T-Bone Steak Products

T-bone steaks are two cuts of meat in one neat piece: the filet mignon and the New York strip. The T-bone steak derives its name from the T-shaped portion of bone that separates the abdominal, internal oblique muscles. These muscles are more commonly known as the tenderloin and strip steak. The T-bone steak comes from the short loin primal cut toward the front. The T-bone steak is often confused with the porterhouse steak because both cuts include the tenderloin on one side and the strip steak on the other.

The difference stems from the size of the tenderloin. T-bones come from the front of the loin, where the tapered end of the tenderloin gets smaller. Porterhouse steaks come from the rear side of the loin, where the thickest portion of the tenderloin resides. The strip steak's size stays in proportion to that of the tenderloin, getting larger or smaller as you move back to front.

Most experts cannot agree about how thin the tenderloin portion must be to qualify the cut as a T-bone or porterhouse. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the tenderloin of a porterhouse must be at least 1.25 inches at its thickest point. The USDA states that a T-bone must have a tenderloin that measures at least 0.5-inch thick, which doesn't leave a lot of tenderloin on your T-bone. Many restaurants use both names to describe the same cut, but a grocer must adhere to the USDA's guidelines on meat purchasing specifications.

The two cuts in the T-bone steak are the most prized cuts of beef and considered one of the highest-quality cuts, second only to the porterhouse. The tenderloin has a fine grain and very little fat. The muscle's lack of use makes it naturally tender. The strip steak muscle on the other side of the T is little used but has some natural fat marbling. Together, the T-bone offers two distinct flavors and textures that any steak lover will enjoy.

Both the tenderloin and strip steak contain very little connective tissue, making them ideal for cooking quickly at high temperatures. The preferred method by chefs would be to rub them in olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper before grilling to the desired temperature and let the natural beefy flavor stand out. You can use a blackening seasoning or any of your favorite spice rubs and grill them for the flavors you enjoy most.

Because of the bone that separates the two muscles, the meat's final cooking temperature will always be less toward the bone than out near the edges. It takes a skilled chef to get the T-bone steak to the proper temperature. Chefs recommend the T-bone steak be cooked from rare to medium depending on your preference. You should note that the tenderloin will be more tender when cooked to rare than the strip steak portion of the T-bone, which has a firmer texture due to a thicker grain.

The marbling of the strip steak portion of the T-bone calls for medium-rare temperatures or above to properly render the fat. Thus, the T-bone steak presents a unique challenge to the cook who may like rare tenderloin but wants the strip's full flavor. A good tip to achieve alternate temperatures for both sides of the T-bone steak would be to turn off a portion of your grill and position the strip steak over the flame, keeping the tenderloin off the heat.