Grilled Porterhouse Steak

with Grilled Maitake Mushrooms and Shallot Butter

Makes 4 servings

I like making this recipe with different cuts of steak (especially a bone-in rib eye), but a double thick T-bone is the perfect size for four people. Both the T-bone and the porterhouse include a T-shaped rib bone that separates two steaks: a large strip and a smaller tenderloin. The only difference between the two is how much tenderloin meat you get (the porterhouse offers a larger piece of tenderloin). You can make this recipe with either, of course. The perfect accompaniment for a beefy steak is earthy mushrooms, which can be grilled at the same time, so this recipe can be made start to finish at the grill.

• One 24-ounce porterhouse or T-bone steak, about 2 inches thick
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 5 thyme sprigs, lightly bruised
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
• Two 8-ounce maitake mushrooms, halved through the stem
• 3 tablespoons fines herbes (equal parts finely chopped chervil, chives, parsley, and tarragon)
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
• Flaky sea salt
• Lemon wedge

Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Season the steak generously with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and rub it all in. Drizzle some more olive oil on the parchment and scatter on half of the garlic and thyme. Place the steak on top, then add the remaining garlic and thyme on top of the steak. Let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the shallots and gently cook until they’re translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Prepare a two-stage grill with low and high heat sides: On a charcoal grill, spread 1 chimney of coals over half of the grate and scatter a few coals over the other side. On a gas grill, heat half of the burners to high heat and half to low. In a bowl, gently toss the mushrooms with about ¼ cup of the shallot butter (leave the shallots in the saucepan) and season with salt and pepper.

Place the steak on the cooler side of the grill and cook, uncovered and turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer registers 105°F for rare, 115°F for medium-rare, or 125°F for medium. Transfer the steak to the hot side of the grill and cook, turning frequently, until charred all over, about 2 minutes total. Transfer the steak to a wire rack set over a plate, loosely cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, grill the mushrooms over the hot part of the grill, turning a few times, until lightly charred and beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and spoon the shallots and some of the remaining butter over. Sprinkle with the herbs, serrano, and flaky salt and squeeze a lemon wedge over.

To slice the steak, cut the meat off both sides of the bone, leaving you with two large pieces of steak. Trim off any large pieces of excess fat, slice each steak across the grain, then rearrange the slices around the bone on a platter and serve with the mushrooms.

The Takeaway

When grilling thick cuts of meat (1½ inches or thicker), I like to grill the steak over low heat (or cook in a low oven) until it reaches a temperature about 20°F below my desired final temperature, then I blast the thing over a hot fire to give it a deeply charred crust. This is called a “reverse sear,” and at a restaurant it allows cooks to “parcook” meat, then finish it to order. Because you’re cooking the steak to a specific temperature, make sure you have a trusty instant-read thermometer—the reverse sear won’t work on intuition alone.