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T-bone steak
Beefsteak cut from the short loin, including a T-shaped bone with meat on each side

The T-bone and porterhouse are prized beef steaks cut from the short loin (called sirloin in Commonwealth countries). Both feature a T-shaped lumbar vertebra with meat on either side. Porterhouse steaks come from the rear end and include a larger tenderloin section alongside a strip steak, while T-bones have a smaller tenderloin portion, with its smaller part known as filet mignon (or fillet steak in Commonwealth countries). According to the USDA, porterhouse tenderloins must be at least 1.25 inches wide, opposed to 0.5 inches for T-bones. Valued for quality and size, these steaks command high prices at steakhouses. In 2025, the Oregon Senate voted to designate the T-bone as Oregon’s state steak, with legislation pending.

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Anatomy of the T-bone

To cut a T-bone from butchered cattle, a lumbar vertebra is sawn in half through the vertebral column. The downward prong of the 'T' is a transverse process of the vertebra, and the flesh surrounding it is the spinal muscles. The small semicircle at the top of the 'T' is half of the vertebral foramen.

Preparation

T-bone and porterhouse steaks are suited to fast, dry heat cooking methods, such as grilling or broiling. Since they contain a small amount of collagen relative to other cuts, longer cooking times are not necessary to tenderize the meat. There is some contention as to whether the bone conducts heat within the meat so that it cooks more evenly and prevents meat drying out and shrinking during cooking,34 or the meat near the bone will cook more slowly than the rest of the steak,5 and the tenderloin will tend to reach the desired temperature before the strip.67

Bistecca alla fiorentina

Main article: Bistecca alla fiorentina

Bistecca alla fiorentina (lit. 'beefsteak Florentine style'), consists of a T-bone traditionally sourced from either the Chianina or Maremmana breeds of cattle. A favorite of Tuscan cuisine, the steak is grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, seasoned with salt, sometimes with black pepper, and olive oil, applied immediately after the meat is retired from the heat. Thickly cut and very large, "Bistecca" are often shared between two or more people, and traditionally served very rare, sometimes garnished with lemon wedges, if not accompanied by red wine, and accompanied by Tuscan beans as a side dish.8

Cotoletta alla milanese

Main article: Veal milanese

The same cut of meat, but from a calf, is used for cotoletta alla milanese, which consists of 1.5 cm-thick cuts which are battered in breadcrumbs and fried in clarified butter with salt.

See also

  • Food portal
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References

  1. United States Department of Agriculture (November 2014). Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (PDF). Fresh Beef Series 100. p. 68. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2021. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/IMPS_100_Fresh_Beef%5B1%5D.pdf ↩

  2. Foden-Vencil, Kristian (5 March 2025). "Oregon Senate votes to make T-bone the official state steak". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 7 March 2025. https://www.opb.org/article/2025/03/05/oregon-senate-tbone-official-steak/ ↩

  3. Delia Smith:Lamb Archived November 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine /wiki/Delia_Smith ↩

  4. LBC:Cooking in the credit crunch Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine /wiki/LBC ↩

  5. "Buy T Bone Steak | T-Bone Steak for Sale UK". Eat Great Meat. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 2020-08-14. https://www.eatgreatmeat.co.uk/product/t-bone-steak/ ↩

  6. King (Née Turner), Nicola J.; Whyte, Rosemary (2006). "Does It Look Cooked? A Review of Factors That Influence Cooked Meat Color". Journal of Food Science. 71 (4): R31 – R40. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.668.6042. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2006.00029.x. /wiki/CiteSeerX_(identifier) ↩

  7. Serious Eats (30 May 2014). "How to Grill a T-Bone Steak". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016. http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/how-to-grill-t-bone-steak.html ↩

  8. Waverly Root, The Food of Italy, 1971, ISBN 0-394-72429-1. /wiki/ISBN_(identifier) ↩