Categories: Steak
Ingredients
- 1 2-inch-thick bone-in porterhouse steak (about 3 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Rice bran oil or vegetable oil (for frying; about 4 cups)
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vadouvan, masala, or spice mix of choice
- Special Equipment
- A digital probe thermometer or a deep-fry thermometer
Directions
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Score steak ¼" deep over all surfaces in a crosshatch pattern, making cuts 1" apart (this helps the seasoning penetrate).
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Mix salt, brown sugar, and cayenne in a small bowl and rub all over steak, massaging into score marks and crevices.
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Upend steak on the flat side of the bone on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and chill overnight (or a solid 12 hours). This will dry out the meat and intensify the flavor of the rub.
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Then freeze (still upright) until solid, at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
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Preheat oven to 200°. Pour rice bran oil or vegetable oil into a 12" skillet, preferably cast iron, to a depth of ¾". Oil should be deep enough to come halfway up side of steak; add a little more oil to skillet if needed.
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Heat oil over medium-high until probe thermometer registers 350° (or clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side of your skillet if you prefer). Transfer steak straight from freezer to skillet and cook, turning once, until deeply browned all over and a crisp crust has formed, about 3 minutes per side.
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Transfer steak back to rack on baking sheet (reserve skillet and oil) and roast in oven until no longer frozen (the interior will still be cold but thawed enough to allow the insertion of the probe thermometer), 30–35 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams, then browns, 5–8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vadouvan. Let cool, 20–25 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl; discard solids.
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Remove steak from oven and spoon one-third of spice-infused butter over, making sure to coat both sides. Poke thermometer probe in the center of the strip side and roast steak, basting every 30 minutes or so with remaining butter, until thermometer registers 120°, 1–1½ hours. Alternatively, use an instant-read thermometer to check steak every 15 minutes after the first hour, and every 5 minutes after 1½ hours. Once thawed, the temperature of the steak will rise about 1 degree a minute.
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Remove steak from oven. Reheat reserved oil in skillet back to 350° over medium-high. Fry steak a second time, turning once, until a deeply browned crust forms on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
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Transfer back to rack and let rest 10 minutes. (Frying again will re-crisp your crust, lock in juices, and develop more flavor.)
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Use a thin knife to carve along both sides of the bone to remove strip and filet; cut into ½"-thick slices. Arrange on a platter alongside bone. Pour any butter and juices that have accumulated in baking sheet over top.