Kevin Smith is a master butcher, chef, and co-owner of Beast &amp; Cleaver, The Peasant, and Little Beast in Seattle. The Peasant has been named a top Seattle restaurant by The Seattle Met, Eater, and The Infatuation. Kevin was also nominated for Best Emerging Chef by the James Beard Foundation.

Kevin Smith

The <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/cuts/beef-porterhouse-steak">porterhouse</a> is the king of steaks. The unique pleasure a porterhouse provides is that you get two steaks in one. It’s a cross section of the short loin that contains two prized cuts—a <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/cuts/beef-boneless-new-york-strip-steak">New York strip</a> and a <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/cuts/beef-filet-mignon">filet mignon</a>—separated by a big old bone. Like a <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/cuts/beef-tomahawk-steak">tomahawk</a>, a porterhouse ain’t cheap, and we certainly wouldn’t fault anyone for taking a safe <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sous-vide-steak">sous vide</a> or <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/cryo-seared-tomahawk-steak">reverse-sear</a> cooking approach to protect their beef investment, ensuring a perfect edge-to-edge cook. But if you’re willing to take on a little risk, we think a porterhouse is at its best when cooked in a hot pan, basted in butter, and finished in a low oven to intentionally yield a wonderful gradient of textures and temperatures within one mammoth steak. When you’re cooking a 3-pound steak that can feed a crowd, variety is a good thing. Folks who like their beef rare can feast on slices of strip or filet from closest to the bone. Like you beef more well-done? The slices from the narrow end of the strip are perfect for you. Like chewing the fat? Wait until you try the knob of golden fat attached to the bottom of the filet, which eats like roasted bone marrow. A properly cooked porterhouse has a little something for everyone.

Ultimate Porterhouse Steak