A Peter Luger Steak House VP's Top Steak-Cooking Tips - Exclusive
Peter Luger Steak House is known for its limited menu of high-end steaks, its famous clientele, and as one of the oldest steakhouses in New York City. As the co-owner and vice president of the Peter Luger Steak House brand, Jody Storch knows her stuff when it comes to steak. In a recent exclusive interview with Food Republic, Storch told us about how the restaurant sources its steak, her most exciting celebrity encounters, and about the opening of the new Peter Luger Steak House in Las Vegas. She also imparted a few tips for the home cook who wants to replicate Peter Luger's famous steaks at home.
The average person isn't going to have a dry-aging room in their house, like the one at Peter Luger's, which Storch clarified gives the steak a "a mineral-ly, earthy sort of flavor." The broilers in the restaurant achieve much higher levels of heat than an average home broiler, but home cooks can get as close as possible to a Peter Luger steak by following a few methods. First, Storch said, "to mimic our flavor at home, you would have to go to a top-end butcher and get a fine piece of quality beef." Then, it's time to break out the cast iron.
A perfectly seared steak
"I personally think if you use a cast iron skillet, you're able to get that amazing crust without using the broiler at all," explained Storch. She lets her steak come to room temperature before cooking it, just until it's no longer cold to the touch. She adds kosher salt, and then allows the cast iron skillet to get "very hot."
She explained, "The trick is, don't keep touching it. Let it go, and don't keep poking and prodding and checking. Every time you do that, juices are coming out and you're torturing the meat." Since her family prefers their steak rare, she cooks a steak that's approximately an inch-and-a-half thick for only five to six minutes on each side. "If it's still too rare on the inside — sometimes I have guests, they want it a little more cooked — I'll take the skillet and I'll put in a hot oven for a couple minutes," she added.
If you have any steak leftover at the end of the meal, Storch doesn't recommend reheating, but she does prefer it cold on a piece of toast.
Peter Luger Steak House runs three unique locations in Brooklyn, New York; Great Neck, Long Island; and inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Visit the Peter Luger Steak House or Caesars Palace websites for information about reservations.