‘Christmas’ Steak (A Showstopper Porterhouse Recipe!)

Are you searching for the ultimate, jaw-dropping centerpiece for your Christmas dinner? A magnificent, restaurant-quality steak that is so impressive and so packed with flavor, it will become an instant holiday legend? This incredible “Christmas” Porterhouse Steak, adorned with a festive duo of from-scratch red and green sauces, is that perfect recipe. We’re talking a massive, thick-cut porterhouse, with a perfect, crackly crust and a juicy, rosy-pink interior, presented in a way that will have all your guests in awe.

This isn’t just another steak recipe; it’s your definitive guide to creating a truly unforgettable holiday feast. We’ll show you the simple but crucial professional secrets to a flawless, tender steak and the brilliant, festive sauces that give this dish its “Christmas” name. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive meal that is destined to be the star of your celebration.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Holiday Showstopper

What makes this “Christmas” Steak so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, bold flavor and its stunning, festive presentation. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic steakhouse cooking with a vibrant, Latin-inspired twist. The star of the show is a magnificent, thick-cut, bone-in porterhouse steak. The steak is cooked using a classic pan-sear and butter-baste method, with a brilliant, final finish under the broiler. The true magic, however, is in the two beautiful, from-scratch sauces that represent the colors of Christmas: a smoky, spicy, red Salsa Roja and a bright, herbaceous, and garlicky green Chimichurri. The final, show-stopping presentation involves slicing the steak and reassembling it around the bone before topping it with the vibrant red and green sauces.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	1 hour 30 minutes
Active Prep Time	30 minutes
Difficulty Level	Intermediate
Servings	4-6

The Butcher & The Saucier: The Essential Ingredients & Tools

This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and a few key tools to create its signature rich and savory flavor.

• The Steak (The Star of the Show!):
  • Porterhouse Steak: For the ultimate steakhouse experience, a thick-cut (at least 2 inches!), bone-in porterhouse is the perfect choice. A porterhouse is a special cut that gives you two incredible steaks in one: a large portion of a rich and beefy New York strip and a smaller, but incredibly tender, portion of a filet mignon, all connected by the T-shaped bone.¹
• The “Christmas” Sauces: The secret to the deep, complex, and festive flavor of this dish is making your own fresh sauces.
  • The Red Salsa Roja: A classic, smoky, and slightly spicy red sauce made by boiling and blending fresh plum tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapeño.
  • The Green Chimichurri: A vibrant, herbaceous, and garlicky Argentinian sauce.² The brilliant, professional secret to a chimichurri that stays a beautiful, vibrant green and doesn’t turn a muddy brown is to add a few ice cubes to the blender as you are making it!
• The Key Equipment:
  • A Large Cast-Iron Skillet: This is essential for getting a deep, even, and crusty sear on your steak.
  • An Instant-Read Meat Thermometer: This is the single most important, non-negotiable tool for a perfect steak. It is the only 100% foolproof way to guarantee that your steak is cooked to your desired, perfect temperature.

The Steakhouse Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfect Porterhouse

This recipe uses a few simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, restaurant-quality result.

1. The Dry Brine: The first, and most important, secret to a perfect steak crust is to season it generously with salt and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This process, known as a “dry brine,” not only seasons the meat deeply but also draws out moisture from the surface, which is the key to a deep, dark, and crusty sear.³
2. The Screaming-Hot Sear: You must get your cast-iron skillet ripping hot before your steak even touches it. A high heat is the key to creating a beautiful crust through the Maillard reaction without overcooking the interior of the steak.
3. The Butter Baste: A classic steakhouse technique! By adding butter, garlic, and thyme to the pan at the end and continuously spooning the fragrant, melted butter over the steak, you are infusing it with an incredible layer of rich, aromatic flavor.

Step-by-Step to the Perfect Christmas Steak

This elegant, festive meal is a joy to prepare.

Part 1: The Art of the From-Scratch Sauces (Can be done ahead!)

For the Salsa Roja: In a medium saucepan, boil your 2 plum tomatoes, the 2 cloves of garlic, the 1 small jalapeño, and the 1/2 small white onion in water for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are softened. Drain the vegetables and blend them until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

For the Chimichurri: In a blender, blend your 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 4 cloves of garlic, and a generous pinch of salt until smooth. Add your 1/2 cup each of fresh parsley and cilantro, the 1/4 cup of ice cubes, the 2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, and the 1 jalapeño and blend. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the 1/4 cup of olive oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate both sauces until you are ready to serve.

Part 2: The Perfect Porterhouse

Step 1: Let your steak sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat your broiler.

Step 2: Heat a large, cast-iron skillet over a medium-high heat. Pat your steak completely dry and season it very generously with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Add the 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the hot skillet. When the oil begins to smoke, add your steak. Cook the steak for about 4 minutes per side, until it is deeply browned and crusty. Remove the steak to a cutting board.

Step 4 (The Showstopper Presentation!): Carefully cut the strip steak and the tenderloin filet from the bone. Carve both pieces of meat across the grain into thick slices.

Step 5: Place the bone back in the center of your hot skillet and carefully arrange the sliced steak back around the bone in its original formation, so that it looks like a whole steak again.

Step 6: Top the reassembled steak with your 3 tablespoons of cubed butter, the 3 cloves of garlic, and the 2 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Part 3: The Final Broil and Baste

Place the entire skillet under the preheated broiler and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. You will know the steak is a perfect medium-rare when a thermometer inserted sideways into the center of a slice registers $120^{\circ}F$.

Carefully tilt the skillet to pool the melted butter, and then use a large spoon to baste the steak several times with the fragrant, melted butter.

Transfer the entire, reassembled steak to a serving platter and pour all the delicious melted butter from the pan over the top.

For the final, festive “Christmas” touch, top one half of the steak with your green chimichurri and the other half with your red salsa roja. Serve immediately with the remaining sauces on the side.

Print

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• Make-Ahead: This is the perfect make-ahead holiday meal! You can prepare both the Salsa Roja and the Chimichurri up to 3 days in advance and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
• Storage: Store any leftover steak and sauces in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For more recipe follow my pinterest account

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)