My cholesterol having plunged to dangerously low levels, last night I took it upon myself to self-medicate with a massive dose of animal fats. I stopped by Citarella on the way home to pick up one of their dry-aged steaks.

Dry aging is gross in theory, but there's no comparing a quality aged steak to a one that hasn't gone through the treatment. Basically, a whole side of beef (or a large primal cut like the short loin, where porterhouses come from) is stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment for several weeks, where it essentially rots. Or at least the outside does. In the process, the water in the meat evaporates, concentrating the meat's beefy flavors and increasing its fat-to-lean ratio, while the natural enzymes in the meat break down its tough connective tissues, tenderizing it. The rotten edges are then trimmed away, and the beef is sawn into steaks.

Keep in mind, rot is a pejorative term not entirely apt for the process of dry-aging, which can be compared to the noble rot of grapes that yields stellar dessert wines. When the process is carefully controlled by someone who really understands it, the results are little short of miraculous.

Fairway and Citarella dry-age their own beef, which is just awesome. You pay through the nose for this service; a dry-aged USDA prime steak will cost about twice as much pound-for-pound as a non-aged USDA choice steak. But as an occasional indulgence, it's well worth it. Last night I went to Citarella and got a one-and-a-half pound porterhouse. Peter Luger would call this "Steak for Two", but I intended to dine alone.

There is perhaps no greater culinary sin than overcooking a dry-aged steak. Unfortunately, learning to cook a steak right takes practice. But practice can be had on less noble cuts of beef, until you're ready for the big time. Cooking directly over a flame is obviously the best way to go, but for those of us Manhattanites who had to kiss the charcoal grill goodbye when we signed our lease, the preparation below is a suitable alternative. It's an Americanized variation on bistecca alla Fiorentina, a huge porterhouse cut grilled by ingenious Tuscans over scorching hardwood fires with olive oil and herbs. I polished it off with an Oregon pinot noir, which was was pleasant but hopelessly outmatched by the food.

Recipe: Early Grave Porterhouse Steak

Ingredients:

• 1 dry-aged USDA prime porterhouse steak, at least 1-1/2 inches thick and preferably thicker, about 1-1/2 to 2-1/4 lbs., at room temperature
  
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
  
• 1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
  
• 5-6 cloves garlic
  
• 5-6 sprigs fresh rosemary
  
• 6 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
  

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Season the steak agressively with the salt and pepper. Smash, peel and coarsely chop the garlic. Place an oven-safe pan large enough to hold the steak over high heat. When hot, add 2 tbsp. of the butter and, as soon as the butter is melted, the steak. It is important that these ingredients be at room temperature. If cold, the butter will begin to burn and blacken before it is fully melted, and the meat will take longer to cook; either of these circumstances will negatively affect your steak.

Sear the steak on one side for 1-2 minutes, until a dark brown crust forms. Flip the steak over, then add two more tbsp. of butter, half the garlic, and a couple sprigs of rosemary to the pan. Sear the second side for 2-3 minutes, or until the same brown crust has formed.

Place the remaining butter and garlic and two more sprigs of rosemary on top of the steak and place the whole pan into the oven. Experience will tell you when your steak is done, but it should not take more than 5-6 minutes. The meat should still be yielding when pressed, although it should spring back slightly. Remove the steak to a plate and let it rest (this is crucial) for 5-10 minutes. While the steak is resting, remove the cooked rosemary from the pan and pour the garlic and butter over the steak. Garnish with the remaining sprigs of rosemary.