Table 8 Salt-Roasted Porterhouse Steak

By á-7894

Ingredients

• SALT CRUST
• 2 cups Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons whole coriander seed
• 1 tablespoon whole mustard seed
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 6 medium bay leaves, crushed
• 1/2 cup water
• STEAK
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 10 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 pounds porterhouse steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick),

Preparation

Step 1

remove from refrigerator 2 hours or so before roasting, trimmed and patted dry
To make crust, combine salt with spices in a medium bowl. Gradually stir in water and mix well. Mixture will be the consistency of wet sand.
Brush a cast-iron pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place 5 thyme sprigs in the bottom of the pan. Place the steak on top of the thyme sprigs. Brush the top of the steak with remaining tablespoon of olive oil and arrange remaining thyme sprigs on top. Spoon salt mixture over the top of the steak and pack tightly with hands.

In a 475-degree oven, roast meat 22-24 minutes for medium-rare, or until a meat thermometer registers 125 (or 120 degrees for rare). Remove meat from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Present meat at the table and crack the salt crust with a mallet. Return to kitchen, discard crust, and brush salt off of meat. Place meat on a cutting board. Remove the bone, place the tenderloin and top loin pieces next to each other and slice crosswise through both of them. Serve immediately.