Steakhouse · Dinner · All year
Reverse-Seared Porterhouse
4.7 community
10m
Prep
53m
Cook
Med
Level
640
kcal
Two steaks in one — strip on one side of the bone, filet on the other — which means two cooking speeds to respect. Here, low oven first, screaming sear last — edge-to-edge pink with zero grey band.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
2
1 whole
🥩 Porterhouse ›
700 g, 4 cm thick
2 tsp
🧂 Kosher Salt ›
1 tsp
⚫ Whole Black Peppercorns ›
coarsely cracked
1 tbsp
🫒 Grapeseed Oil ›
1 pinch
🧂 Flaky Sea Salt ›
to finish
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
10m
Prep
53m
Cook
63m
Total
2
Serves
Equipment
Cast-iron or heavy pan
Tongs
Instant-read thermometer
Prep checklist
Porterhouse — 700 g, 4 cm thick
Whole Black Peppercorns — coarsely cracked
Flaky Sea Salt — to finish
5 steps
Method
1
Salt the steak all over with kosher salt and set it on a wire rack over a tray. If you have time, refrigerate uncovered overnight — the dry surface will sear like a dream.
Learn the technique ›
2
Set the oven to 120°C. Cook the steak on its rack until the center reads 46–48°C — roughly 25–40 minutes depending on thickness. Low and slow means edge-to-edge rosy pink with no grey band.
💡
This stage is about temperature, not color — the steak will look unappetizingly grey. Trust the thermometer; the glory comes next.
3
Rest the steak 5 minutes while you heat a heavy pan over high until faintly smoking with a film of high-smoke-point oil.
4
Sear hard: 45–60 seconds per side, plus the edges, pressing gently for full contact. The dry, warm surface builds a crust in a fraction of the usual time.
Learn the technique ›
5
Serve immediately — reverse-seared steaks need almost no second rest. Slice thick, across the muscle. Flaky salt, cracked pepper, done.
From the chef
Notes
Buy this cut thick — thickness is what buys you a real crust AND a pink center; even seasoning and a real rest do the rest.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Freezing
Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Leftover steak hates reheating. Slice it cold over salad, or warm gently in a 120°C oven to 45°C and flash in a hot pan for 30 seconds.
Make ahead
Salt up to 24 hours ahead, uncovered in the fridge — it seasons deeper and dries the surface for a better crust.
Wine pairing
A juicy Syrah or a good Merlot; leaner cuts don't need a tannin hammer.
Beer pairing
A malty amber ale or porter echoes the crust; keep hop bombs away from beef.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
·
Steak frites or crispy roast potatoes
·
Creamed spinach
·
A sharp arugula salad to cut the richness
Garnish
Flaky sea salt
A pat of compound butter melting on top
Watercress
Adapt it
Dietary swaps
Gluten-free: Naturally gluten-free as written.
Dairy-free: Naturally dairy-free (skip any butter finish).
Taste map
Flavor profile
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami
Heat
Per serving
Nutrition
640
kcal
45g
protein
1g
carbs
45g
fat
3g
fiber
0g
sugar
520mg
sodium
Asked and answered
FAQ
How do I hit the doneness I want?
Pull the steak 3°C below target — it climbs while resting. Rare: pull 47°C, serve 49–52°C (cool red center). Medium-rare: pull 51°C, serve 54–57°C (warm red — the steakhouse default). Medium: pull 57°C, serve 60–63°C (pink, firmer). Medium-well: pull 63°C, serve 65–68°C (a whisper of pink). Well-done: 71°C+ — cook it slower and gentler to keep any juice. An instant-read thermometer beats every finger trick ever invented.
Why rest the steak, and for how long?
Heat drives the juices toward the center; resting lets the muscle relax and reabsorb them. Cut too early and they flood the board instead of staying in the meat. Rest 5 minutes for a standard steak, 10+ for thick cuts and roasts — loosely covered, never wrapped tight (trapped steam softens your crust).
When it goes sideways
Troubleshooting
A thick grey band under the crust. The pan was too cool or the steak cooked too long over direct heat. Sear hotter and faster — or use the reverse sear, which nearly eliminates the band.
No crust, just grey. The surface was wet or the pan wasn't hot enough. Pat aggressively dry, salt ahead, and wait for the oil to shimmer before the steak touches metal.
Chewy even at medium-rare. Almost always a slicing error — cut thinner and strictly against the grain. On loose-grained cuts the grain direction is visible; follow it.
Smoke alarm going off. Normal for a hard sear. Open a window, use an oil with a high smoke point (avocado, grapeseed), and skip the butter until the final minutes.
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My notes
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