Porterhouse Peter Luger Style — The 137-Year-Old Brooklyn Method, Recreated in a Home Oven

Overview

This video details how to recreate Peter Luger's legendary dry-aged porterhouse steak at home using a standard oven. It covers selecting a specific USDA Prime cut, essential preparation steps like dry-salting, and a unique two-heat-source cooking method for a perfect char and medium-rare finish.

Ingredients

• 1 48-ounce USDA Prime porterhouse steak, 2.5 to 3 inches thick, dry-aged 30-45 days minimum
• 3 teaspoons coarse Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons cold cultured butter

Instructions

1. Take the porterhouse out of the refrigerator one full hour before cooking.
2. Pat the steak completely dry with paper towels on both sides and edges.
3. Season heavily with about 3 teaspoons of coarse Diamond Crystal kosher salt, sprinkled high from 12 inches above, then let the salted steak sit on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat your home oven to 500°F, with a heavy 12-inch cast-iron pan or steel sheet pan inside, for 30 full minutes.
5. Five minutes before cooking, switch your oven to BROIL on high, positioning your top oven rack 4 to 6 inches below the top broiler element.
6. Wearing a heavy oven mitt, pull the screaming hot cast-iron pan out of the oven.
7. Place the steak gently in the pan and sear for 2 minutes total without moving or peeking.
8. Transfer the entire pan back to the top rack under the broiler for 4 minutes.
9. Pull the pan out, flip the steak using long-handled tongs, and broil the other side for 4 to 5 more minutes.
10. Check internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer through the side, deepest in the strip-side meat; pull at 125°F for medium-rare.
11. Remove the steak from the broiler.
12. Drop 2 tablespoons of cold cultured butter on top of the steak, then return to the broiler for 60 seconds.
13. Transfer the steak immediately to a heavy metal serving platter that has been preheated in a warm oven for 20 minutes.
14. Tilt the platter at 15 degrees on a small chrome plate-stand or a folded oven mitt.

In this video

• Peter Luger's opened in 1887 on Broadway in Williamsburg, originally as Carl Luger's Café, Billiards, and Bowling Alley.
• A true porterhouse, by federal USDA spec, must have a filet portion at least 1.25 inches across at its widest point.
• For a Luger-style steak, select a 48-ounce USDA Prime porterhouse, 2.5 to 3 inches thick, dry-aged for 30 to 45 days minimum.
• Dry-aging at 34°F and 85% humidity breaks down muscle proteins and concentrates flavor.
• Take the porterhouse out of the refrigerator one full hour before cooking to allow its surface protein to reach around 65°F.
• Pat the steak completely dry with paper towels on all sides and edges, as surface moisture is the primary enemy of a good crust.
• Season the steak heavily with about 3 teaspoons of coarse Diamond Crystal kosher salt only, as pepper, garlic, or oil can burn or smoke under high heat.
• To replicate a steakhouse broiler, preheat a heavy cast-iron pan in a 500°F oven for 30 minutes, then switch to broil on high with the top rack 4 to 6 inches below the element.
• Sear the steak for 2 minutes total in the screaming hot cast-iron pan, then broil for 4 minutes per side.
• Remove the steak when its internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium-rare, as the temperature will rise 5 to 7 degrees during rest.

Frequently asked questions

What cut of steak is a Peter Luger porterhouse?

A Peter Luger-style porterhouse is the king cut from the short loin, containing both the New York strip and a substantial filet mignon. By federal USDA spec, the filet portion must be at least 1.25 inches across at its widest point.

How thick should a porterhouse steak be for Peter Luger style?

For a Luger-style porterhouse for two people, it should be at least 48 ounces and 2.5 to 3 inches thick. It should also be USDA Prime grade with a moderately abundant marbling score or higher, and dry-aged 30 to 45 days minimum.

How do you prepare a porterhouse steak before cooking?

Take the porterhouse out of the refrigerator one hour before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature, around 65°F. Pat it completely dry with paper towels, then season heavily with about 3 teaspoons of coarse Diamond Crystal kosher salt only, letting it rest for 30 minutes.

How do you replicate a steakhouse broiler at home?

Preheat your home oven to 500°F with a heavy 12-inch cast-iron pan inside for 30 minutes. Five minutes before cooking, switch to BROIL on high, positioning the top rack 4 to 6 inches below the broiler element for stacked heat from above and below.

What is the cooking time for a Peter Luger porterhouse at home?

Sear the steak for 2 minutes total in a screaming hot cast-iron pan. Then broil for 4 minutes, flip, and broil the other side for 4 to 5 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium-rare.