Since this is our second year, I guess Jerry and I have started a NY Eve tradition of cooking lobster and a porterhouse dinner at home. Last year it was due to leftover seafood from the Feast of Seven Fishes that I fixed on Christmas Eve (lobster) and a need for something other than fish (Porterhouse). We remembered it as so special and delicious we did it again.
We started with lobster tails broiled with garlic butter and paprika - that's it.. I worked on Thursday so I didn't want any stress of preparing several dishes and making them all come out at once. Plus, we wanted to savor each one so we ate in courses with a short break between each one. It was wonderful and I highly recommend it when you are cooking "special" dishes that you don't have everyday.
This porterhouse recipe I have seems at odds with everything you have ever heard of in terms of cooking steak yet it is fabulous! It is best if you are a medium rare person but it will also work for medium and rare. Probably not so good for those who like on the well side.
I got it from Bobby Flay who got it from Peter Lugers steakhouse in Brooklyn. You need a 1.5 - 2" porterhouse. I've made it 3 times in the last year and I believe the Greenwise brand steaks from Publix are the absolute best for this.
I got it from Bobby Flay who got it from Peter Lugers steakhouse in Brooklyn. You need a 1.5 - 2" porterhouse. I've made it 3 times in the last year and I believe the Greenwise brand steaks from Publix are the absolute best for this.
- It's best to work with room temperature meat so it cooks more evenly. Take your steak out of the fridge 3 hours before you cook it (I didn't have that option this time so the end piece of a little more done than the other pieces.)
- Also, pull some butter from the fridge to bring to room temp.
- Put a cast iron pan on a medium high burner while you are preparing the meat.
- Generously salt the steak. Now I am not a salt lover and this was hard for me but you have to remember this is a very thick steak so do not be conservative. This is the only seasoning you will use so listen to Bobby & Peter, lol!
- Throw a little netral oil into the pan to see that it is ready and then add the steak. DO NOT TOUCH IT FOR 4 MINUTES. That's right, ignore your urge to check it, move it, flip it, etc. Leave it alone.
- At the end of the 4 minutes remove the steak and place it on a cutting board with the cooked side up. It will have a wonderful crust.
- Start your broiler - you will need it in a couple of minutes.
- OK, this is weird but cut the meat from the bone. Yup, cut the meat off. You will have two pieces - the strip side and the filet side.
- Once they are removed, return the bone to the hot pan with the browned side up.
- Now cut the two pieces of steak horizontally - basically you are creating strips of meat. Don't disassemble it when you do this. Just slice it but don't move it.
- Next, return the slice steak back to the pan to its original positions. with the crust side up, yup crust side up. (See the photo above).
- Now you will top it with pads of room temperature butter.
- Place the steak under the broiler for about 3 - 5 minutes depending on how close the meat is to the heat source, how thick your steak is, and how you like it. Because it is sliced you can peek to see it's status.
- When you take it out of the oven, spoon the melted butter over the steak before serving.
- That's it! super simple, fast, and the best porterhouse I have ever tasted!
I was having trouble ordering these photos without messing up my formatting but we actually had the asparagus as a second course. I used some of the garlic butter from the lobster and some parmesan cheese to dress it. We ate it with some crusty bread - simple & delicious!
