Porterhouse Steak - For the Carnivore Diet
The porterhouse gives you two prime cuts in one: a rich strip and a tender filet. Choose a steak that’s 1.5 to 2 inches thick with good marbling. Keep it simple—salt and animal fat are all you need. A short dry-brine at room temperature helps the surface dry and build a better crust.
Sear in a ripping-hot cast-iron skillet with beef tallow or butter. Render the fat cap and baste for a glossy crust and buttery finish. Cook to your preferred doneness by temperature, then rest so the juices settle. Carve off the bone, slice against the grain, and spoon warm drippings on top with a pinch of finishing salt.
For thicker cuts, you can reverse-sear: bring the steak up gently in a low oven, then finish in a hot pan for the crust. Keep seasonings strictly carnivore—just salt—and use beef tallow or butter for cooking and finishing. Save the bone for broth or a slow gnaw; it’s flavor you’ve already paid for.
Ingredients
- 1 porterhouse steak, 1.5–2 inches thick (about 28–36 oz)
- Kosher salt or coarse sea salt
- 1–2 tablespoons beef tallow or unsalted butter, plus more for basting
Instructions
- Pat the steak completely dry. Salt both sides generously and the edges. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until just beginning to smoke.
- Blot the steak again to remove any surface moisture that the salt drew out.
- Add 1 tablespoon beef tallow (or butter) to the hot skillet and swirl to coat.
- Lay the steak in the pan and press gently for full contact. Sear 2–3 minutes until a deep brown crust forms.
- Flip and sear the second side 2–3 minutes. Stand the steak on its fat edge with tongs and render 60–90 seconds; kiss the bone edge in the pan as well.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add another spoon of tallow or butter and baste the steak for 1–2 minutes.
- Check internal temperature at the thickest part: pull at 120°F for rare, 125°F for medium-rare, or 130–135°F for medium (it will rise a few degrees while resting).
- Transfer to a warm plate and rest 8–10 minutes.
- Carve by running a knife along the bone to separate the strip and filet; slice against the grain. Spoon over pan drippings and finish with a pinch of salt.
- Optional reverse-sear for extra-thick steaks: Cook on a rack in a 250°F oven until the center reaches 115°F, then sear in a hot skillet 1–2 minutes per side with tallow, baste, rest, and carve.