Everything You Need To Know About Porterhouse Steak
Is there anything better than a juicy, well-seared steak that’s seasoned to perfection and just waiting to be enjoyed in all its beefy goodness? Probably not. True steak lovers may not discriminate when it comes to cuts such as sirloin, flat iron, or classic T-bone, but that doesn’t mean they don’t sometimes get confused as to which steak is which and, especially, about how to cook these different types of meat.
One steak we hear a lot about is the porterhouse, a cut of meat that is prized by steakhouses and often among the most expensive options these restaurants offer. That’s because the sizeable variety is a “two-for-one” that includes both filet mignon and strip steak. Porterhouses look just like T-bone steaks, characterized by the T-shaped bone pointing down the middle of the flesh and dividing the filet mignon from the strip . The key difference is that a porterhouse is cut much thicker than a T-bone, meaning that it includes a larger portion of filet mignon and is a much bigger serving of meat overall, comfortably feeding two people.
How To Cook Porterhouse Steak
For the most authentic steakhouse flavor, cook your porterhouse on the grill. But you can also get great results with the broiler or in a smoking hot cast iron skillet on the stovetop. Use light seasoning but a generous amount of salt and try not to cook the steak beyond medium, or 145 F, at the most.
To grill a porterhouse, start hot and fast, giving the surface a good sear. Cook it to the point right before the fat would start to burn, then flip it and sear the other side. To get those restaurant-style diamond grill marks, rotate it 45 degrees on the same side before you flip it and repeat on the other side.
Once it browns on both sides, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish it to your desired doneness. To add richness, place a pat of butter in the center of the steak a few minutes before you pull it off the grill. This is a popular restaurant trick that brings out the flavor.
The burly porterhouse makes an ideal candidate for a cowboy steak. Give it a Southwestern twist by rubbing it all over with a paste that includes garlic, chili powder, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper. Then wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for a few hours so it absorbs the spices before you grill it.
Understanding The Porterhouse Steak What It Is And How To Cook It
Today we look at the porterhouse steak, including where it comes from, alternative names, how to buy it and where, and how to cook it to perfection. We also show you three of the best recipes for this cut, taken from around the web.
If youre hungry to find out what the fuss is about when it comes to the Porterhouse steak, look no further.
Our in-depth guide will show you what a porterhouse steak is, where it comes from, and how you can get your hands on one. As well as our detailed instructions on how to cook the Porterhouse to perfection when you do.
Weve all pondered the dilemma of what came first, the chicken or the egg. But have you ever thought about what arrived first, the T-Bone or the Porterhouse?
These two steaks are titans of the meat lovers kingdom and are pretty much the same steak. So, whats the answer? And what is a Porterhouse steak?
Well, to be honest, we dont know who came first. But one thing we can say for sure is that the Porterhouse can always be a T-bone, but a T-bone can never be a Porterhouse.
The Porterhouse paper is ready, so pay attention.
Contents
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How To Cook A Porterhouse Steak
We will help you learn how to cook a perfect, juicy porterhouse steak like a professional chef. Read on for our guide on porterhouse steaks, including a delicious pan-fried porterhouse steak recipe at the end.
Before moving to the main event, our recipe for a perfect Porterhouse steak, lets cover the different methods for cooking it. Each method has its advantages, so we encourage you to experiment with different recipes.
- Grilling Cooking a steak on the grill remains one of the most popular methods. The added flavors from the charcoal, flames, and that perfect golden crust are a hit with the barbecueing crowds.
- Pan-Frying Like grilling, pan-frying provides a nice, crispy crust but in a closed environment, requiring just a quality iron skillet.
- Oven Cooking Cooking in the oven may be the lazy method, but it leaves little mess.
- Reverse Searing This slow-cooking method involves both the oven and an iron skillet.
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What Is Better T
It is possible to compare a T-bone to a porterhouse steak when the filet has the size its called for. There is a general perception that porterhouse steaks are better suited to two people compared to T-bone steaks. T-bones also contain fewer filets since they are formed by the process of turning tenderloin into saddle.
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Aged Beef Porterhouse Steak
Fire up the grill or turn on the oven and get ready to make a masterpiece!
Enjoy incredible restaurant-quality steaks in the comfort of your own home with Expleo gourmet grass-fed beef steaks.
Porterhouse vs T-bone whats the difference?
Porterhouse steaks are cut from the rear end of the short loin and include more tenderloin steak. T-bone steaks are cut closer to the front, so contain a smaller section of tenderloin.
We have a reputation for offering the finest meat on the market.
Its easy to order the best steaks online with a gourmet selection and a wide variety of cuts available. The most flavourful meat in New Zealand, cut by our expert butchers with the convenience of to-your-door delivery.
Extremely juicy and tasty steaks. Try some today!
100% Grass-Fed, Free Range Beef
When and where do you deliver?
We currently deliver throughout the North Island.
