A foolproof Porterhouse steak finished off with flavorful parsley shallot butter is impressive and could not be easier to prepare.
Here is a foolproof method for preparing one heck of a flavorful steak dinner. Be sure to use a Porterhouse steak, not a regular T-bone. They look similar but the Porterhouse is thicker and has a bigger cut of the tenderloin. “Tender” being important here, as in when sharing a Porterhouse or T-bone, this is the part to fight over.
First, a little Porterhouse history, or more likely folklore. One story is that this cut of steak was served out of certain hotel/restaurants called porter houses, such as The Porter House Hotel here in America back in the early 1900’s. Another claim is that the steak was first served by hotel and restaurant owner, Zachariah B. Porter, around the same time. Whatever its origin, this is one juicy and BIG steak.
The recipe calls for using two steaks to serve four people. I prepare one steak for two adults and a child. This way we can savor the flavor of the steak as a smaller part of the meal and let the focus be on hearty, green sides. This is a great way to get needed protein from your beef and healthy fat from good quality butter. And this steak comes together in no time, looks impressive and is easily seared and finished to your desired liking (a meat thermometer is important here).
Ask your butcher for steaks that are at least one pound each. I get the prettiest steak he has, just because this meal feels so special that I have a misguided notion that better looking steaks will taste better too.
The maître d butter can be prepared days in advance and kept in the refrigerator until needed.
Most of the prep work is in making the butter and letting the steaks come to room temperature. Also, the steaks can be prepared through the first steps on the stove top an hour ahead of time and then finish with the butter for just a few minutes in the oven. In other words, this is such a simple way to make this juicy steak that you should have company over to enjoy it with you.
Try this soon. It’s too easy and so simply flavorful that it will become a regular in your meal prep and delivery rotation.
Perfect Porterhouse Steak with Parsley Shallot Butter
Ingredients
- 2 porterhouse steaks, 1 pound each
- Kosher salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ Tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon shallot, minced
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper, black substitutes just fine
- Half a fresh lemon
- Oil
Instructions
- Season both sides of the steaks with salt. Let sit at room temperature for at approximately an hour before you want to cook them.
- While the steaks are sitting out, place 1 stick butter in a small mixing bowl and smear it around with a rubber spatula.
- Add 1 ½ Tablespoons parsley, ½ teaspoon minced garlic, and 1 minced shallot. Add a few drops of lemon juice (about 1 teaspoon), a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Blend the butter until it is one shade of green with no streaks.
- You can either refrigerate the butter as is or you can roll it up in parchment paper, then foil and twist the ends to form a round log. The foil allows the ends to stay sealed.
- When your'e ready to cook the steaks, season both sides with fresh ground black pepper. Place a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot -- you don't want it too hot but you want it to start searing right away -- add the steak.
- Cook the steak on both sides until it is very brown and caramelized. Remove the steak from the pan when it has reached one temperature below where you like. If you want it cooked medium then cook the steak to medium rare and so on. Remove the steak to a sheet tray. Cook the second steak in the same fashion. Both steaks can be cooked up to an hour in advance and left to sit at room temperature. Do not refrigerate them.
- In your oven, place the top rack so it is about 10 inches from the broiler. Heat the broiler. Using a filet knife cut the meat from each side of the bone then slice the meat into smaller bit size pieces. Re-assemble the steaks on the sheet tray. Smear each steak with some softened flavored butter then place a small glob on each steak. Place the steaks under the broiler just long enough to melt the butter and heat the steaks through. Serve.
Recipe adapted from Food 52.
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