Porterhouse or Tenderloin?

bubba966 · « **on:** 19 Jul 2005, 01:49 am »

A post in one of the BBQ threads going on now got me curious. Which steak do you prefer?

I'd heard on more than one occasion that a Porterhouse is the way to go if you're a serious steak guy. But the couple of Porterhouses I've had were rather nasty IMO. Don't know exactly if it was the cut, or the cook. But damn near any Sirloin I've ever had was better than the Porterhouses I've had.

I've always liked a Tenderloin tough. All of the best steaks I've ever had were Tenderloins.

zybar · « **Reply #1 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 02:01 am »

The Porterhouse includes parts of two muscles: the flavorful top loin and the buttery soft tenderloin.

So you get the best of both worlds!

When done right, the Porterhouse is an excellent cut of meat and for me can surpass a cut of tenderloin or strip.

George

jcoat007 · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 02:06 am »

Quote from: bubba966

I've always liked a Tenderloin tough. All of the best steaks I've ever had were Tenderloins.

Just like audio, I say go with what you like. If tenderloin floats your boat, then tenderloin it is.

Personally, I like tenderloin, I like ribeye, I like New York, but dammit man, a good porterhouse is hard to beat. Maybe you got a bad cut. Go to a good butcher and get a good Porterhouse. One side is Filet (Tenderloin) and the other is New York. You can't go wrong.

Just like audio, YMMV.

gonefishin · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 03:13 am »

bone-in prime cut ribeye cooked in the backyard with lump charcoal...luckly we have two decent butchers near by

Then...a nice bone-in rib roast on the grill is nice too

oh...wait...ribeye isn't a choice?

hmmm

dan

EProvenzano · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 03:40 am »

Wow...you should have added rib-eye to that list!
I think you'd have a few more votes.
Personally I think fillet and strip loin are over rated.

I recently tried some apple smoke for my latest rib-eye grilling experiment and it turned out wonderful.....drip drip ....

Happy grilling

eric the red · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 04:18 am »

"For dinner, I want a slab of red meat. Fresh, premium, not shrink wrapped. BBQ'd, not nuked or broiled. Rare. So rare a good veterinarian can revive it. A tall, cold beer. And fresh vegetables on the side, although it's unlikely I'll eat them, so I don't know why I bothered mentioning them. "

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 04:20 am »

I'll have to pick a good New York as my nominal favorite. Of the two listed, I prefer Porterhouse. Fillet is a tad overrated, IMO- it's very tender and moist, but not all that flavorful compared to rib steak or sirloin. Still, very good.

A good T-Bone cut about 1.5"-2" thick is hard to top. Nice and rare!

bubba966 · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 04:52 am »

Ok, I've added ribeye & New York to the list, even though I was mainly interested in the Porterhouse/Tenderloin debate.

I must've gotten some nasty ass Porterhouse's if they're anything like you guys are describing.

(edit-changed it back to just the original 2 choices)

bubba966 · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 04:57 am »

Quote from: eric the red

"For dinner, I want a slab of red meat. Fresh, premium, not shrink wrapped. BBQ'd, not nuked or broiled. Rare. So rare a good veterinarian can revive it. A tall, cold beer. And fresh vegetables on the side, although it's unlikely I'll eat them, so I don't know why I bothered mentioning them. "

I've done that before.

Had the tenderloin out of the Elk I'd shot earlier that afternoon. Cooked it over a fire. The Elk wasn't too old, so it tasted great as it wasn't tough and was still rather flavorfull. One of the best pieces of meat I've ever had.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 05:05 am »

Since we're talking beef....here's a game to play. See if you can put it together.

chadh · « **Reply #10 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 06:07 am »

I'm confused.

The original choice was between porterhouse and tenderloin. But porterhouse is essentially a piece of tenderloin plus a strip steak, all joined together on the bone. Sounds like porterhouse should win every time.

Except, of course, that it's harder to prepare porterhouse well - after all, you need to make compromises between preparing the tenderloin ideally and preparing the strip steak ideally. And then there is the complication of dealing with a whopping great bone with the porterhouse.

Personally, I like the rib-eye for a BBQ. I think it's very tasty and still tender. And it lends itself to a variety of preparation approaches. For more elegant meals, where I might create a lot of the flavour with a sauce or accompaniments, I usually like the tenderloin. The tenderness is the real selling point in that case.

Chad

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #11 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 06:15 am »

It's easy to overwhelm the very mild flavor of tenderloin with too much seasoning or strong sauces. Still, a well prepared tenderloin can be wonderful. I too lack the patience to deal with the bone, which is why T-Bone and Porterhouse usually aren't featured in my grilled meals.

I also agree that a nice, thick well-marbled ribeye is damn near as good as anything. I like mine about an inch and a half thick, seasoned with some Montreal/Canada's Best Steak Seasoning and cooked to about med/med rare. A half dozen mushroom caps sauteed in garlic, butter & olive oil and deglazed with a splash of burgandy makes a great topper. All I need with mine is a bit of salad and a cold glass of iced tea.

bubba966 · « **Reply #12 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 06:19 am »

Quote from: chadh

I'm confused.

The original choice was between porterhouse and tenderloin. But porterhouse is essentially a piece of tenderloin plus a strip steak, all joined together on the bone. Sounds like porterhouse should win every time.

Ok, I changed it back to just the original 2 choices. I should've left it like that in the first place as all I was interested in was Tenderloin vs. Porterhouse.

bubba966 · « **Reply #13 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 06:21 am »

Ok, so what's the hassle of having a bone in your steak?

I can't say that I have meat with the bone still in it very often. And I certainly don't ever cook anything like that for myself.

woodsyi · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 12:11 pm »

Chateaubriand, red wine sauce, (homemade with bone marrow and good wine simmered over 12 hrs) sauted mushrooms, garlic and baby potatos on the side make one of my favorite beef dish. Fillet mignon can sometimes be over sauced or cooked and taste ho-hum, but a whole loin seared on the outside initially and slow cooked until medium rare retains a rightous beef flavor if you use a good prime tender loin. Of course a good bottle or two of red is a must with it.

Dan Driscoll · « **Reply #15 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 03:18 pm »

Of the 2, I'll take porterhouse. But I prefer Delmonico/ribeye and prime rib.

JoshK · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 03:21 pm »

Quote from: fabaudio

TRI-TIP!!!

Hell yeah! Tri-Tip is the best by far!

mcgsxr · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 03:23 pm »

I will eat a strip 85% of the time, and the other % falls to the ribeye, so of the listed choices, I take the porterhouse, so that I can get my fix of the strip.

Great thread!

Marbles · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 03:40 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi

Chateaubriand, red wine sauce, (homemade with bone marrow and good wine simmered over 12 hrs) sauted mushrooms, garlic and baby potatos on the side make one of my favorite beef dish. Fillet mignon can sometimes be over sauced or cooked and taste ho-hum, but a whole loin seared on the outside initially and slow cooked until medium rare retains a rightous beef flavor if you use a good prime tender loin. Of course a good bottle or two of red is a must with it.

You have no idea how hungry you just made me......... This looks like a killer feast.

klh · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 05:09 pm »

I love red meat but don't get to eat it often. I've had porterhouse in restaurants a couple times and really liked it. Sometime this summer I plan on getting a new grill. Since grilling porterhouse is a bit of a compromise, how would you guys recommend preparing/grilling it?

Poll

Which cut do you prefer?

Porterhouse or Tenderloin?