Porterhouse vs T-Bone Steaks: Exploring the Mouthwatering Differences

Porterhouse vs. T-bone: Is there truly a difference between the two? And if so, which of these steak cuts is better?

In this handy guide to the steak royalty, we’ll look at what makes up porterhouse and T-bone steaks, what you should consider when shopping for those cuts, and how to cook them once you get them home. It’s everything you need to know to go from virtual shopping to an unforgettable meal, plus a little extra knowledge left over for later.

What is a Porterhouse Steak?

A porterhouse steak is actually two steaks in one. Cut from the area of the cow where the top loin and tenderloin meet, the porterhouse features a tenderloin or filet cut on one side of the bone and a portion of New York strip steak on the other.

Both cuts of beef are prized for different reasons:

• The tenderloin is known for being lean yet beautifully tender.
• The NY strip has a bolder flavor and beefier, more robust bite.

While these cuts are as large as you might get if you purchased a filet mignon or NY strip separately, opting for the porterhouse means you get the best of both worlds on one plate.

What is a T-Bone Steak?

T-bone steaks are a type of porterhouse. They have the same bisecting bone and also feature filet or tenderloin on one side and a portion of NY strip steak on the other. But T-bones often have less meat than a true porterhouse. You’re still getting “the best of both worlds,” but you’re getting smaller portions of those worlds.

A steak can technically be too thin to be sold as a T-bone, too. Though it’s fairly rare to see an on-the-bone porterhouse-style cut with a filet portion that’s less than a quarter-inch thick, it does happen from time to time. But that steak would probably be sold in a supermarket or lower-level steakhouse as a bone-in strip with a smidgen of tenderloin on the side.

How Similar are Porterhouse and T-Bone Cuts?

Porterhouse and T-bone cuts are very similar. They both:

• Originate from the short loin of the cow
• Come on a t-shaped section of bone
• Feature a tenderloin section and NY strip steak section
• Offer two different cuts of meat through one purchase
• Can be served on the bone or cooked and then sliced for a different culinary experience

Key Differences Between Porterhouse and T-Bone Steaks

When you’re considering whether to buy and prepare a porterhouse or a T-bone, keep these key differences in mind.

Price / Cost Difference

Porterhouse steaks carry a hefty price tag compared to T-bone steaks because of the thickness and quality of the filet portions of those relative cuts. The filet or tenderloin portion of a porterhouse is thicker, meaning you’ll get more of that coveted tender and juicy beef — and you’ll pay for the privilege.

But there’s another factor in play: quality. Remember, the USDA grades beef produced in the United States by analyzing key components, such as tenderness, marbling/juiciness, overall flavor, and overall yield. USDA Prime is the highest possible designation (outside of Wagyu or Kobe beef, which have their own separate grading systems). Choice cuts are next in terms of priciness, followed by Select.

So, in most cases, you’ll pay more per pound for a porterhouse vs. a T-bone, but be sure to compare quality and size/weight before you commit to your purchase.

Size

The biggest difference between porterhouse and T-bone steaks is size. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a porterhouse must be at least 1.25 inches thick. A duo tenderloin/strip cut on the bone that’s thinner than that is automatically classified as a T-bone steak.

The reason porterhouses are thicker than T-bones is not just because the butcher cuts one piece of meat larger than the other. Both steaks come from the short loin of the cow, a muscle that gets wider as it runs from the front part of the cow to the animal’s back. T-bone steaks are cut from that narrower front portion, while porterhouses are cut from the thicker/wider back segment.

Cooking Time & Style

You can cook porterhouse and T-bone steaks using the same methods, but thinner T-bone cuts have less wiggle room and require more TLC. It’s a general rule in steak cookery that the thinner a cut is, the more TLC you need to give it to ensure it doesn’t end up overcooked and tough.

Significantly thinner T-bone steaks may benefit from a wet marinade that will protect the inside of the meat from drying out while you get to work searing the outside.

Which Steak Cut is Recommended?

Choosing which steak to buy can be a deeply personal choice that hinges on considerations like your budget, how many people you’re cooking for, and how much time you have to cook. But in most cases, a porterhouse is going to win out in terms of the amount of meat you get, how tender and juicy that meat will be when it comes off the grill, and how beautiful your presentation will be once you’re ready to cut the steak tableside.

