Aged Porterhouse from Peter Lugar

Haggis · May 2008

My daughter, bless her heart and her new income, has sent me a birthday package of Porterhouse steaks from Peter Lugar Steakhouse in Brooklyn (peterlugar.com) This place is generally held to be the best steakhouse in New York City and, some say, in the US (there are reviews on their website,) where the women of the family hand select the beef each day and the selections are dry-aged in-house. At 35 ounces each, these things are nearly two inches thick and have the most beautiful marbling I've ever seen.

Now I need to refine my Egging technique - I've never been handed this level of responsibility. I know the Methuen bunch - Fishlessman and Stike - do this all the time but I need some recommendations and advice on how to handle steaks of this quality and this size. I've got hot-tubbing down pat for bone-in ribeyes from Costco, but those aren't quite the same thing. What are your suggestions to make this wonderful gift even better with the Egg?

mad max beyond eggdome · May 2008

hi ya wally old buddy old pal of mine

:evil: :evil: .. ..let me know when you want me to come over and help supervise the grilling of that bad boy and taste test it with you :cheer: :cheer:

i'm more that happy to help out. .. personally, i'd do a standard t-rex. ..

heat up the egg to around 800 degrees... .do a nice 90 second sear per side ...cool down the egg to 400 degrees then let it 'roast' till its done exactly to the temp you want it (around 125 internal). ..then let it rest under foil for a good 10 minutes before slicing for me (er - you) . . .maybe make a nice herb butter to melt over it. ..i'm not sure i'd treat it with anything more than some kosher salt and pepper either. . ..

fishlessman · May 2008

ive grilled a few nice pieces but am no expert ("do this all the time" ive only cooked a few ). trex is good, i roast those steaks with bones after the sear at a lower temp, 350 is good. the biggest thing with these is time, they cook fast so use your thermapen and check sooner than you normally would. i dont use rubs with these, just some coarse kosher or seasalt. love that luger steak sauce, someday ill figure out how to make that. aged beef is very filling, plan on splitting that steak with someone

Haggis · May 2008

Hey Max! I didn't mention that her new job is at Inova Fairfax, not far from you. She's a pediatric emergency doctor and will be in their ER. She got familiar with Peter Lugar during the last couple years doing a fellowship in NYC and living in Brooklyn.

TRex, or maybe reverse TRex, is the obvious approach here but I thought I might see what else folks suggest for something of this quality. I'd sure hate to do these anything but perfect!

I'm not sure I can invite you over for this event - these each can serve two people each and I think her boyfriend makes up three of the four all by himself.
But if they turn out as good as they look, who knows - I may try them again.

Haggis · May 2008

Thanks for your thoughts!

The Lugar website suggests that these are "for two" - they also have steaks for three and four, and apparently they serve them sliced and reassembled.

The package came with two (!) bottles of sauce - I'm not a big user of sauce on steak but everything I've heard about their's sounds pretty good.

fishlessman · May 2008

im not big on sauce for a good steak, but theirs has a homemade characteristic. save it for a club steak

Rib Fan · May 2008

I have smoked them to rare internal temp. Then trexed/seared/scorched (you pick) at 650-700 for a couple minutes/side. Then tent for ten minutes or so. That way you have smoke infusion with outside carmelization and they come out medium rare. Kinda best of both worlds.

Cheers

stike · May 2008

you've already got the low-down. i think Trex (or reverse Trex is better) would be the way to go.

they do cook faster, and you really cannot go by feel, since the meat is very firm. roast slow, then crank the temps and finish at the end with a sear. use the thermapen

if you put anything but kosher salt and pepper on it i'ma hafta come down there and hit you over the head with the leftover bone. sauce on the side is cool, sure, but don't go 'flavorizing' that thing with rubs and such.

Haggis · May 2008

Thanks for your recommendation!

I couldn't figure out why Lugars elect to include two bottles of their sauce, which looks like something I'd use to make Bloody Marys with all the horseradish in it. I haven't used sauce on a steak since the '60s when A-1 was all the rage. My regular seasoning routine for ribeyes is a slight wash of Worcestershire and a light sprinkling of salt, garlic powder, and coarse pepper, but my role models - you, Fishless, and Mad Max - seem to agree on the S&P.

Pyro · May 2008

I've used the Peter Lugar sauce - the local Publix sells it in the meat case. It is nothing special. Good addition to ground beef but a horrible thing to put on a great steak!

Wayne

Salty Dog · May 2008

I like brushing a little melted butter on the steak before the salt an pepper. The butter actually burns in the sear, and gives the steak a very, very slightly "charred" flavor that is surprisingly enhancing. I'd try it first a on a nice NY strip though to make sure you like it. You don't want to be too much into experimentation with those babys... enjoy 'em!!

fishlessman · May 2008

its actually meant to be put on the salad, tomatos and cucumber and onion works for me, no lettuce

stike · May 2008

holy crizzap. if fishless and i are your are your "role models" you are headed for trouble.

i haven't had a dry aged steak in a while. but i think i know what i'm eating this weekend.

enjoy it. have you had it before?

you might not notice a big difference right away. takes time to find the funk. might be a good idea to cook an NY strip (small one) next to it and do a side-by side.

Haggis · May 2008

What's wrong . . . you afraid to accept the responsibility that comes with the honor?

I don't know that I've ever had a dry aged steak. I've had wet aged at some "fabled" places in DC but knew they weren't special when the waiters were reluctant to get into detail about the aging process. On the other hand, I've had plenty of steaks that sat in the freezer for a couple years . . . they should nearly qualify as dry aged!

stike · May 2008

well, i hope you like it.
enjoy

Ross in Ventura · May 2008

I Trex these Rib Eyes for a min. per side, set them aside wile I got the Egg down to 400* then 4mim a side foil and rest for 5min.
Good Luck,
Ross

Aged Porterhouse from Peter Lugar

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