Yes, the grill makes everything taste better, but porterhouse steaks are especially well suited to this cooking method; their lovely slice of fat, which caramelizes and chars on the grill, plus the additional flavor of the bone, make them ideal for a summer cookout. Vacationing in the Hamptons should always be a bit decadent, so adding a healthy dollop of truffle butter elevates the meal and rounds out the flavor of the meat. No one can resist sweet local corn fresh from the farm, and the crunch and juiciness of the kernels removes any craving you once had for frites. (At least temporarily, that is.) If you don’t have fresh parsley or basil, feel free to substitute cilantro, tarragon or chives. 

Serves 4

Remove steaks from refrigerator 20 minutes before grilling. Heat grill to 350 ˚F. Pat both sides of steak dry with paper towels and season aggressively with salt and pepper. Place steaks on hot grill and allow to cook 3 minutes. Rotate steaks 90 ˚ and cook another 3 minutes. Flip steaks and repeat process. Using a meat thermometer, check temperature of center of steak, which should be medium-rare. (Steaks should be 120 ˚F for medium-rare, 125 ˚F for medium, and 140 ˚F for well done.) Remove from grill, dot each steak with a tablespoon of butter, and allow meat to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

If corn is in season and fresh from a farmer’s market, then there is no need to cook it—just slice the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife and reserve. If corn is out of season, then bring a stockpot of water to a boil, season with a large amount of salt (water should taste salty like the sea), and cook corn 15 minutes, until soft. Drain corn and allow to cool.

Heat a sauté pan on medium-low and add oil. Add chili flakes and toast for 1 minute. Add leeks and sauté until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add corn, lemon juice, parsley, and basil and mix well. Season with salt and serve at room temperature.

Note: D’Artagnan makes both white and black truffle butters, which are wonderful. They are available at Garden of Eden, Gourmet Garage, or dartagnan.com; otherwise, specialty stores sell other brands that will work well too.