We deliver 5 days a week .All other orders received before 12 noon Monday to Friday will be delivered approximately within 48-72 hours, while those placed over the weekend will be delivered Monday or Tuesday.
We currently deliver throughout the North Island.
We will email, phone or text you to confirm your delivery that day.
Approximate Meat Weight
Guide to Meat Weights
When buying steaks the most common size asked for is 250gms. 180gms to 200gms is a good size for eye fillet for the average eater.
Mince etc, use 125gms per portion in spaghetti but 150gms per head for mince and potatoes.
What Steak Has The Filet Mignon In It
tenderloins, which belong to loin primal, should be chopped when filing the filet linth from the tenderloin, which is part of the loin primal. is separated from the sirloin portion of the loin, which also includes its strips, into the small loin section , then into the thick loin section , then into the fat. A very large number of this extremely valuable cut of beef represent 2% 3% of total animal parts.
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How To Cook It Steak On A Grill Or Smoker
The Porterhouse should be cooked at super high heat on an open grill. With that being said, it is a big, expensive piece of meat, so it needs care and attention.
The best way to achieve this is to use a multi-zone method. Once the grill is up and running follow our simple guide for one of the best Porterhouse steaks you will ever taste:
- Remove the steaks from the fridge at least an hour before you want to cook them. They are thick and will need that time to get to room temp.
- Make sure your grill grate is clean. Give it a good brush to remove old food debris and then lubricate it with a folded paper towel dipped in oil.
- Season with plenty of salt and pepper. This adds flavor and helps ensure a great crust.
- Now place on the grill at the hottest end and sear for approximately 2 ½ minutes. Youre aiming for a deep brown color, with a small amount of black char to the edges.
- Next, move the steak to the center zone, turning it through 90 degrees to achieve that eye candy criss-cross effect. Cook for a further 2 ½ minutes or until you see beads of blood and juice forming on top of the meat.
- Now flip and return to the hot zone. Cook for 2 ½ minutes and return to the center zone again, with the twist, to get the grill marks we want. If you get flare-ups, move the meat to the safety zone until the flames die down.
Remember: the steaks rise another 5 degrees once removed from the grill.
Is Organic Beef Grass
Organic beef does not necessarily mean it was grass-fed.
Organic means that the animal was not given added hormones or antibiotics or pesticides in the food. The feed can be grass, corn or soy .
Grass-fed meat means that the animal was pasture-raised and was not fed corn or soy. Grass-fed meat is often organic, but organic does not necessarily mean grass-fed.
Because cattle that are fed grain are inherently less healthy, organic does not necessarily mean better. Studies show that grain-fed cattle have unhealthy omega 6 to omega 3 fats. They have higher saturated fat and tend to be pro-inflammatory.
Grass-fed cattle have a much healthier omega 6 to omega 3 fat ratio.
They also tend to contain more vitamins, are less likely to have E. coli, less saturated fat, and fewer calories than commercial grain-fed meat.
So, if you are looking to purchase the healthiest steak, look for organic grass-fed beef with a USDA rating of at least Choice.
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Important Things To Remember
Usually, when you purchase a porterhouse, it will be 100 percent Angus beef and graded as choice or prime. It is cut from the short loin which includes both the top loin and tenderloins.
When shopping for a steak, look at the color and cut. The perfect one will have thick edges with lots of fat on its perimeter.
It is also important to look for a piece at least 3/4-inches thick, with a thickness of 1 inch being ideal. Occasionally, butchers will sell thin steaks, and these are largely useless.
This piece of meat is very delicate and, at the same time, pretty huge. A portion of the porterhouse under 1.1 pounds is almost never found.
If you buy frozen porterhouse, it is not recommended to quickly defrost the steak, for example using a microwave oven. Just leave it in the fridge for a day.
When cooking a porterhouse steak, you should be able to feel the heat coming from inside. The bone in it heats up and cooks the meat evenly without drying out or getting deflated during this process.
The meat will not dry out or shrink because of the heat conductivity from the bone, so a long cooking time will not be required.
FoodBeast.coms guide for grilling steak suggests first applying a dry rub to the meat, followed by fire-grilling it until an appropriate internal temperature is reached, and then sauce pairing with almost anything you like from balsamic vinegar to whiskey.
Recipes And Cooking Tips
- Be sure your steak is completely thawed.
- Bring the meat to room temperature. Remove your steak from the refrigerator 30-40 minutes before cooking.
- Resting steak is also important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- We recommend cooking your steak to no more than medium rare.
- Use a meat thermometer – and remove from heat at 125 degrees.
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Let It Rest And Serve
Resting a steak is very important. When cooked, the juices from the steak flood to the meats surface, and if you cut the steak right away and serve it, they will flow out to your plate, leaving the meat dry and less tasty. Let the steaks rest for about 5 minutes after cooking to allow them to soak up the juices inside.
