Porterhouse-steak (Grill)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Covered charcoal or gas grill large enough for two heat zones
• •Long grill tongs
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large carving board with a juice groove
• •Sharp slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry and season

   Forty-five minutes before grilling, set the steak on a rack and season every surface, including the fat edge, with the salt. Leave it uncovered while the salt dissolves and works back into the meat. If time is short, salt immediately before grilling instead; the awkward interval is ten to thirty minutes, when salt has drawn moisture out but has not yet reabsorbed it. Pat away any beads of moisture before cooking. Wet beef steams, while a dry surface browns.

   Ask the butcher for an evenly cut steak about 2 inches (5 cm) thick. A thin porterhouse cooks through before it develops the deep bronze crust this preparation requires.
2. 2

   Build two heat zones

   Prepare a covered grill with one fierce zone and one gentler zone. On charcoal, bank a full chimney of glowing coals over one half; on gas, preheat one side on high and leave the other side low or unlit. Heat the grate for at least fifteen minutes, aiming for 500 to 550°F (260 to 290°C) over the hot side. Scrub the grate clean. The cool zone is not a precaution added after trouble begins; it is part of the method.

3. 3

   Sear over fierce heat

   Pat the steak dry once more, rub it thinly with the oil, and press on the crushed pepper. Lay it over the fierce zone with the strip side nearest the strongest heat and the smaller tenderloin pointing toward the cooler side. Grill without moving for 3 to 4 minutes, until the underside is deeply bronzed and releases cleanly, then turn and grill the second face for another 3 to 4 minutes. Hold the fat edge against the grate with tongs for 1 to 2 minutes so it colors and begins to render.

   If dripping fat causes flames, move the steak immediately to the cool side and close the lid briefly. Ça se rattrape. Let the flames subside, then return the beef to finish its crust; never leave it sitting in fire until bronze becomes bitter soot.
4. 4

   Finish it gently

   Move the steak to the cooler zone, keeping the tenderloin farthest from the fire and the bone angled toward it. Cover the grill and cook, turning every 3 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into the thickest part of each muscle, clear of the bone, reads 122 to 126°F (50 to 52°C) for medium-rare, about 8 to 14 minutes more. For medium, pull it at 131 to 135°F (55 to 57°C). If the tenderloin reaches temperature before the strip, shield that smaller muscle loosely with foil and keep the strip toward the heat. The two muscles need attention, not identical treatment.

5. 5

   Rest the steak

   Transfer the steak to a warm carving board and rest it for a full 15 minutes, loosely covered with foil so the crust does not soften. Its temperature will continue to rise as the juices settle through the meat. If someone cuts too soon, catch every escaped juice on the board and spoon it back over the slices. Ça se rattrape, though only partly; resting is easier than rescue.

6. 6

   Carve around the bone

   Run a sharp knife along both sides of the T-shaped bone to free the strip and tenderloin. Slice each muscle across its grain about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick, keeping the two cuts separate, then arrange them around the bone on a warm platter. Spoon over the collected carving juices and serve at once, plain and generous. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source describes a sirloin slice cleared of flank and chine. At a current butcher counter, ask for a thick porterhouse with the long flank tail and any projecting backbone neatly trimmed, while retaining the central T-shaped bone and its generous tenderloin.
• •Position matters. The tenderloin is smaller and leaner than the strip, so point it toward the cooler side from the first sear onward. Treating both muscles alike is how one becomes dry before the other is ready.
• •Use a thermometer through the side of the steak and check both muscles without touching bone. Guessing by minutes alone asks the weather, the grill, and the thickness of the cut to behave identically, and they won't.
• •A firm red from the Médoc has enough structure for the browned beef without demanding a sauce. Keep the plate plain, pass bread and a sharp green salad separately, and let the carving juices do their work.
• •Refrigerate leftover carved beef within two hours and keep it for up to 3 days. Serve it cold or warm it very gently; hard reheating finishes the cooking and turns the tenderloin dry.

Advance Preparation

• •For deeper seasoning and a drier browning surface, salt the steak 12 to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate it uncovered on a rack. Bring it out 45 minutes before grilling.
• •Ask the butcher to trim the flank tail and projecting chine when ordering. The steak can remain wrapped in the cold until the day of cooking, but uncover it before seasoning so its surface can dry.
• •The grill can be cleaned and the charcoal measured earlier in the day. Light the fire about 30 minutes before cooking so the grate is fully heated and the coals are glowing rather than smoking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 220g)