It's a date! Buttery porterhouse for two
Try this recipe from Benjamin Steakhouse chef and owner Arturo McLeod
 | Arturo McLeod's porterhouse for two isn't served until it's topped with a dab of melted sweet butter. |
Courtesy Benjamin's Steakhouse |
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This week’s recipe, stolen with permission from Arturo McLeod, chef and owner of Benjamin Steakhouse, who cooks juicy cuts of dry-aged beef from 36-ounce porterhouses to top sirloins to tender rib eyes — and also introduces innovative dishes unique to Benjamin’s.
For example, he prepares Canadian bacon “steaks,” sliced about six inches in length, 3/4 of an inch thick and marinated in sugar, adding a touch of sweetness to the fatty meat. He has even introduced a cut specifically for those watching their weight, named the Adam’s Rib Eye (because women, in particular, tend to prefer meats that are lower in fat). Chef McLeod individually slices the marbling off of each steak and serves it off the bone, rendering it much leaner than any other cut on the menu — perfecting the steak for a healthier lifestyle.
Located in the century-old Chemist Club building near Grand Central station in New York City, adorned with brass chandeliers, high ceilings, and a 10-foot fireplace, Benjamin Steakhouse brings Chef McLeod’s innovative menu as well as the meaty fare served at traditional steak houses, with a swanky Manhattan vibe that is reminiscent of the ’40s Big-Band era.
Porterhouse for two is served at Benjamin’s for $82.95. This recipe makes two restaurant servings.
INGREDIENTS
Steal This Recipe® Step by Step Instructions:
Slice off the surrounding fat layer from the porterhouse. Apply 1 teaspoon of kosher salt evenly across both faces of the porterhouse (1 teaspoon for each side). Rub the salt evenly across the steak, and let it sit for about 5 minutes to absorb.
Place the whole steak in or on your grill at 550° F grill (oven) for 5 minutes, turning it every minute. Remove the steak from the grill.
Place the steak on a flame resistant ceramic plate. Slice off the steak, separating it from the bone. Make your cut as close to the bone as possible. Use a finely serrated sharpened short knife. (ICEL – High Carbon #233-3065.12 from Portugal is a good one.)
Now slice both sides of the porterhouse (filet mignon — left, New York strip sirloin — right) into ½ inch thick slices at 45 degree angle, starting at the inside corner of the bone.
As you are cutting the steak try to apply the whole length of the knife across the surface, in single draw cuts, rather than sawing the steak with repetitive motions using the top of the knife. The proper slicing will result in clean cut even slices, rather than rough edged and uneven pieces. Maintain all the pieces, as well as the bone in their original position, placed tightly together at the center of the heat resistant ceramic platter.
Using a glazing brush, coat the top of the steak with a bit of melted sweet butter. Place the platter with the meat in it inside the 550-degree grill (oven).
For medium rare cook for 4 minutes, for medium cook for 10 minutes, for medium well cook for 15 minutes.
Enjoy your “Meal of the Kings”!
A note about the ingredients:
For best results it is always advisable to use USDA prime cuts, dry aged if possible (20 to 28 days aged). If starting with an aged whole short loin (ideal), you will need to start with slicing off the 1/3 of an inch of the end part and discarding it.
From the “fresh” end, slice off a steak 1 ¾ inches thick. This is your porterhouse for two!
(Please note: an industrial meat saw is required to do this. Apply yourself with much care and attention to the task, as there is a considerable risk of injury involved! You can have your local butcher do the slicing for you at a relatively small charge, or you can buy your porterhouse pre-sliced and ready for the grill.)
MANAGE YOUR RECIPES
About the chef
Chef Arturo McLeod, executive chef/owner of Benjamin Steakhouse, is an African Panamanian who has spent the past 33 years working in steakhouses, 20 of those at the famous Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn. Arturo was born in Panama and moved with his two sisters to the U.S. when he was 13 to join their mother in Brooklyn.
His journey in the restaurant business started at Gega Tolner, a steakhouse in Brooklyn that is older than Peter Luger. It was at Peter Luger, however, that Arturo spent the majority of his career, perfecting his unique grilling techniques and becoming one of the foremost steakhouse chefs in the country. In 2006, Arturo decided to leave Peter Luger and open a new steakhouse with fellow Luger employee Benjamin Prelvukaj. The result of this partnership is the elegant Benjamin Steakhouse, now one of New York City’s premier steakhouses, but Chef Arturo is also not your typical steakhouse chef and has successfully become a frontrunner in the industry.
Benjamin Steakhouse
52 East 41st Street
New York, N.Y. 10017
Tel: 212-297-9177
www.benjaminsteakhouse.com
Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a “Steal This Recipe” feature? Just e-mail with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.
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