[3002 tii]

I bought 2 nice porterhouses from Whole Foods the other day. I'd say each one is about 1.5lbs, and slightly less than 2" thick. Wondering what is the best way to cook for a medium finish. Let's assume I don't have a world class kitchen, basic tools... cast iron skillet, oven/broiler, and basic seasoning ingredients.

I assume the basic process is sear the meat on the skillet 1-2 mins per side, then stick in the oven at 350? Anyone know how many mins? I've also read other tips such as:

- leave meat at room temp for a bit prior to cooking
- salting can dry out the meal, so only season right before cooking
- don't overly marinate as it can cause the meat to "boil"
- don't use butter since it will burn, use either "clarified" butter or a mix of butter & oil

And any other general tips would be appreciated, thanks!

[007MCoupe]

do you have a grill? that's the best way.

if not then a simple sear on each side then broil for 10 minutes should work? IDK i've only ever used my grill for steaks. ask me a grilling question and i'll give you a better answer. haha in the kitchen & not grill food? ask the wife.

EDIT: for rubs/marinades beef only needs a half hour to get the general flavor, but the longer the better. add a half a lime's worth of juice to your marinade. my basic when i don't have anything else i want to do it marinade is

lime juice
worcestershire
salt
garlic powder
onion powder
spicy montreal steak seasoning

I eyeball my seasoning. if you think it's too much or too little, you're probably right. just like anything else, less is better.

[skinnycow]

Originally Posted by 007MCoupe

do you have a grill? that's the best way.

this

Preheat a grill to high on one side and lightly oil the grate. Season a 2-inch-thick porterhouse steak (3 pounds) with coarse sea salt and pepper. Grill over direct heat for 4 minutes, then rotate the meat 90 and cook 2 more minutes. Repeat on the other side. Move the steak to the cooler part of the grill (position the smaller end away from the heat); cover and cook until the meat reaches 128 to 130 for medium-rare, 12 to 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing. To make the sauce, simmer 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2/3 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup honey, 2 sliced shallots, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and salt, pepper and sugar to taste until thickened, about 15 minutes. Strain, then whisk in some butter.

[Kyoshi71]

Originally Posted by 007MCoupe

do you have a grill? that's the best way.

if not then a simple sear on each side then broil for 10 minutes should work? IDK i've only ever used my grill for steaks. ask me a grilling question and i'll give you a better answer. haha in the kitchen & not grill food? ask the wife.

EDIT: for rubs/marinades beef only needs a half hour to get the general flavor, but the longer the better. add a half a lime's worth of juice to your marinade. my basic when i don't have anything else i want to do it marinade is

lime juice
worcestershire
salt
garlic powder
onion powder
spicy montreal steak seasoning

I eyeball my seasoning. if you think it's too much or too little, you're probably right. just like anything else, less is better.

Bro, you've got a Texan ^here^ asking if you've got a grill. That's like Enzo Ferrari asking you if you have a rachet set. Take this advice and Lock it Down...Thread Closed

[Quick6EF]

Listen to Skinny

OR

Salt + Pepper (no fucking marinades its a great cut of beef)
Under the broiler for ~7 minutes each side - keep a CLOSE eye on it as you are not experienced.

[O-cha]

Originally Posted by Dubbedown

I bought 2 nice porterhouses from Whole Foods the other day. I'd say each one is about 1.5lbs, and slightly less than 2" thick. Wondering what is the best way to cook for a medium finish. Let's assume I don't have a world class kitchen, basic tools... cast iron skillet, oven/broiler, and basic seasoning ingredients.

I assume the basic process is sear the meat on the skillet 1-2 mins per side, then stick in the oven at 350? Anyone know how many mins? I've also read other tips such as:

- leave meat at room temp for a bit prior to cooking
- salting can dry out the meal, so only season right before cooking
- don't overly marinate as it can cause the meat to "boil"
- don't use butter since it will burn, use either "clarified" butter or a mix of butter & oil

And any other general tips would be appreciated, thanks!

YES SALT IT. It does not dry it out. Let it get to room temperature and salt it far in advance, 10 min at least, longer the better. Get your grill or pan as hot as possible, 500-600 dgerees, even higher if you can. Sear the hell out of it, cook till warm and red inside. If you're cooking medium quit wasting your money on steaks.

You should not need to marinate.
Butter is fine and wont burn it, good to add flavor to the fillet side.

[3002 tii]

To answer some of the questions above, I don't have a grill.

O-cha, not sure what you're implying about eating steaks at medium. I used to get medium rare but it'd be such a hit/miss depending on the restaurant and I hate sending dishes back so I learn to play it safe and order medium - worst case I get medium well which I can live with.

[skinnycow]

Originally Posted by Dubbedown

To answer some of the questions above, I don't have a grill.

O-cha, not sure what you're implying about eating steaks at medium. I used to get medium rare but it'd be such a hit/miss depending on the restaurant and I hate sending dishes back so I learn to play it safe and order medium - worst case I get medium well which I can live with.

* Set steaks out on a clean surface until they reach room temperature throughout, 1–2 hours.

* Preheat oven to 500°.

* Put a cast-iron skillet large enough to fit steaks comfortably into oven and heat for 20 minutes.

* Rub both sides of steaks with a little olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper.

