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Gas-Grilled Porterhouse or T-Bone Steaks

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on March 3, 2008

Time

55 minutes, plus 1 hour salting

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Gas-Grilled Porterhouse or T-Bone Steaks

Ingredients

2 porterhouse steaks or T-bone steaks, each 1 to 1 ½ inches thick (about 1 ¾ pounds each) (see note)4 teaspoons kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Before You Begin

We highly recommend thick steaks, but if grilling thinner steaks (3/4 to 1 inch thick), reduce the kosher salt to 1 tablespoon (or 11/2 teaspoons table salt) and the pepper to 11/2 teaspoons. Cook the steaks, as directed below, over the hotter part of the grill with the lid down for about 3 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare, or about 4 minutes per side for medium.

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle entire surface of each steak with 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt); let sit at room temperature 1 hour. Pat steaks dry with paper towels; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon pepper.
  2. Turn all burners to high and heat with lid down until very hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to low.
  3. Position steaks directly over the hottest part of grill with tenderloin sides (smaller side of T-bone) facing cooler side of grill and close lid. Grill without moving until dark brown crust forms, about 6 minutes. (Small flare-ups will occur; if flames become constant, slide steaks to cooler side of grill and mist fire with water from spray bottle.) Flip steaks and turn so that tenderloin sides are once again facing cooler side of grill. Continue to grill until dark brown crust forms on second side, about 6 minutes.
  4. For rare steaks (120 degrees), remove meat from grill. For medium-rare and medium steaks, transfer meat to cooler side of grill, turn low burner(s) off, and cook with lid down for about 2 minutes for medium-rare (125 degrees) or about 4 minutes for medium (130 degrees), flipping steaks halfway through cooking time.
  5. Transfer steaks to cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes. Cut strip and tenderloin pieces off bones; cut each crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Serve immediately.
Gas-Grilled Porterhouse or T-Bone Steaks

Gas-Grilled Porterhouse or T-Bone Steaks

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

55 minutes, plus 1 hour salting

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 porterhouse steaks or T-bone steaks, each 1 to 1 ½ inches thick (about 1 ¾ pounds each) (see note)
4 teaspoons kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 porterhouse steaks or T-bone steaks, each 1 to 1 ½ inches thick (about 1 ¾ pounds each) (see note)
4 teaspoons kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 porterhouse steaks or T-bone steaks, each 1 to 1 ½ inches thick (about 1 ¾ pounds each) (see note)
4 teaspoons kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For a grilled steak recipe that would produce meat with a dark (but not blackened) crust, smoky aroma, and deep grilled flavor, we first seared the meat directly over the hot fire, then gently finished cooking it over indirect heat. Positioning the meat so that the tenderloin always faced the cooler side of the grill prevented that portion from becoming tough and dry. Salting the meat in our grilled steak recipe boosted flavor from crust to bone.

Before You Begin

We highly recommend thick steaks, but if grilling thinner steaks (3/4 to 1 inch thick), reduce the kosher salt to 1 tablespoon (or 11/2 teaspoons table salt) and the pepper to 11/2 teaspoons. Cook the steaks, as directed below, over the hotter part of the grill with the lid down for about 3 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare, or about 4 minutes per side for medium.

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle entire surface of each steak with 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt); let sit at room temperature 1 hour. Pat steaks dry with paper towels; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon pepper.
  2. Turn all burners to high and heat with lid down until very hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to low.
  3. Position steaks directly over the hottest part of grill with tenderloin sides (smaller side of T-bone) facing cooler side of grill and close lid. Grill without moving until dark brown crust forms, about 6 minutes. (Small flare-ups will occur; if flames become constant, slide steaks to cooler side of grill and mist fire with water from spray bottle.) Flip steaks and turn so that tenderloin sides are once again facing cooler side of grill. Continue to grill until dark brown crust forms on second side, about 6 minutes.
  4. For rare steaks (120 degrees), remove meat from grill. For medium-rare and medium steaks, transfer meat to cooler side of grill, turn low burner(s) off, and cook with lid down for about 2 minutes for medium-rare (125 degrees) or about 4 minutes for medium (130 degrees), flipping steaks halfway through cooking time.
  5. Transfer steaks to cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes. Cut strip and tenderloin pieces off bones; cut each crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Serve immediately.

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