Here are some of the best examples of Allen Brothers porterhouse cuts:

• USDA Prime Porterhouse: Classic, stunningly delicious, and perfectly sized at approximately 1.5” thick, Allen Brothers USDA Prime Porterhouse Steaks offer superior quality and the entire sirloin strip and tenderloin filet on one flavor-enhancing bone.
• Bistecca alla Fiorentina: The noble bistecca alla Fiorentina, roughly translated as “beefsteak Florentine-style,” is a classic Tuscan dish that dates back centuries. Traditionally, it was cooked on the bone over an open flame and left well toward the rare side — so rare, it would be considered “blue” by today’s standards. Modern bistecca alla Fiorentina offers premium thickness (about 2.25”), which gives you an opportunity to create an incredible golden-brown exterior and flavor-boosting crust.
• USDA Prime Natural Beef Porterhouse: This steak is similar to the Allen Brothers Prime porterhouse above, but with a natural twist. This beef meets the USDA’s standards for beef raised without unnecessary hormones and antibiotics. It’s also pasture raised, grain and grass finished, and we aged in vacuum-sealed bags for maximum flavor and a marvelously tender texture paired with minimal moisture/size loss.
• Dry-Aged Bistecca alla Fiorentina: Here, the “King of Italian Steaks” gets a twist courtesy of a visit to the Allen Brothers custom dry-aging coolers. They sit there, under careful temperature and humidity control, for 42 to 45 days. The result is a Tuscan-inspired steak with majorly beefy flavor, tender chew, and the perfect size for a rare steak with a deeply seared exterior.

Cooking Tips for Porterhouse vs. T-Bone Steaks

Pro tip: You can serve a porterhouse or T-bone as is, meaning on the bone, as a solo portion. Or grill or pan sear your steak, and then cut it off the bone and slice to serve alongside seafood and some mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus for a memorable date night meal.

How to Cook a Porterhouse

When you consider the many methods available for cooking a porterhouse steak, consider taking a tip from the Tuscans and putting your steak on a charcoal grill. The direct, high heat will help you achieve an enviously GBD (golden-brown and delicious) crust on your now-perfect steak without risking an overcooked or moisture-zapped interior.

You can also put your steak under a broiler, into a sous vide machine before demonstrating a textbook reverse sear, or in a piping-hot cast-iron skillet where you can baste it with garlic and herbs.

Here are a couple of our go-to porterhouse recipes:

• Rosemary porterhouse
• Porterhouse with chili jam and garlic sweet potatoes

How to Cook a T-Bone

For the most part, you can prepare a T-bone steak using the exact same cooking methods and recipes mentioned in the section above — in other words, cook your T-bone like a porterhouse. But there’s a big caveat here. The thinner your T-bone is, the less room you have for error.

Thinner steaks cook faster. It can be more difficult to get a solid sear on the outside without overcooking the interior. For those reasons, you’ll need to watch your T-bone closely as it cooks, especially over high heat, and consider saving the thinnest cuts for guests who prefer a more well-done steak.

Porterhouse vs. T-Bone FAQS

What is the tastiest cut of steak?

Deciding which cut of steak is the tastiest is a matter of opinion, but many people choose a porterhouse because it’s a cut that actually offers two steaks in one. A porterhouse includes a NY strip steak and a filet/tenderloin separated by a t-shaped bone, giving diners beefy flavor, toothsome texture, and beautifully tender meat all at the same time.

Which is better, porterhouse or T-bone?

While porterhouse and T-bone steaks are both tasty in their own way, porterhouse cuts offer more meat and larger portions of the filet cut. This means you’re getting a better dining experience — and possibly an easier cook, thanks to the thicker and more forgiving cut.

What’s more expensive, T-bone or porterhouse?

Porterhouse steaks are coveted for their thicker cut and larger portion of filet, which means they’re typically more expensive than a T-bone, pound for pound. However, be sure to look at USDA quality grades before you buy. A USDA Prime porterhouse will have a higher price tag, and for good reason, while a lesser quality porterhouse could possibly cost less than a Prime T-bone.

What two steaks make up a porterhouse?

A porterhouse steak contains both the filet mignon/tenderloin cut from a cow’s short loin as well as a NY strip steak. For people who can’t decide between ordering a filet or enjoying a strip steak, the porterhouse offers steak lovers a chance to indulge in both popular cuts at the same time.

Shop High-Quality Beef from Allen Brothers

The porterhouse vs. T-bone question is quite common in the culinary world, and this is a case where a little knowledge can go a long way. Keep in mind all the mouthwatering perks that come with the purchase of a Porterhouse steak as you go forth and shop Allen Brothers beef and coordinating pantry items.