Whiskey Marinated T-Bone or Porterhouse Steak

What is a T-Bone or Porterhouse?

T-bone and Porterhouse steaks are the most easily identifiable cuts of beef there are. They are cut from the short loin section of beef and the bone that is left in the steak is in the shape of a “T”. Helpful. They actually are made up of two steaks attached with that center “T”-shaped bone. The small side of the bone is the tenderloin (also known as a fillet mignon) and the larger side of the bone is a strip steak. It’s a great steak to serve when you’re feeding two people who like different qualities in their steak. The tenderloin is more tender (obviously), while the strip steak tends to be more flavorful. The T-bone steak has less of the filet because it is cut from the front of the short loin, where the filet starts to get smaller. The Porterhouse (pictured above) has more of the filet attached because it is cut from the rear of the short loin. Both sides of the bone are going to be full of flavor with this recipe for a whiskey marinated T-bone or Porterhouse steak. The flavor comes from marinating the steak in a whiskey marinade and then grilling it, before slicing and serving.

Easy Whiskey Steak Marinade

The whiskey marinade for these steaks is simple. The liquids are whiskey, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar and the solids are shallot, garlic and rosemary. Salt, pepper and some Dijon mustard round it out. Make sure you are using a non-reactive container to marinate your beef. This could be a non-stick baking pan (as in the photo) or a glass or ceramic shallow dish. You could also put the steaks and the marinade into a zipper sealable plastic bag, which makes flipping the steaks halfway through very easy to do. You can choose a whiskey that you like, whether it’s Irish Whiskey, Canadian rye whiskey, Kentucky bourbon whiskey or any American whiskey. You won’t use the whole bottle, so you’ll want to be able to enjoy it in a glass too!

How long to marinate steak

Marinate the steaks for at least 2 hours, but 4 hours is better and you can even let the steaks sit in the marinade refrigerated overnight. Piercing the steaks with a fork, a paring knife or a needle tenderizer helps to infuse the marinade throughout the steak while cutting the muscle fibers and tenderizing the steak at the same time. No matter how long you marinate the steaks, do remember to bring them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you want to cook them. This gives the steaks time to come to room temperature and allows them to cook more evenly.

How Long to Grill Steak

How long to grill the steak really depends on two things: the thickness of your steak and the temperature of the surface you are cooking on. If you are using a blazing hot outdoor grill, or a sizzling cast iron skillet on high heat on the stovetop, the steak will cook more quickly. If you are using an electric grill pan (as above) the steaks might take a minute or two longer, but you’ll still get great grill marks and will be a little more in control of the grilling process. Of course, the other determinant of how long they will take is how you would like the steaks cooked. See the chart below for guidance on how long to cook the steaks for different degrees of doneness.

How to Slice a T-Bone Steak

Now because a T-bone usually feeds two people (no judgement if you’re devouring this all on your own), it’s important to know how to slice it. It’s easy to figure out just by looking at the photo above, but generally, you will slice down each side of the “T” bone and then make perpendicular slices away from the “T” on either side. Remember, the small side is a tenderloin steak and the larger side is a strip steak.  You might want to give some slices from both sides to each person, or you might prefer one cut over the other (and hope that your dining partner prefers the other!).

What to Serve with a T-Bone Steak

There’s no end to what you can serve as a side dish to this whiskey marinated T-bone steak. A baked potato is a classic accompaniment, or you could go all out and make a potato gratin. Green vegetables like green beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts or just a nice arugula, Parmesan and prosciutto salad are perfect additions to the plate as well. Of course, don’t forget the reduced marinade that turns into an intensely flavored sauce.  You can drizzle it over the top, or provide a ramekin of sauce for dunking.