History

The dry-aged porterhouse is the steakhouse tradition that Peter Luger (Brooklyn, opened 1887) made the city's reference plate. Luger broilers cook the steaks at 425C under salamanders, finished with a tableside butter baste and sliced for sharing. The dry-aging tradition (28 to 45 days in temperature-controlled lockers) was standardised by mid-20th-century steakhouses (Keens, Sparks, Smith and Wollensky). The Grill at the Seagram Building plates a dry-aged-strip refinement; Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse on the Lower East Side keeps the old-Jewish-deli end of the spectrum with garlic-rubbed skirt and ribeye.

Common allergens: Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 15 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 dry-aged porterhouse, 800g to 1kg, 5cm thick (ask your butcher for 28-day aged minimum)
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 oz (115g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • Optional: 2 sprigs thyme

Method

  1. Take the steak out of the fridge 60 to 90 minutes before cooking; it must come to room temperature or the centre will not cook through evenly.
  2. Pat the steak completely dry with kitchen paper.
  3. Season aggressively with sea salt and cracked black pepper on every side; press in.
  4. Heat the broiler / grill to its absolute highest setting (260C+); preheat a cast-iron pan or heavy-bottomed grill pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
  5. Transfer the hot pan to the hob. Lay the steak in; sear 90 seconds per side without moving.
  6. Stand the steak on its fat-side edge with tongs for 30 seconds to render the fat strip.
  7. Lay it flat again. Add butter, garlic and thyme to the pan. Tilt the pan; baste the steak with the foamy garlic butter for 60 seconds.
  8. Slide the pan under the broiler; cook 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature 52C / 125F for the strip side; the tenderloin will be a few degrees cooler).
  9. Rest the steak on a warm plate for 8 minutes (this is non-negotiable; the juices need to settle).
  10. Slice off the strip and tenderloin from the bone in long pieces. Cut across the grain into 1cm slices.
  11. Pour any rested butter back over the slices. Serve with extra flaky salt at the table.

Tip from the editors. A 5cm cut is the minimum for proper crust-to-doneness; thinner overcooks before browning. Dry-aged is much firmer than wet-aged; do not let the butcher swap.

Where to eat dry-aged porterhouse

Dry-aged porterhouse in New York City

Peter Luger Steak House ★ 4.4

Steakhouse$$$$williamsburgMon-Thu 11:45-21:45, Fri-Sat 11:45-22:45, Sun 12:45-21:45

Peter Luger has dry-aged porterhouse on Broadway in Williamsburg, New York City since 1887. Cash or house card only, no reservations after 17:00 for walk-ins.

Signature: Porterhouse for two, Bacon, extra thick

Order: Porterhouse for two, sliced and sauced at the table.

Tip: Book at least four weeks ahead for dinner. Lunch is the easier seat and the same meat.

178 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211 Book →

The Grill ★ 4.5

New American$$$$midtownMon-Fri 11:45-14:00 & 17:00-23:00, Sat 17:00-23:00, Sun closed

Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi's restoration of the Seagram Pool Room runs mid-century power-lunch food in New York City. Honey-glazed duck, tableside Caesar.

Signature: Prime rib, Tableside Caesar

Order: Honey-glazed duck for two, carved at the table.

Tip: Lunch is the move; the same room without the dinner price ceiling. Dress code is enforced: no jeans, no sneakers.

99 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022 Book →

Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse ★ 4.2

Romanian$$$lower-east-sideFri-Sat 17:00-22:00, Sun-Thu closed

Sammy's Roumanian reopened on Stanton Street in 2024 after the Chrystie basement closed in 2021. Romanian-Jewish steakhouse, schmaltz on every table.

Signature: Skirt steak, Chopped liver, Karnatzlach

Order: Garlic-rubbed skirt steak with seltzer-and-chocolate-syrup egg cream service.

Tip: Tables are mixed at long shared boards; book the early seating by phone (646-410-2427) if you want any chance of hearing your tablemate.

112 Stanton Street, New York, NY 10002

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