You can serve your steak whole or use a sharp knife to slice up the steak for a nice presentation presentation.
Bon appetit!
About the author
Adam can tell you the difference between a flank steak and skirt steak and any other cut of meat. He loves sharing his knowledge of steaks with everyone, ensuring you get the perfect steak every time.
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What Is A Porterhouse Steak Exactly
A Porterhouse steak is a premium cut of steak coming from the short loin portion of the cow. The porterhouse is a composite steak since it consists of meat from two distinctively different parts of the animal: the tenderloin and the top loin . Separating the two kinds of meat is the distinctive T-bone in the middle.
It is similar in many ways to the T-bone steak, although it is usually larger and thicker. The two cuts are from opposite ends of the short loin, so the proportion of tenderloin is higher with the Porterhouse while the proportion of New York strip is smaller.
Due to the nature of the cut, porterhouse steaks are rather large and often classified as meals for two. They also provide meat lovers with the unique experience of tasting two different types of steaks in the same meal, given that each type has a rich, distinctive flavor.
The top sirloin contains more marbled fat, giving it a famed robust flavor and juiciness. The tenderloin, however, which is leaner, is the most tender and can almost melt in your mouth when cooked to perfection.
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Where To Buy Porterhouse Steaks
Most grocery stores will have some porterhouse steaks in the meat case but honestly they are usually pretty wimpy looking. They are usually cut on the thin side and are rarely big enough for what I am looking for in a porterhouse. There are exceptions so dont be afraid to give the meat case a glance to see what they have. A porterhouse at the grocery store will usually run $12-14 per pound.
If you want a good porterhouse steak I would check out your local butcher shop. Any butcher worth their salt will have some nice thick porterhouse steaks available and you can always ask them to cut you one whatever size you want. You can also ask for one cut a few inches from the back of the short loin. When it comes to a quality steak it is hard to beat your local butcher.
Porterhouse steaks can also be ordered online from a number of different sources. I personally like Snake River Farms. Their meat is top quality, prices are solid for a quality steak , and you can get free shipping on your order if you use code FREEAFF during checkout.
Overall it is hard to beat a nice, thick porterhouse steak. The combination of the NY strip and the tenderloin makes for a great meal and these steaks just look awesome on a plate. And gnawing on the bone afterward isnt bad either.
Like what you read? Be sure to with your friends and come back tomorrow to learn about another cut of beef.
Where Does The Porterhouse Steak Come From
Porterhouse steaks are cut from the back of the short loin right in front of the sirloin. This is where the tenderloin is the largest and as a result the porterhouse contains a large piece of tenderloin . Technically, if the tenderloin portion is greater than 1.25 inches at its widest point the steak is a porterhouse. If it is smaller you are looking at a t-bone .
You will usually get about 8 inches of porterhouse steaks from one whole short loin. Since porterhouse steaks are generally cut fairly thick you are probably looking at 4-6 porterhouse steaks per short loin so 8-12 of these steaks per cattle. There is no official guide to how thick a porterhouse should be cut but if it is less than 1 1/2 inches I would walk away. A good porterhouse steak should weigh about a pound and a half .
If you have any say in the matter I would look for a porterhouse that is maybe the third or fourth cut from the back. The further back you get you definitely get more tenderloin but I think the quality of the NY strip goes down a bit. As you get closer to the middle of the short loin the quality of the NY strip portion improves.
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Where To Buy Porterhouse Steak Online
Online food shopping is a doddle, and it means no jostling for your position at the grocery store.
You just sit back, browse the online offers, and make your order. Then, as if by magic, it appears on your porch a few days later, ready for you to enjoy.
Here are three online outlets that sell some of the best Porterhouse steaks available:
What Are The Usda Meat Grades
The United States Department of Agriculture grades meat at the request of the meatpacker.
The grading system determines the quality rating based on the amount of marbling in the muscle and the age of the beef.
There are generally three USDA grades of beef that you would buy from the supermarket. From highest to lowest, they are:
- Prime
- Select
The highest quality of meat is USDA Prime.
It is the most tender and flavorful cut of meat. It is also hard to find and usually reserved for high-end restaurants. You may be able to find it at the supermarket occasionally but at a premium price.
In short, the higher the ratio of marbling, and the younger the cow, the higher the grade.
The marbling determines the tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Younger beef produces a finer texture, making it more tender.
The second-highest grade is Choice.
It has less marbling and is generally less tender. Less marbling also means less flavor and juice.
USDA Select is the lowest grade of steak youll find at the supermarket.
It is very lean and tougher than other cuts.
USDA Cutter and Canner grades are meats that are typically found in convenience foods, like microwave burritos, pot pies, and other processed food products.
When shopping for steak, be sure to look for the USDA shield.
Many grocers will mark packages as prime or choice, but unless it has the USDA shield, its most likely a marketing ploy.
Civil Eats
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