Tucson Tuscan Porterhouse

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 1 porterhouse steak (1 1/2 to 2 inches thick and 1 3/4 to 2 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 -2 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (or jalapeno)
• 1 -2 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1 cup wood chips, preferably mesquite, soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained

Recipe

• 1 place steak in an oval baking dish.
• 2 make the rub: combine the salt, pepper, chili powder, mustard, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl; stir to mix or use your fingers to mix.
• 3 sprinkle rub all over the steak on both sides, patting it onto the meat with your fingertips.
• 4 make the cilantro-serrano oil: heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat; add in the cilantro, serranos, and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes; do not let garlic brown; remove pan from heat.
• 5 set up grill for direct grilling using a two-zone fire (for gas grill—preheat half or two out of three of the burners to desired temperature; leave the rest turned off, this gives you a hot zone for grilling and a cooler zone for dodging the flames or resting the meat).
• 6 for gas grill—place all the wood chips in the smoker box and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then lower one burner to medium.
• 7 when ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate; arrange steak on the grate over the hot zone, placing it on a diagonal to the bars.
• 8 grill for about 2 minutes, then move the steak to the medium zone, rotating it a quarter turn to create crosshatch grill marks; let grill for 6-8 minutes longer.
• 9 turn the steak over, placing it over the hot zone of the grill and on a diagonal to the bars.
• 10 let this side sear for 2 minutes, then move the steak to the medium zone, rotating it a quarter turn; let steak continue to grill until cooked to taste, 6-8 minutes for medium-rare.
• 11 brush the top of the steak with some of the cilantro-serrano oil as it cooks.
• 12 transfer the grilled steak to a deep platter and pour the remaining cilantro-serrano oil over it.
• 13 let steak rest for about 3 minutes, turning it several times in the oil to baste both sides.
• 14 to carve and serve—cut the two steaks off either side of the t-bone; cut each crosswise into ¼ inch thick slices; pour the juices in the platter over the slices and serve at once.