Pan Seared Porterhouse Steak with Bourbon Sauce

Cast iron pan-seared porterhouse steak with bourbon sauce and caramelized shallots will put a giant smile on dad’s face for Father’s Day. But don’t wait for a holiday for this dish — make every day special with this easy but mouth-watering steak recipe. Sponsored by Harris Ranch Beef.

When you work from home, your days bleed together. I depend on my kids and their activities to help me determine what day of the week it is. But since they have been finishing the school year at home with distance learning, I have completely lost track of time.

It is officially June. For San Diego that means June Gloom, overcast and cool days. But even San Diego is having difficulty understanding what time of the year it is, with its spikes of 90-degree weather.

June means school is almost done, summer is here and Father’s Day is around the corner. And I have another wonderful porterhouse steak recipe to spoil your dear ‘ol dad!

What is a porterhouse steak?

When you first look at a porterhouse steak you might think it’s just a giant t-bone steak. Well, you aren’t completely wrong. Both cuts of meat include that T-shaped bone with meat on either side of it. Both cuts are from the short loin.

But porterhouse steaks are cut from the rear end of the short loin while the t-bone is cut closer to the front. What does this mean to you?

The porterhouse steak is not just larger than a t-bone, but it also has two full sized pieces of steak on either side of the bone: the longer side being a New York strip and the smaller side holding a filet.

The porterhouse holds a larger piece of tender filet than a t-bone, making it the king of all steaks. And since we served this kingly meal to my husband last year, we decided to serve it again for this Father’s Day.

Choosing the best porterhouse steak

There has been a lot of news reports about the shortage of meats lately. Some of us have seen less selection of meats in our supermarkets. But I consider myself lucky.

I have enjoyed spending the past 18 months working directly with Harris Ranch Beef, a California beef company that has spent the past 50 years bringing the highest quality of beef to the world.

They are the only beef company that controls multiple aspects of the beef production process. This includes cattle sources, custom feeding and finishing at the Harris Ranch Feeding Company and even distribution of their world class beef products using a growing fleet of near zero emission trucks.

What does that mean for the consumer? Well, it means that they are not dependent on other companies to bring their product to the consumer. They control the quality of their animals, the cleanliness of their processing plant and the maintenance of their trucks.

Their beef is minimally processed and contains no artificial ingredients. Their cattle spend most of their lives grazing on grass, with only the last 120 days eating a grain-based diet at their feed lot.

This technique of finishing with grains produces some incredibly flavorful beef and the best quality that I have ever purchased on the consumer level. So if you are looking for the best porterhouse steak you can find, you should order from Harris Ranch. 

Harris Ranch Beef now offers nationwide shipping, so you can enjoy their amazing beef from anywhere in this great nation. They also offer free shipping to anywhere in California, for a limited time. Every shipment is packed with ice in insulated shopping bags. All of their shipments are sent Monday thru Wednesday to ensure better delivery.

How to cook a porterhouse on the stove

For some people, the only way to prepare a steak, whether it is a porterhouse, filet or any other cut, is to grill it. And there are definitely benefits to grilling a steak over open flame. I have already shared with you my tips on how to grill a porterhouse steak.

But not everyone has a grill, and sometimes you just don’t want want the hassle. So, have no fear. You can also cook that beautiful porterhouse steak inside your kitchen and on the stove. All you need is a large cast iron pan.

I like cooking steaks in a cast iron pan because these pans get seriously hot and this crazy heat lets you sear a steak beautifully. Searing means you get this nice crust on the outside which will yield a moist and juicy steak.

For these porterhouse steaks, I cooked them for about 4 minutes per side for medium to medium-rare doneness. If you like it more rare, cook for about 1-2 minutes less. And if you like it well done, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes total.

You can also use a meat thermometer to ensure the steak is done to your preference. However you like your steak, be sure to let it rest while you make the bourbon steak sauce. You only needs 3-5 minutes for the juices to settle inside, and your steak will be perfect and juicy.

How to get the perfect crust on steaks

Since I am serving these steaks with a delicious pan sauce, I only seasoned the meat with kosher salt and pepper. Why kosher salt?

Well, it is flakier and less salty than sea salt. If you do not have kosher salt, please do not substitute it with equal amounts of sea salt because it will be too salty.

For a crusty sear, salt your steaks up to 12 hours before cooking. Simply season the meat and let it sit, uncovered in the refrigerator. Allow the meat to come to room temperature before cooking.

How to make bourbon steak sauce

Once the steak is seared and cooked to your preferred doneness, let it rest while you prepare the pan sauce. For my Mother’s Day filet mignons, I shared my recipe for a delicious red wine steak sauce. And for dad, we are using bourbon!

Now I am not a connoisseur of alcohol. In fact, I am a lightweight when it comes to drinking as I do not care for the taste of booze, whether it be wine, beer or the stronger stuff.

Both my father and my husband though, are fans of whiskey. Or is it bourbon? What’s the difference anyway?

Well from what I have learned, whiskey is any distilled spirit derived from grain and not distilled to 190 proof. Whiskey is made all over the world, including here in the United States.

There are strict laws regulating whiskey production here in the US. From how much grains is used to the type of barrels used for aging. Bourbon also has strict guidelines.

Bourbon is an American whiskey that must have use at least 51% corn and it must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. There are even more semantic differences, but I am not making bourbon, I am cooking with it!

In the end, all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. And I add it along with some beef broth to the caramelized shallots and crisp rosemary sitting with the pan drippings. Reduce the liquid by half and your delicious sauce is ready.

Although the recipe calls for bourbon, you can use any kind of whiskey you like to make this simple and incredible steak sauce. And if you want to learn more about the differences between bourbon and whiskey, you’ll love this post!

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Yield: serves 1-2

Pan Seared Porterhouse Steak with Bourbon Sauce

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Cast Iron Pan-seared Porterhouse Steak with bourbon sauce and caramelized shallots will put a giant smile on dad’s face for Father’s Day. But don’t wait for a holiday for this dish -- make every day special with this easy but mouth-watering steak recipe.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 porterhouse steak
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• ½ cup beef broth
• ½ cup bourbon
• 2 TBS butter

Instructions

1. Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours before cooking. See note below.
2. Let steak sit at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
3. Heat a large cast iron pan over high heat and add olive oil.
4. When pan just starts to smoke, add steak and cook until a crust is formed underneath, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of butter then flip steak over and continue cooking for 3 more minutes for medium rare, 4 more minutes for medium.
6. Add rosemary and shallot slices around the steak.
7. Once steak is cooked to desired doneness, reduce heat to medium and remove steak from pan and let it rest on a cutting board or serving platter.
8. Gently pour in beef broth and scrape the bits of meat from the bottom of the pan.
9. Stir in bourbon and let sauce cook until reduced by half.
10. Add the last tablespoon of butter and stir until melted and combine.
11. Serve sauce immediately with steak.

Notes

For a nice crust on your steaks, season with salt up to 12 hours before cooking. Let it sit in the refrigerator uncovered and remove it 30 minutes prior to cooking to bring to room temperature.

You can use any whiskey or bourbon in this recipe.

Other herb options include thyme and oregano.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 824Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 205mgSodium: 1034mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 55g