Fabio visits a Beverly Hills Steakhouse to learn about dry-aged beef and their world famous steak sauce with tips about how to make similar preparations at home… you really can fake it!
Tips:
- Secrets to aging without aging: Loosely wrap a thick marbled steak in cheesecloth and place it on a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Leave it on the back shelf of the fridge for 4 days and it will approximate the steakhouse taste. Even air flow really helps the process, so if possible minimize the amount of time you open and shut your fridge!
- Secrets to perfect pink: Sear the crust at a very high heat, preferably in a cast iron skillet. Remember to get a nice seared crust on both sides. Finish the steak off (skillet and all) in the oven. If you use steaks that are 1.5" to 2" thick, it will take 8 minutes or so at a very high heat for a perfectly red/pink center.
- Secrets to using oil and butter: These are great flavor additions that keep your steak from sticking to the surfaces used to cook it.
- Secrets for over-the-top flavor: Include the T-bone to let the marrow melt into your steak.
A steakhouse style meal at home
HOME PORTERHOUSE STEAK
A Porterhouse steak is a prime cut of beef, containing two of the choicest pieces of meat: the New York strip and the tenderloin (filet mignon), separated by a "T"-shaped bone. Since both are such tender cuts, a Porterhouse is best prepared using a fast, dry method of cooking, such as roasting or grilling.
RESTAURANT-STYLE DRY-AGED PORTERHOUSE STEAK WITH STEAK SAUCE
Recipe by Fabio Viviani, inspired by Wolfgang's Steakhouse, Beverly Hills
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 (2lb) Porterhouse/T-bone steak (1 ½ - 2 inches thick, dry aged for 2-4 days)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
steak sauce, for serving (recipe below)
Method:
To dry age steak at home:
Wrap the steak in a single layer of paper towels. Place onto a cooling rack fitted into a baking sheet. Put in the refrigerator on the lowest shelf, in the back, so as to not cross-contaminate and to hold at the coldest part of the fridge. The refrigerator should be at 38°F and never higher than 40°F.
After 1 day, remove the moist paper towels from the steak and redress with a fresh, single layer of paper towels. Repeat each day, for up to 4 days.
To prepare the steak:
Remove the steak from the refrigerator and discard the paper towels. Bring to room temperature, then season both sides with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Heat a cast-iron skillet, gas/charcoal grill or a stovetop grill pan to high heat.
Simultaneously, preheat the oven to broil.
Sear the steak on the grill for 2 minutes per side. If not using a cast-iron skillet (which can go from stovetop to oven), transfer the steak to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven on the upper rack. Broil an additional 4 minutes for rare; 6 minutes for medium rare; 7 minutes for medium.
Remove the steak from the oven and lightly cover with foil. Allow to rest for ten minutes before slicing crosswise (perpendicular to the bone) into 1-inch chunks.
Serve with steak sauce on the side.
STEAK SAUCE
Recipe by Fabio Viviani, inspired by Wolfgang's Steakhouse, Beverly Hills
Yield: 1-¼ cups
Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon store-bought prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Method:
Stir together to combine. Add more horseradish if you prefer a spicier sauce.
Serve alongside the steak.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.
MANGIA!
