A classic hot and fast grilled steak is my favorite kind of meal. I had to try and replicate the famous Peter Luger style steak making a copycat version. Peter Luger is a well known steakhouse located in New York City. The signature dish is a porterhouse steak that is heavily brined in salt, grilled hot and fast and drenched in butter. It’s tender, juicy, flavorful and buttery! Few ingredients, simple steps and quick cook is all it takes. Can’t wait!
For more mouth watering steak recipes check out my grilled buttery tomahawk steak or my fan favorite the grilled steak pinwheel recipe.
What is a Porterhouse steak?
A porterhouse steak is made up of a NY strip and filet mignon. This steak can easily feed 2 people. It’s tender, leaner than a ribeye, succulent and has a rich beefy flavor. There is something for every steak lover in this cut. And you can’t go wrong with the presentation of a porterhouse steak! The T shaped bone down the middle separates the strip from the tenderloin.
Ingredient list for a Peter Luger copycat steak.
- Porterhouse steak: you will need a porterhouse steak for an exact copy of this recipe.
- Salt: coarse kosher salt is the only seasoning required. It helps elevate the natural flavors of the steak.
- Butter: use clarified butter or ghee for best results. It has a higher smoke point and won’t burn in the grill.
Start with an overnight salt brine.
To achieve the best copycat version of the Peter Luger steak, I highly recommend you brine the porterhouse steak overnight. This process will help flavor the steak and make for a much tastier final product.
Start by heavily coating the porterhouse seak with coarse kosher salt. The salt will penetrate the meat tenderizing it and adding more flavor. The longer the brine, the better the taste.
Place the salted porterhouse steak on a wire rack, which will help with airflow, and pop it in your fridge, uncovered, overnight. If you’re strapped for time or don’t want to wait overnight, brine it for at least an hour. The steak will come out delicious.
When you’re ready to cook, remove the steak from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour.
How to grill a Peter Luger copycat steak.
The grilling process to achieve a Peter Luger copycat porterhouse steak is fast and simple.
For this cook, I used my Gozney pizza oven. This grill can be cranked up to reach very high temperatures.
Preheat the grill to 850 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the steak with olive oil, place it back on the wire rack and slide it in the pizza oven. This first step of the process is to develop that beautiful crust on the outside of the steak. We’re not cooking it all the way through. Sear the steak under the flames for 2 minutes, flip it, and sear the other side.
If you do not have a pizza oven, you can recreate this recipe using the broiler in your oven. Set it for maximum heat, raise the grates in the oven as high as they will go and sear away! Another option is to use a hot cast iron on the stove.
When the steak is properly seared, it will have a beautiful, golden brown crust on both sides. That, my friends, is FLAVOR!
Next, remove the steak from the pizza oven and cut off the strip and tenderloin sections from the bone. Next, slice the steaks nice and thick. You’ll notice that they are still raw inside. Place the T shaped bone on a cast iron skillet, arrange the sliced steaks in their place and cover everything with melted butter of ghee.
Place the cast iron skillet back in the pizza oven or under the broiler. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the steak is done to your liking. By slicing the steaks thick and pouring the butter over the top, we are adding a ton of flavor and speeding up the cooking process. I honestly cannot think of a better flavor profile than this!
Remove the cast iron skillet from the pizza oven, let it rest for a few minutes, garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy! It’s a much different steak experience than a traditionally grilled steak. You have the most amazing crust withe tender buttery meat.
Frequently Asked Questions:
No, a T-bone is not a porterhouse. The difference between the 2 steaks is the size of the filet. In order for a steak to be called a porterhouse, the filet needs to be at least 1.25 inches thick from the bone to the widest point.
Peter Luger was a German chef that opened one of the first steakhouses in America back in 1887 in Brooklyn NY. He is known for the much publicized buttery porterhouse steak.
Try these other steak recipes:
If you tried this Peter Luger Copycat steak or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments. I love hearing from you!
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Heavily season the porterhouse steak with salt. Place the salted steak on a wire rack and put in the fridge or dry ager for an hour or overnight if possible.
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When ready, remove the steak from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for an hour.
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Preheat the pizza oven to a very high heat of 850 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a broiler if you do not have a pizza oven style grill.
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Coat the steak on both sides with olive oil, place it back on the wire rack and slide it in the pizza oven.
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Sear the steak for 2 minutes on each side, rotating halfway through, to get an even cook.
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Remove the steak from the pizza oven and cut off the strip and fillet steaks from the bone. Cut each one into thick slices and arrange them on a cast iron skillet around the bone.
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Melt the butter or ghee and pour it over the steak slices. Place the skillet back in the pizza oven and cook for 2 minutes, or until the steak is done to your liking.
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Remove the skillet from the pizza oven, let it rest for a few minutes and serve!
- Use coarse sea salt and not table salt when dry brining.
- Do not overcook the steak. A perfect medium rare at 130 degrees internal temperature is ideal.
