This steak is more than a meal. It’s two meals and two tastes in one.
This 2-pound porterhouse, from Snake River Farms, the Idaho-based specialty meat purveyor, is easily hefty enough to feed two people.
One one side of the bone is a super tender filet mignon; on the other side is a more toothsome New York strip.
I had a chance to try this massive steak ($43) sourced from Double R Ranch in Washington State. It’s aged 28 days to concentrate its flavor. And it cooks up quite juicy.
How do I best like to enjoy steak?
I love it grilled to impart lovely smokiness and cooked to medium-rare. I’m not a fan of over-powering sauces because I want the natural flavor of the meat to shine through. However, with heavily marbled beef, I do like a sauce with a bit of brightness and acidity to counteract all that richness. That’s why I turn to chimichurri, the Argentinian staple that’s such a cinch to make.
This recipe for “Chimichurri Sauce” is from the October 2002 issue of Bon Appetit magazine via Epicurious.com. The food processor makes quick work of parsley, cilantro, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of spices to create a vibrant green sauce. The only change I made was to add some fresh chopped oregano, because it is abundant in my backyard at this time of year.
This deeply herbal sauce with its twang of vinegar is the perfect foil for a big honking piece of beef. If you have leftover sauce, it’s also wonderful drizzled on Italian or chicken sausages, grilled shrimp or roasted chicken.
My husband, aka Meat Boy, was in heaven cutting into this flavorful, monster-sized steak adorned with a sauce he just couldn’t get enough of.
Which reminds me of my other favorite way to enjoy steak: With my husband, because I can never finish an entire steak on my own. But I know he will gladly eat anything that remains. And that’s just what husbands are for, right?
CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win two free Porterhouse steaks (a value of $43 each) from Snake River Farms.
Entries, open only to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST Aug. 15. Winner will be announced Aug. 17.
How to win?
You’ve already read how I like to enjoy my steak. Tell me how you most like to indulge in yours — and why. Best answer wins.
Chimichurri Sauce
(Makes about 1 cup)
1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (optional)
Puree all ingredients in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. cover and let stand at room temperature.)
Adapted from a recipe in the October 2002 issue of Bon Appetit