Porterhouse Steak in Chipotle Marinade with Roasted Cumin Cilantro Butter

This decadent porterhouse steak recipe has a very nice southwestern flavor.  The marinade is very light and has a delicate smoked jalapeno flavor.  For a classic steak like a porterhouse, it is not wise to marinate for too much time or to use too strong of a marinade.  The porterhouse steak's flavor is so great, there is no need for an over seasoned dry rub spice mix or an overly rich marinade.  The porterhouse steak's flavor is the main attraction! 
     A porterhouse steak is similar to a T-Bone steak.  Both steaks come from the same section of beef.  Both steaks have a sirloin section on one side of the bone.  The difference is the amount of tenderloin (filet mignon) that is attached to the other side of the bone.  Most chefs say the filet mignon section on a porterhouse should be 1 1/2 inches wide from the bone.  Some chefs say the minimum for the filet section on a porterhouse is 2 1/2 inches wide from the bone.  Most T-Bone steaks only have a minimal amount of the filet mignon attached.  The porterhouse steak in this blog's pictures has a three inch wide piece of filet mignon attached to the bone!  So this was a nice choice for a porterhouse steak. 
     As far as the thickness of a porterhouse steak is concerned, 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches thick is considered to be an individual portion.  2 inch to 2 1/2 inch thick porterhouse steaks are usually shared by two people and served as a Chateau Briand platter with extensive accompaniments and garnishes.  Porterhouse steak is considered by many people to be the undisputed king of steaks! 
     Roasted Cumin Cilantro Butter Recipe:  Heat a dry saute pan over medium heat.  Add some ground cumin.  Shake the pan constantly till a strong aroma of cumin is released.  Place the roasted cumin powder on a plate to stop the roasting process.  Fine chop some fresh cilantro leaves.  Scrape the chopped cilantro into a small pile on the cutting board.  Place a large piece of chilled plugra butter on the cilantro.  Quickly chop the butter and cilantro together till well blended.  Scrape the cilantro butter off of the cutting board and place it in a bowl.  Add the roasted cumin, a pinch of sea salt, a pinch of white pepper and a few drops of rice vinegar.  Whisk the ingredients together till the butter turns creamy white. 
     Load the roasted cumin cilantro butter into a star tipped pastry bag.  Use the pastry bag to make a few butter pat swirls on a plate.  Chill the butter swirls in a refrigerator for 20 minutes till firm. 
     Chipotle Marinade Recipe:  Mix these ingredients together in a bowl:  1 tablespoon of chipotle pepper puree, 1/2 cup of lager beer, one tablespoon of blended olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.  Pour the marinade over the steak about 15 minutes before cooking.  (15 minutes is just enough time for the marinade to give a delicate essence of chipotle flavor and still not be overbearing.  Marinating for too much time will cause undesirable flavor and texture changes in the steak.) 
     Recipe:  Grill the porterhouse over charcoal or set the porterhouse on a roasting rack on a pan and broil under high heat.  Cook to whatever temperature or doneness you prefer.  (Medium Rare is the most popular temperature for a porterhouse steak.) 
     Set the porterhouse steak on a plate and top the steak with a chilled swirl of Roasted Cumin Cilantro Butter.  Serve with mashed chive potatoes and buttered brussel sprouts.  Serve with buttered match stick julienne sliced rutabaga and carrots.  Garnish with cilantro sprigs. 
     The very mild chipotle flavor adds to the steaks great flavor.  The roasted cumin cilantro butter is a classic butter for steak and it goes very well with the mild chipotle marinade's flavor.  This is an awesome way to serve a porterhouse steak!  Delicious!  ...  Shawna