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

Overview

This video reveals how to recreate the legendary Peter Luger-style porterhouse steak in a home oven, following a 137-year-old Brooklyn method. It covers everything from selecting the right dry-aged, USDA Prime cut to mastering the high-heat searing and finishing techniques for a perfect medium-rare result.

Ingredients

• 1 (at least 48-ounce) porterhouse steak (2.5-3 inches thick, USDA Prime, 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, covering both sides and edges.
3. Season heavily with approximately 3 teaspoons of coarse Diamond Crystal kosher salt, sprinkling high from 12 inches above the steak for even coverage.
4. Let the salted steak sit on a wire rack for 30 minutes more before cooking.
5. Preheat your home oven to 500°F with a heavy 12-inch cast-iron pan or heavy steel sheet pan inside, for 30 full minutes.
6. Five minutes before cooking, switch your oven to BROIL on high and position your top oven rack 4 to 6 inches below the top broiler element.
7. Wearing a heavy oven mitt, pull the screaming hot cast-iron pan out of the oven.
8. Place the steak gently in the pan and sear for two minutes total, without peeking or moving.
9. Transfer the entire pan back to the top rack under the broiler for four minutes.
10. Pull the pan out, flip the steak using long-handled tongs, and broil the other side for four to five more minutes.
11. Check internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer through the side, deepest in the strip-side meat; pull at 125°F for medium-rare.
12. Remove from broiler and drop 2 tablespoons of cold cultured butter on top of the steak.
13. Return to broiler for 60 seconds until the butter melts, browns to a deep amber, and bastes the surface.
14. Transfer the steak immediately to a heavy metal serving platter that has been preheated in the warm oven for 20 minutes.
15. 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 in Williamsburg, originally as Carl Luger's Café, Billiards, and Bowling Alley.
• The porterhouse cut includes both the New York strip and a substantial filet mignon, distinguished from a T-bone by having a filet portion at least 1.25 inches across at its widest point.
• A Luger-style porterhouse for two should be at least 48 ounces, 2.5 to 3 inches thick, USDA Prime grade (top 2% of American beef), and dry-aged 30 to 45 days minimum.
• Dry-aging at 34°F and 85% humidity is crucial as it breaks down muscle proteins and concentrates flavor.
• To ensure proper searing, the porterhouse must be removed from the refrigerator one full hour before cooking to allow its surface protein to come up to around 65°F.
• For a perfect Maillard crust, pat the steak completely dry and season heavily with approximately 3 teaspoons of coarse Diamond Crystal kosher salt only, avoiding pepper, garlic, or oil which can burn under high heat.
• To replicate Peter Luger's 800-850°F salamander broiler at home, preheat a heavy 12-inch cast-iron pan in a 500°F oven for 30 minutes, then switch to BROIL on high with the rack 4 to 6 inches below the element.
• Sear the steak for two minutes total in the screaming hot pan, then transfer it to the broiler for four minutes, flip, and broil for another four to five minutes.
• For a medium-rare Luger-style steak, pull it from the broiler when the internal temperature reaches 125°F, as the temperature will rise 5 to 7 degrees during resting.
• The finishing touch involves dropping 2 tablespoons of cold cultured butter on top of the steak and returning it to the broiler for 60 seconds to melt, brown, and baste the surface.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a porterhouse different from a T-bone steak?

A porterhouse is distinguished from a T-bone by having a filet mignon portion that is at least 1.25 inches across at its widest point, while a T-bone's filet portion is smaller.

How long should a porterhouse be dry-aged for a "Luger-style" steak?

For a true Luger-style porterhouse, the beef should be dry-aged for a minimum of 30 to 45 days, or at least 28 days, at 34°F and 85% humidity.

Why is it important to bring the steak to room temperature before cooking?

A cold steak at 40°F will not sear properly; its surface proteins need to come up to around 65°F (room temperature) to achieve a good crust.

What is the secret to replicating Peter Luger's high-heat broiler at home?

The trick is to use two stacked heat sources: preheat a heavy cast-iron pan in a 500°F oven for 30 minutes, then switch the oven to BROIL on high, positioning the top rack 4 to 6 inches below the broiler element.

How do you achieve a medium-rare Peter Luger-style porterhouse?

After searing for two minutes, broil the steak for four minutes per side. Remove it when the internal temperature reaches 125°F, as it will continue to rise 5 to 7°F during resting.