana, and Butte’s Heritage Cookbook.

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 -1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 1/4 cups Lard or Shortening
  • 3/4 cup Very Cold Water
  • Measure Flour and Salt
  • Cut in lard until dough resembles small peas.
  • Add water and divide into 6 equal parts.

Filling:

• • 5 or 6 Medium Potatoes (red are best)
  • 3 Medium or 2 Large Yellow Onions
  • Parsley for Flavoring
  • 2 pounds of Meat (loin tip, skirting or flank steak)
  • Butter (to taste)
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

• • Roll dough slightly oblong.
  • Slice in layers on dough, first the potatoes, then the onions and last the meat (sliced or diced in thin strips).
  • Bring pasty dough up from ends and crimp across the top.
  • Making the pasty oblong eliminates the lump of dough on each end.
  • Bake at 375° for about one hour.
  • Brush a little milk on top while baking.

The Butte pasty is deliberately simple, seasoned only with salt and pepper to reflect its humble mining roots. Cornish tradition emphasizes chopped (not minced) meat and sliced vegetables. Rutabaga is authentic, often mislabeled as turnip in old recipes.

Lard yields a more authentic texture, but butter works well. Some modern recipes use cream cheese for extra crust flakiness.

For a modern twist, try ground pork with beef or add carrots and cheese, though purists may object. Smaller “cocktail pasties” are great for gatherings.

You can wrap and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat at 350°F for 20-30 minutes (keep foil on if frozen).

Serve your Pasty up with a local brew like Kettle House’s Shady Hazy IPA for a true Butte experience.

The pasty, pronounced “PASS-tee,” became a Butte staple due to its portability and heartiness, fueling miners in the copper boom. Though Cornish in origin, it’s often called “Irish Butte Pasty” due to the city’s large Irish population.

The crimped edge allowed miners to hold the pasty without contaminating it, discarding the soiled crust.