How to grill a porterhouse on a charcoal grill

• You want a porterhouse steak that has:

• Abundant marbling (fatty specks) gives the steak a buttery flavor and tenderness

• Prior to cooking the porterhouse steaks, leave them at room temperature for 2 hours. This will keep them from over-charring on the grill

• Season the steak with seasoning salt or salt and pepper.

• Make sure the charcoal has been going for at least 45 minutes and that the coals are white before placing the steaks on the grill.

• Cover the grill and cook the porterhouse steaks for five minutes.

• When cooking porterhouse steaks, turn them with tongs, never a fork, so that you don't let the juices escape.

• Cook on the other side, covered, for about four minutes to get a medium-rare steak.

• You can tell if you're done cooking the porterhouse steaks, without cutting into it, by comparing the feel of the steaks to your hand:
  • A medium rare steak should feel like the base of your thumb - soft and spongy with some give
  • A medium steak should feel like the palm of your hand - less spongy and more firm

Charcoal Grill

Charcoal Briquets

Grilling tongs

1-1 ½ inch thick porterhouse steak with bright red color and marbling

    Hi, I’m Elias Iglesias, executive chef of Morton’s Steak House, and today I’m going to show you how to grill the perfect porterhouse steak. Porterhouse is the best of both worlds; you have your filet and your sirloin. You want to pick a steak that’s at least an inch, inch and a half in thickness. One that has a nice red color and abundant marbling. The marbling, all the little fat specks you can see will give the steak its buttery flavor and tenderness. You can season a steak with seasoning salt, or just salt  and pepper.
    Before you throw your steak on the grill you wan to make sure your coals have been on for at least 45 minutes, and they are a nice bright white color. Once you put your steak on the grill always cover it. Once you cover the grill keep it covered. Resist the urge to open it up and peak inside. Make sure you leave the steak at least five minutes so it can get a nice crust on the one side. That’s going to seal all the juices and flavor in the steak. After about five minutes that steak should be ready to flip. Remember always use a pair pf tongs when flipping your steak. Don’t use a fork, all you are going to do is poke holes in it and let all those juices out. And remember keep it covered.
    In another four minutes this steak should be a perfect medium-rare. The best way to tell that a steak is ready is whit a very simple hand trick. A medium-rare steak should feel just like the base of your thumb. Soft and spongy with some give. While a medium steak should feel like the inside of your palm, less spongy and a little bit more firm. A medium-rare steak should have a hot red center. And there you have it, the perfectly grilled porterhouse steak, enjoy.