Porterhouse Steak Recipe

Pan-seared porterhouse steak prepared with homemade horseradish sauce, chimichurri sauce, and au poivre sauce.

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Porterhouse Steak Recipe

The infamous porterhouse steak is the king of all things beef. The porterhouse steak is a large cut of beef that contains both the New York strip (sirloin) and filet mignon cut (tenderloin), separated by a T bone. It’s the best of both worlds and the ultimate steak for sharing.

I’ve paired this delicious cut with three simple homemade dipping sauces. Chimichurri, horseradish sauce, and au poivre. All three sauces offer different textures and flavors that are equally delicious in their own right. It’s the perfect sampler that gives you the best of 3 worlds.

While the sauces may look like a lot of ingredients and extra prep, they come together very quickly and 2 of 3 can be made in advance. Don’t skip! It’s the best part.

Porterhouse Steak Recipe

Tips For Picking Out Porterhouse Steak

This recipe is best suited for a 32-ounce porterhouse that is roughly 1.5-2 inches thick. This is going to give you ample beef and is also a sure sign you have a true porterhouse steak. Don’t fall victim to a T-bone trying to pass as a porterhouse.

Look for a well-balanced cut that contains the whole tenderloin portion of the steak. This is very important. The tenderloin is the smaller, more circular portion of the steak, and of course the most expensive and flavorful. It should appear plump and oval-shaped with no large portions removed from it. The left and right sides should look reasonably uniform from the top to about 3/4 from the bottom.

Perfect Steak Every Time

The secret to perfect steak is combining pan searing with an oven finish. This gives you a nicely seared outside with a juicy tender inside. Sear the porterhouse on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet on high heat with oil and then immediately transfer to a preheated oven at 415°F.

I typically sear for 2 minutes per side and bake for 5-6 minutes for medium-rare. That’s the beauty of cast iron, you can easily transfer from stovetop to oven. This is the best way to cook a porterhouse steak.

Carefully timing your cook time for steak always yields consistent results. It may sound like overkill, but I use my phone to time each side on the skillet and then in the oven. If you really adhere to cooking times I promise you will never overcook a steak again.

Temperature For Steak

The timing/temperature chart below corresponds to the pan sear/oven method in this recipe. It’s a great guide assuming you choose a porterhouse of similar size and thickness as listed in the recipe. I recommend a digital thermometer to verify your desired level of doneness.

DonenessTemperature RangeOven Duration
Very Rare/rare120°F to 125°F 4 minutes
Medium rare125°F to 130°F5-6 minutes
Medium135°F to 140°F6-7 minutes
Medium well145°F to 150°F8-9 minutes
Well done160°F and above10+ minutes

SMOKE WARNING: Cooking steaks at high temps in a skillet tends to get smokey. Open a kitchen window and turn on your kitchen’s overhead vent fan before you start to help with ventilation.

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Porterhouse Steak Recipe
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Porterhouse Steak Recipe

  • Author: Shawn Williams
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2-3 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Pan-seared porterhouse steak prepared with homemade horseradish sauce, chimichurri sauce, and au poivre sauce.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pound (32-ounce) porterhouse steak, roughly 1 1/2-2 inches thick
  • kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon canola/vegetabke oil, for searing

Chimichurri sauce

  • 1 cup (packed) fresh italian parsley
  • 1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste

Au poivre sauce

  • 1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup cognac or brandy
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Horseradish sauce

  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 415°F. Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking, this is to bring the steak to room temperature and ensure your cooking times are more accurate. Season all sides liberally with salt and pepper. This can be done while your steak comes to room temp.
  2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to an oven-safe cast iron skillet and turn the heat up high, allowing the skillet to become very hot. Twirl the pan to distribute oil as it heats. Once the oil starts to smoke, place the porterhouse face down and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip the steak and sear for an additional 2 minutes. This will give your steak a nice seared edge.
  3. Transfer your skillet directly to the oven. [WARNING] skillet may be hot, handle it with oven mitts. For rare, bake for 4 minutes. Medium rare, 5-6 minutes. Medium, 6-7 minutes. Medium well, 8-9 minutes. Remember, depending on the size of the steak, the more or less time it will take. This recipe is ideal for a 32-ounce porterhouse, roughly 1.5-2 inches thick.
  4. Remove steak from the skillet and place on a cutting board to rest. Now is a good time to prepare the au Poivre sauce. Place the same skillet used to cook the steak over medium heat. The pan drippings and crust add flavor! Add the shallots, butter, and peppercorns (as coarse as possible) to the skillet. Cook until butter melts and shallots start to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Add the cognac and cook until mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. About 1 minute.
  5. Cut the porterhouse into 1-inch thick strips, separating from the bone. Serve with sauces.

For the chimichurri sauce

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth, but still a little gritty. Can be made several hours ahead and stored covered in the fridge.

For the horseradish sauce

  1. Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and mix until combined. Can be made several hours ahead and stored covered in the fridge.

Notes

Cooking steaks at high temps in a skillet tends to get smokey. Open a kitchen window and turn on your kitchen’s overhead vent fan before you start to help with ventilation.

Temperatures for steak 
Rare: 120°F to 125°F 
Medium rare: 125°F to 130°F 
Medium: 135°F to 140°F 
Medium well: 145°F to 150°F 
Well done: 160°F and above

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: About 1 pound
  • Calories: 724
  • Sugar: 0g
  • Sodium: 262mg
  • Fat: 36.7g
  • Saturated Fat: 15.8g
  • Carbohydrates: 0g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 92.5g
  • Cholesterol: 207mg

Keywords: porterhouse steak recipe, how to cook a porterhouse steak