Can we talk steaks for a moment? The two biggest “rivals” for grilled steak has to be Porterhouse vs T-Bone. Both steaks come from the short loin, consisting of two cuts of meat on one cut of steak separated by the T-shaped bone.
On one side, you have a New York Strip, on the other the tenderloin. What is the tenderloin? When cut into steaks, it is more commonly knows as Filet Mignon. Simply put, both a Porterhouse and a T-Bone are two steaks in one. That said, there remains a difference. Laws define the differences. The USDA specifications require the filet portion must be at least 1.25″ thick at its widest point to qualify labeling as a Porterhouse Steak. The next time you try to decide between a T-Bone or Porterhouse, remember that size of the filet is the only real difference. My personal take on T-Bone is this – if you aren’t going for the larger serving of tenderloin, buy a New York Steak instead.
I’ve got a lot of fancy rubs and all sorts of “grilling” recipes at our disposal, but one look at a GIANT steak like a good Porterhouse, and cooking instincts naturally take over – keep it simple. These are quality steaks, full of wonderful beefy flavors that aren’t going to require much else. A little salt, a little Montreal Seasoning and that’s it. Recipe wise, it can’t get much simpler. To grill up the perfect steak, it’s all a matter of timing and preference. Hubby and Kiddo like their steak medium – nicely pink without any blood. When Hubby first became “Hubby”, he ate his steaks well-done!! Slowly, I’ve taught him better. Burnt offerings are for the gods and not human consumption. As for me, hey, if it’s warm in the middle and ain’t mooing it’s done. Steaks to be grilled in the Medium range should hit the grill about 3-4 minutes ahead of a rarer steak. That way, all the steaks are grilled “just right”, none are over-grilled or under-grilled waiting on the others.
Before I get into the recipe and grilling times in more detail, let me start by saying that we use coal or small hunks of wood for grilling. We use a chimney to start the coals – never lighter fluid. Our grill is one of those bad boys with vents on either end, a chimney on top and a tray for the coals that can be raised or lowered as needed to control the heat. We love it. While it took Hubby a few tries to work out the kinks with all the “vents”, he’s an artist now. The more open the chimney, the more heat circulates. The more closed the chimney, the more smoke circulates. It’s just a matter of what you want to achieve. Hubby modestly says he’s no expect on grilling and that every grill is different. All I know is the man can grill up some mighty fine meats.
One final note – quality is everything when it comes to food. You don’t have to break the bank. If you shop wisely and look for sales, you need not sacrifice quality. It makes all the difference in the world. Stores will rotate specials on quality products just to get you in the door in the hopes you’ll fill the rest of your cart with over-priced processed foods for the sake of convenience. If you happen to have a butcher on-site where you shop, have a conversation. Let the butcher know you would like a Porterhouse cut the way he would cut it for himself. He’ll understand what you are looking for.
Simple Grilled Porterhouse
1 Porterhouse Steak per person (about 1 ½-2 lbs)
Salt to taste
Montreal Steak Seasoning to taste
Olive Oil as needed
At least 1 hour before grilling, remove steaks from the refrigerator, season lightly with salt on both sides and let sit. The salt will draw out the moisture, break down the proteins and then the steak will absorb its own juices.
Build a nice fire for direct grilling. When the grill is good and hot, (around 450-500 degrees) brush steaks with a little olive oil, sprinkle lightly with Montreal Season and start cooking.
Begin with the steaks that are to be more to the medium side. Sear one side about 3 minutes with the lid closed. Turn, add steaks to be grilled more to the medium-rare side. Sear all the steaks 3 minutes with the lid closed.
Transfer first steaks (those on the medium side) to the warming rack, flip the late arrivals and sear about 3 minutes.
Return all the steaks to the grill. Raise grill (or lower coals) to continue grilling, about 3-4 minutes longer, turning once.
Remove steaks from grill, stack on a plate and tent with foil. Allow steaks to rest about 10 minutes, then serve.
Total grilling time for Medium: About 12 minutes, including 3 minutes on warming rack.
Total grilling time for Medium-Rare: About 9 minutes
Thanks so much for stopping by. Don’t forget to “like” and leave a comment if you are so incline – it helps to keep me on the right track. Have a great week everyone!
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