Done correctly a grilled porterhouse steak will look like an incredible piece of art. The sort of steak that will get people talking and one that you will feel very confident serving to guests.
There is always a lot of talk about the difference between a Porterhouse and a T-Bone steak. In reality, there is very little difference.
Learn how to season and grill this great piece of meat and you will be enjoying one of the best cuts very soon.
WHAT IS PORTERHOUSE STEAK
The answer to this is very simple. Porterhouse steak is a steak that has a bone in the middle in the shape of a T and two different muscles on each side of it. One of the muscles is the tenderloin. This is where the filet comes from. The other side is New York Strip, which is also called strip loin. Because this piece of meat runs down the spine of the animal it does not move very much during the cows life. Due to this, we have an incredibly tender cut that is packed full of fantastic flavor.
PORTERHOUSE VS T-BONE STEAK
The difference between these two cuts is the width of the tenderloin muscle. The USDA has said that to be classified as a Porterhouse the width of the meat must be at least 1.25 inches. Anything less than this width would be classed as a T-Bone Steak. So the Porterhouse steak will always come out as quite a big cut and often people share it with another person.
BUYING THE RIGHT PORTERHOUSE
If a steak is too thin then it will cook very quickly. When reverse searing you want a steak with a bit of depth to it. Try to find a steak that is at least 1 1/2 inches thick. If you can find thicker then it’s even better. Try to find a Porterhouse that has good marbling.
SEASONING YOUR STEAK
The meat is and should always be the star of the show! You don’t want to drown out its natural great flavor with some overpowering seasoning that actually takes away from the taste of the meat instead of enhancing it.
Begin by covering the Porterhouse with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil. Then apply a liberal layer of dry rub and it’s time to get it on the grill. Choose whatever seasoning you wish but as I just said you really want to let the meat flavor come through cleanly. Due to this I just apply a liberal coating of SPG all over the meat. For those not in the know this is Salt, Pepper, and Garlic granules. When I mix them together I use four parts salt, 2 parts pepper, and one part garlic.
A lot of people swear by taking the meat out of the fridge and leaving it to reach room temperature before they grill it. I agree with this for a lot of steaks but when it comes to Porterhouse it is a different game. The steak is so thick that even after an hour on the work counter, the internal temperature would not have changed much.
TIME TO GRILL THE PORTERHOUSE STEAK
Now it is time to get this steak cooked so you can see (or more importantly taste) for yourself just how good this cut of meat can be. An hour might sound like a long time to be preparing and cooking a steak but the end result will be well worth it.
- Preheat your grill to about 250 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are planning to put wood in with the coals I would recommend using wood from a fruit tree. Something like cherry or apple will work really well with the beef.
- Whilst your grill is coming up to temperature it’s time to cover that Porterhouse with seasoning. Cover all sides of the meat including the perimeter.
- Place the steaks onto the grill. You want to be grilling indirectly. Because the grill is not that hot you will be leaving the steaks on the grill for somewhere around thirty to forty-five minutes. If you have an instant-read Thermapen stick it into the thickest part of the meat. For rare you want to take it off the grill when it reaches 110 and for medium rare 120 degrees F.
- As soon as you are up to the desired temperature it is time to get the meat off the grill and crank up the grill temperature. You are going to be grilling direct from now on and you want the grill to be throwing out 450 – 500 degrees of heat. An alternative to this is to transfer the steak to a cast iron pan and finish the steak on the stove.
- With the grill spanking hot it is time to get the steak back on the heat. Grill each side for about two to three minutes. The internal temperature should get up to 120-125 F for rare and 130-135 for medium-rare.
- Once the temperature has been met remove the Porterhouse Steak from the grill and put it on a chopping board for ten minutes to rest. During the resting period, the meat will reabsorb any rendered fat and leave you with a delicious juicy steak.
- Slice the steak and serve.
INTERNAL TEMPS FOR DIFFERENT DONENESS
- Rare: 120-130 degrees F
- Medium Rare: 130-140 degrees F
- Medium: 140-150 degrees F
- Medium Well: 150-160 degrees F
PORTERHOUSE STEAK PRESENTATION
Start by separating the fillet from the bone. Cut along the bone line and remove the fillet in one whole piece. Next, remove the strip piece of meat. This will not come away from the bone as neatly as the first side. With both chunks of meat removed. Cut them into pieces about 7mm thick and place them back along the shape of the bone so that you end up with that beautiful presentation you see all over the internet.
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