T-bone steak Totally Explained

The T-bone and Porterhouse are steak cuts of beef. They consist of a T-shaped bone with meat on each side. The larger side contains meat from the strip loin, whereas the smaller side contains the tenderloin. T-bone steaks from the rear end of the tenderloin contain a much larger section of the tenderloin, and are called porterhouse steaks. In British usage, followed in Commonwealth countries, only the strip loin side is called the porterhouse, and the tenderloin side is called the fillet.
   There is little agreement among experts on how large the tenderloin must be to call a T-bone a porterhouse; some steaks with a large tenderloin may be called a mere T-bone in some restaurants and steakhouses. However, there's general agreement the tenderloin can be no thinner than the diameter of a US quarter dollar coin (24 mm) to be classified as a porterhouse. The US Department of Agriculture's Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications states that the tenderloin must be at least 1.25 inches (32 mm) thick at its thickest to be classified a porterhouse. Similarly, the USDA says that the tenderloin must be at least ½ inch (13 mm) thick for the steak to be classified a T-bone.
   Due to their large size and the fact that they contain meat from two of the most prized cuts of beef (the short loin and the tenderloin), T-bone steaks are generally considered one of the highest quality steaks, and prices at steakhouses are accordingly high. Porterhouse steaks are even more highly valued due to their larger tenderloin.
   In the United States, the T-bone has the meat-cutting classification NAMP 1174; the porterhouse is NAMP 1173.
   The origin of the name 'porterhouse' is the subject of much conjecture but very little knowledge; it has been claimed that the name derives from a Massachusetts stockman, Zachariah B. Porter, or from a New York City porter- house proprietor, Martin Morrison . The Oxford English Dictionary suspends judgement, observing that the name is "freq. supposed to derive its name from a well-known porterhouse in New York in the early 19th cent., although there's app. no contemporary evidence to support this".

Anatomy of the T-Bone

To cut a T-bone from butchered cattle, a lumbar vertebra is sawed in half through the vertebral column. The downward prong of the 'T' is a transverse process of the vertebra, and the flesh surrounding it's the spinal muscles. The small semi-circle at the top of the 'T' is half the vertebral foramen.
Although the spinal cord is removed by packers during processing, there's still concern by some (in the European Union and Japan) that it could be a source of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, more popularly known as mad cow disease. This is because spinal tissue contains nerve cells which can transmit the prion that causes the disease.

Preparation

T-bone and porterhouse steaks are suited to fast, dry heat cooking methods, such as grilling or broiling. Due to their relative lack of collagen, longer cooking times are not necessary to tenderize the meat.
Because bone conducts heat, and because of the differences in the two cuts of meat, different parts of the steak will reach the desired cooked temperature at different times. The meat near the bone will cook more slowly than the rest of the steak, and the tenderloin will tend to reach the desired level of doneness before the strip.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

A favorite of the Italian cuisine of Tuscany, bistecca alla fiorentina consists of a t-bone or porterhouse steak (traditionally taken from the Chianina breed of cattle), grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, and seasoned with salt, black pepper, and olive oil. It is invariably served very rare, sometimes garnished with lemon wedges; Tuscan beans are the usual side dish.

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