* Add steaks to hot skillet and cook in oven until well browned on bottom, 8 minutes.

* Turn steaks and cook in oven on second side, 5–6 minutes for rare, 7–8 minutes for medium rare.

* Remove steaks from skillet and set aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by skinnycow

* Set steaks out on a clean surface until they reach room temperature throughout, 1–2 hours.

* Preheat oven to 500°.

* Put a cast-iron skillet large enough to fit steaks comfortably into oven and heat for 20 minutes.

* Rub both sides of steaks with a little olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper.

* Add steaks to hot skillet and cook in oven until well browned on bottom, 8 minutes.

* Turn steaks and cook in oven on second side, 5–6 minutes for rare, 7–8 minutes for medium rare.

* Remove steaks from skillet and set aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Perfect, thanks very much. Should I bother wrapping the steaks in foil after pulling it out? I've read that also helps with the juices during that 5 min sitting period.

Btw - sent this same question to my cousin who used to work at Craft Steak. I'll post his reply in case you guys are interested.

[007MCoupe]

Originally Posted by skinnycow

* Set steaks out on a clean surface until they reach room temperature throughout, 1–2 hours.

* Preheat oven to 500°.

* Put a cast-iron skillet large enough to fit steaks comfortably into oven and heat for 20 minutes.

* Rub both sides of steaks with a little olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper.

* Add steaks to hot skillet and cook in oven until well browned on bottom, 8 minutes.

* Turn steaks and cook in oven on second side, 5–6 minutes for rare, 7–8 minutes for medium rare.

* Remove steaks from skillet and set aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

This


Flip once and done! Like a boss!

[007MCoupe]

Any updates on how your steaks were last night???

[san~man]

Originally Posted by Dubbedown

Btw - sent this same question to my cousin who used to work at Craft Steak. I'll post his reply in case you guys are interested.

I'd like to see his suggestion

[ZStig]

No reason a man shouldn't have a cast iron skillet. They're not expensive either

[007MCoupe]

Originally Posted by Roffle Waffle

No reason a man shouldn't have a cast iron skillet. They're not expensive either

QFT

once that thing gets seasoned....

[SeanMcCormack]

salt&pepper heat cast iron skillet til it smokes put in about 2-4 tbl spoons of oil sear each side-about 3-5 mins each side to get a nice crust, then put it in the oven for 16-18 mins on 350 degrees rest for 10 mins and serve

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by 007MCoupe

Any updates on how your steaks were last night???

Forgot to update, they turned out great although I was not ready for the amount of smoke that would result... I had to leave the windows in my apt open for a good few hours lol

Originally Posted by san~man

I'd like to see his suggestion

As per my cousin:

1. Let the meat come to room temp and dry off all moisture. If you can even leave it in the fridge for few hours to air dry, even better.
2. Season with "love" (a good amount of salt & cracked pepper, coarse preferably) and put in a hot pan with healthy amount of oil - don't be shy with it. Don't touch/play with it, let it get a good sear on both sides.
3. After the second side is seared, throw in 2 tbsp of butter and some aromatics (thyme and garlic are good). When you throw in the butter & herbs, watch out since it'll pop.
4. Let the butter melt and foam up, take the foam and baste the steak a few times. After a minute on both sides, it should be a good medium rare by then...
5. If you want to bring up to medium, throw it in the oven at 400deg for 3-5 min. Keep basting it else the butter will burn.
6. Let it rest for a min and enjoy. if you have a cake tester, put it to the bottom of your lip, if it's a comfortable warm feeling then you're at medium.


I followed his directions to a T and it came out perfect, medium rare.

[ZStig]

ahahaaaa, good point, I forgot how much smoke it makes

[CollinsE90]

cooking steak in the oven? wow

[Dave]

how NOT to cook a steak

Pittsburgh char or bust

[Cptn Mo 703]

stupid question but can i just use a non stick frying pan?

[timmahh]

I love this, from Barefoot Contessa, I've done it a few times with different cuts of meat:
(Be careful not to overcook thinner cuts though!)

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) filet mignon (in the show hers are about 1.5 inches thick)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fleur de sel
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (optional)

Roquefort cheese chive sauce recipe follows
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 ounces french Roquefort cheese, crumbled ( 4 ounces with rind)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with vegetable oil. Combine the fleur de sel and cracked pepper on a plate and roll the steaks in the mixture, pressing lightly to evenly coat all sides.
When the skillet is ready, add the steaks and sear them evenly on all sides for about 2 minutes per side, for a total of 10 minutes.
Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter, if using, and place the skillet in the oven. Cook the steaks until they reach 120 degrees F for rare or 125 degrees F for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you're actually testing the middle of the steak.)
Remove the steaks to a serving platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Serve hot with Roquefort Chive Sauce on the side.


Roquefort chive sauce:
Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has become thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cheese, salt, pepper and chives and whisk rapidly until the cheese melts.



I like to have potatoes with meh steak, so I typically get the small/fingerling potatoes and sauté them in a pan with.. butter.. and some rosemary from my graden until tender (you may want to put the rosemary in at the end so you don't get bad flavor). Don't burn the butter. Growning your herbs is the shit, great flavor and freshness.

[KGB7]

A man is not a man unless he has a grill. If you ever want to enjoy a steak, you need to get your self a grill buddy.