This sous vide porterhouse steak recipe is a winner—recently featured in Oregon Home Magazine. It was photographed here served with sous vide potatoes and sous vide asparagus. I can’t wait for you to try it!
Ingredients for Sous Vide Porterhouse Steak
For this straightforward, flavorful recipe you’ll need: 1 porterhouse steak (about 1½–2 inches thick, ~1.5 lb), salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, olive oil and butter.
How To Sous Vide Porterhouse
Ready to make an incredibly juicy steak?
Step 1. Preheat the sous vide to 130ºF.
Notes below explain temperature and timing choices. I’ve had great results between 130–138ºF; pick the doneness you prefer.
Step 2. Season the steak.
While the water bath heats, pat the steak dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Top with a sprig of rosemary.
Step 3. Seal and sous vide.
Place the steak and rosemary (and any crushed garlic if you like) into a vacuum bag or a heavy-duty zip-top bag. Remove air and seal. Sous vide at 130ºF for about 3 hours. (You can safely cook between 1–4 hours; longer times tenderize the meat more.)
Step 4. Remove and dry.
When the cook is complete, remove the bag from the bath. Optionally shock the steak in an ice bath to halt cooking, then remove it from the bag. Discard or reserve the herbs—some like to crisp them in the pan—and pat the steak very dry to promote a good sear.
Step 5. Sear in a hot cast iron skillet.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. When the butter foams, add the steak. Add smashed garlic to the pan and move it around so it browns but does not burn. Spoon the garlic butter over the steak while searing.
Sear each face quickly until a deep brown crust forms—about 20–30 seconds per side. Use tongs to briefly sear the fat edge for a few seconds to render and crisp it. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Why Porterhouse?
Porterhouse and T-bone steaks are similar, but a porterhouse is cut from the rear of the short loin, including a larger tenderloin (filet) and the top loin (New York strip). That means you get two distinct textures and flavors in one generous cut.
Cooking Chart
130ºF produces a rare steak and is my favorite for texture; I recommend at least 2.5–3 hours for a nicely tender result. If cooking from frozen, add about 1 hour to the time.
Time to get cookin’!
Sous vide makes restaurant-quality steak simple at home. Below is a clear recipe card with ingredients, times and step-by-step instructions so you can follow along easily.
The Perfect Sous Vide Setup
For consistent results, use a reliable immersion circulator and good vacuum or high-quality zip bags. A heavy skillet (cast iron) is ideal for finish-searing.
Try a new sous vide recipe…
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Fall off the Bone Sous Vide Beef Spare Ribs with BBQ Sauce -
Sous Vide Pulled Pork (+ VIDEO)
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Sous Vide Turkey Legs
Get better at sous vide cooking…
If you have questions or want tips, leave a comment. Enjoy experimenting—once you try sous vide, you’ll often prefer cooking at home.
Chat soon – Jenna
Sous Vide Porterhouse Steak Recipe | Sip Bite Go
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Porterhouse steak (about 1½–2” thick, ~1.5 lb)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 sprig rosemary
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tbsp garlic (crushed or minced)
Instructions
- Preheat the sous vide to 130ºF.
- Season the steak with salt and pepper, then top with rosemary.
- Vacuum-seal (or use a zip-top bag) with seasonings and cook for 3 hours at 130ºF. Note: 1–4 hours is acceptable; longer makes it more tender.
- When done, remove the bag from the water. Optionally shock in ice water to stop cooking, then remove the steak and pat dry. Discard or reserve the herbs.
- Finish in a hot cast iron skillet with olive oil and butter. Add garlic and spoon the butter over the steak while searing. Sear 20–30 seconds per side and briefly on the edges to form a crust. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
130ºF gives a rare finish; increase the temperature if you prefer medium-rare or medium. If cooking from frozen, add approximately 1 hour to the time.