The Ultimate Porterhouse Steak Marinade Recipe

Marinades use to follow more mystical proportions and rules passed down through the years, but nowadays there’s a more scientific understanding of soaking meat. The practice of marinating is used to help soften tougher cuts of meat, which requires acids or other compounds known for breaking down muscle tissue and introducing more flavor. Whether you plan to marinate your Porterhouse steak for an hour or three days, you can make the most of this cut with the right recipe. Make sure you’re penetrating past the surface and getting the best results from this balanced marinade recipe you can adjust for flavor as you please.

What Do You Use to Marinate a Porterhouse Steak?

A good Porterhouse steak marinade will work for both thinner and thick cuts since the tissue of the meat is exposed no matter the thickness. The base of the liquid should be acidic or enzymatic in nature to penetrate. Common acids are lemon juice, wine, and vinegar. Wine or flavored vinegar like apple cider vinegar are both particularly popular for steaks like the Porterhouse. Enzymatic ingredients include pineapple juice, papaya extracts or juice, crushed ginger, or yogurt. While these ingredients work great for smaller cuts of meat, they don’t usually work as well on thicker steaks.

Aside from an acid, a good Porterhouse steak marinade will include plenty of ingredients added just for flavor. Some are liquid, such as olive oil, hot sauce, brewed black coffee, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and fish sauce. These can add salt, so adjust the amount of salt you use in the final recipe to compensate. Solid or dry ingredients often include spices, herbs, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Dry spices and herbs will be reconstituted in the liquid of the marinade, but you may want to use a longer marinade time if using a large amount of time. A 20-minute quick marinade won’t give your dry ingredients much time to release their flavors.

How Long Should You Marinate Porterhouse Steak?

Speaking of the length of the marinating period, Porterhouse steaks are generally cut thick enough to easily benefit from an overnight session. Yet longer is not always better for marinating, especially when dealing with the cut edges of muscle fibers that are exposed on a steak. Don’t stretch the marination period much longer than 48 hours or you might find the surface of the Porterhouse much harder to sear. It can become too softened, almost mushy, from prolonged exposure to an acidic marinade. Stick to around 24 hours or less for the best results. Stronger flavored marinades should produce good results in as little as 2 to 8 hours of soaking. No need to plan your marinade out a week in advance when working with a marbled steak cut like this one. Even a very short marination of just 20 minutes to 1 hour can add flavor, but don’t expect it to affect the texture much.

Tips and Tricks

Keep it simple when choosing a flavor combination for the marinade. Since the Porterhouse steak is usually cut at least 1 inch thick or thicker, even the best mixture will only penetrate the surface. Strong flavors like coffee, black pepper, and hot peppers tend to be more noticeable than subtle flavor combinations.

Porterhouse Steak Marinade

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

For the Steak

• 2 Porterhouse steaks
• Plastic bag or bowl with plastic wrap

Instructions

1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together, adding up to 1/3 cup water if needed to fully cover larger steaks.

2. Place the steaks in a bag or bowl with the marinade, ensuring the entire steak is fully submerged. Cover with plastic wrap if using a bowl.

3. Keep in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to 48 hours, then cook immediately without letting it warm to room temperature.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

For the Porterhouse steak:

Serving size – 3.5 oz or 100 grams

Calories – 139

Total Fat – 5.3 grams

Saturated Fat – 2 grams

Cholesterol – 57 milligrams

Protein – 22.7 grams

Carbohydrates – 0 grams.

For the marinade:

Servings – 2

Calories – 71

Total Fat – 0 grams

Total Sugars – 9 grams

Total Carbohydrates – 14 grams

Protein – 3 grams.

Notes

Add combinations of dried spices and herbs in place of the tarragon, ginger, and garlic to adjust the flavor of this marinade. Swap the red wine vinegar for balsamic or apple cider vinegar in equal amounts, or try lemon juice mixed in half and half with the vinegar. If you want to use the marinade as a sauce, make sure to bring it to a rolling boil for 10 minutes before thickening or applying to cooked meat to kill off any bacteria lingering from exposure to the raw beef.

Conclusion

A juicy and flavorful Porterhouse steak is easy with the help of a marinade. Keep experimenting and write down your recipes to create unique marinades of your own.