Porterhouse Steak on the Grill
On April 16, 2024
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There is nothing quite as jaw-dropping as a massive, perfectly grilled porterhouse steak. By using simple techniques and great seasoning, you can grill a tender and delicious porterhouse steak at home.
What is a Porterhouse Steak?
The larger side of the porterhouse steak is a New York strip steak, known for its robust beefy flavor and moderate marbling. This cut is well-suited for high-heat grilling and delivers a satisfying chew.
On the other side of the bone, you’ll find the tenderloin, a smaller but incredibly tender cut of beef. With minimal marbling, the tenderloin is buttery soft and melts in your mouth when properly cooked.
Porterhouse Steak vs. T-Bone
Both porterhouse and T-bones are cut from the short loin and contain the same two cuts of meat: the New York strip and the tenderloin. However, the main difference between these two cuts lies in the size of the filet.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, for a T-bone to qualify as a porterhouse, the filet must be at least 1.25 inches thick, measured from the bone to the widest point on the filet. T-bones are cut from the front portion of the short loin where the tenderloin tapers off, resulting in a smaller filet, while porterhouses are cut from the rear of the short loin where the tenderloin is thickest, yielding a more substantial filet portion.
What is Reverse Searing?
When grilling a thick cut of steak like a porterhouse, my preferred method is reverse searing. This technique involves grilling the steak at a lower temperature over indirect heat and searing it at the end over high heat, allowing the steak’s temperature to rise slowly. Consequently, your steak will have the perfect doneness from edge to edge, rather than being charred on the outside and under-cooked in the middle.
How Long to Grill Porterhouse Steak
For a medium rare steak, plan on the entire reverse searing process taking approximately an hour and a half. This includes one hour over indirect heat, fifteen minutes for the searing process, and fifteen minutes of steak resting. As these are large steaks, it’s crucial not to rush the cooking process to avoid over or under-cooked steaks.
Naturally, the total cook time for your steaks will vary based on your desired doneness. While a rare steak will require less time on the grill, a well done steak will take considerably longer. To ensure accurate results, I always recommend using a high quality meat thermometer (like my Thermapen ONE) when grilling steaks, eliminating the need to guess the interior temperature of thick cuts.
Temperature Doneness
For a comprehensive guide on steak temperatures and doneness, refer to my Steak Temperature Guide, which will help you achieve your preferred doneness when cooking steaks. Here’s a quick overview though, in case you need a refresher.
- Rare: 125 degrees F
- Medium Rare: 135 degrees F
- Medium: 145 degrees F
- Medium Well: 155 degrees F
- Well Done: 160 degrees F
How to Grill a Porterhouse Steak
The following guide will help you prepare for the grilling process, with full instructions provided in the recipe card below.
Here’s how to do it:
- Prepare your grill. Whether it’s a gas grill, charcoal grill, or smoker, preheat it to 225 degrees F. Designate a spot where your steak can slowly come up in temperature without being exposed to direct heat.
- Season steak. Give your steak a generous seasoning with my award-winning Signature Beef Seasoning or equal parts salt and pepper for a simple yet effective flavor profile.
- Grill steaks. Place your seasoned steak on the preheated, low temperature grill over indirect heat. Close the lid and allow your steak to slowly rise in temperature for about an hour, aiming for a medium rare finish. Remove the steak from the grill when it reaches 10 degrees below your desired final temperature.
- Reverse sear. To achieve a crispy crust, sear your steak in a hot cast iron skillet with avocado oil, butter, garlic, and fresh herbs like thyme.
- Rest and enjoy. After searing, remove your steak from the skillet and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting the individual steaks off the bone and into slices.
Make This Recipe in the Oven
To replicate this recipe in the oven, make the following small modifications:
- Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F instead of your grill.
- Place the steak onto a baking sheet and into the oven, rather than directly on the grill grates.
- Follow the searing instructions in a skillet as written.
More Steak REcipes
For all the steak lovers out there, be sure to check out some of the other mouthwatering steak recipes I’ve got on the site, including:
Porterhouse Steak Recipe
Follow this simple recipe for delicious, grilled Porterhouse Steak, then check out the Hey Grill Hey app for more amazing BBQ recipes. Don’t forget to stay connected with us for more delicious recipes, grilling tips, and cooking inspiration. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest content.
Porterhouse Steak on the Grill
Video
Ingredients
- 1 porterhouse steak 24 oz, about 2 inches thick
- 1 Tablespoon Signature Beef Seasoning
Searing Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. Preheat your grill or smoker to 225 degrees F with indirect heat. If smoking, use your favorite hardwood like oak, hickory, or pecan.
- Season. Remove your steaks from the refrigerator and season on all sides with the Beef Seasoning (or simply salt and pepper).1 porterhouse steak, 1 Tablespoon Signature Beef Seasoning
- Cook the steaks. Place the steaks on the low temperature grill and close the lid. Slow cook the steaks for 30 minutes before flipping. Close the lid and cook again for approximately 30 more minutes.
- Remove and rest. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your steaks during the cooking process. You will want to pull the steak off of the grill and onto a plate about 10 degrees before your desired doneness. For example, if you want to end with a rare steak, pull your meat off of the grill at 115 degrees F. 125 for Medium Rare, 135 of Medium, 145 for Medium Well, 155 for Well Done. Bring the steaks inside to rest while you prepare for the next step.
- Heat the oil. In a large cast iron skillet, preheat the 4 tablespoons of avocado oil over medium high heat until the oil starts to visibly ripple and shimmer in the pan.4 Tablespoons avocado oil
- Sear the porterhouse steaks. Place the steak in the pan gently and then add in the garlic cloves and thyme. Don't move the steak for at least 2 minutes while the crust develops. You should be able to hear it sizzle. Flip the steak in the pan to sear the other side. At this point, add the butter to the pan. Use a large spoon to baste the hot butter and garlic seasoned oil onto the top of the steak during the last 2 minutes of pan searing.2 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 4 Tablespoons butter
- Remove and rest. Remove the steak from the pan when they near your desired finished temperature. 125 degrees F for Rare, 135 for Medium Rare, 145 for Medium, 155 for Medium Well, 165 for Well Done. Allow the steaks to rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice and serve. When the steak is done resting, slice the tenderloin and the strip steak away from the bone and slice. Arrange on a serving platter with the bone and drizzle the top with the pan juices. Serve with the roasted garlic and, if desired, crumble the fried thyme leaves on top of the sliced steak. You can also finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**We originally published this post in April 2020, but we recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. However, the recipe remains the same.
I’ve made this twice now with rave reviews. The reverse sear is in my opinion the best way to cook steaks this thick. It comes out perfect every time.
I will grilliing my marinated porterhouse steaks today, with homemade mash potatoes and grilled corn on the cob! My steaks has been marinating overnight with soy sauce, light brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame oil , apple juice, salt, black pepper and hoisin sauce.
Wow this looks delicious, I can’t wait to get off the road and try this at home! Thanks Susie