The Perfect Porterhouse

I have a new rule in this house. Well, I have a couple of new rules, the first being, Dust woman! For God's sake, dust! The second being that nothing comes into this house without something going out. This goes for everything from books and magazines, to clothing and accessories, to home decor, to food. I am trying, without a whole lot of success, to embrace minimalism. Don't panic. This does not mean that I'm getting rid of any of my dishes. (Although, in all honesty, I did donate my entire set of Fiestaware to charity, but I was ready to see that go.) What this does mean, is that I am going through the freezer, and systematically getting rid of, or rather using up, all of the food that somehow made its way to the back, and has been since forgotten. Nothing dodgy, mind you, just things that need using.

In my endeavor in this regard, I stumbled upon a porterhouse steak. It had been bought back in March of this year, apparently by Mr.O-P who really used to enjoy grocery shopping. I pulled it out and looked at it. Mr. O-P used to be the fish maker and steak griller in the house. I really have little expertise in either of these areas. On the plus side, I am learning a lot about how to do both of these things, and since there was one lone porterhouse and one lone woman wanted to eat, I decided to do a little investigation.

I logged into one of my favorite online sites, epicurious.com, and found a recipe for how to make a porterhouse. The recipe is a simple one and really, really delicious. I’m not likely to buy all that many single porterhouse steaks in the future, but I was glad to have this one, and to learn how to cook it properly. As I sat down to eat it, I couldn't help but think of Jim, and all of the great years that we spent together. If you happen to be living on your own or even if there’s just the two of you, making steaks is really a simple process. Give this recipe a try. I think you'll enjoy it.

The Perfect Porterhouse

(Adapted from epicurious.com)

1 heaping tablespoon of finely chopped, mixed, fresh herbs (I used chives, thyme, and marjoram)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 porterhouse steak, (3/4 - 1-inch thick)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Let steak sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Pat steak dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add oil to pan. When oil begins to smoke, add the steak and cook until brown and crusted, 3 to 4 minutes per side. 

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in pan and stir in minced herbs. Spoon over steak to baste. Remove steak from heat and place on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Slide into oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the steak registers 120°F for medium-rare, about 5 minutes (or 125°F for medium, about 10 minutes). Transfer steak to a wooden board to rest, about 10 minutes.

Serve.

This post is linked to:

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Art of Homemaking Monday
Make it Pretty Monday
Inspire Me Tuesday
 Dishing it and Digging it
Amaze Me Monday
Cooking & Crafting with J&J