T-bone steak facts for kids
Beef Cuts (American terminology)
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| Type | Short loin and tenderloin cut of beef |
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The T-bone and porterhouse are types of steak made from beef. They are cut from a part of the cow called the short loin. Both steaks have a special "T"-shaped bone. This bone is a lumbar vertebra, which is a bone from the cow's lower back. On each side of the bone, there are different kinds of meat.
Porterhouse steaks are cut from the back part of the short loin. This means they have a larger piece of tenderloin steak. On the other side of the bone, they have a big strip steak. T-bone steaks are cut from closer to the front. They have a smaller piece of tenderloin. If the small tenderloin part of a T-bone is sold by itself, it's often called a filet mignon.
People sometimes disagree on how big the tenderloin needs to be for a steak to be called a porterhouse instead of a T-bone. In the United States, rules say that a porterhouse tenderloin must be at least 1.25 inches (about 3.2 cm) wide. A T-bone's tenderloin must be at least 0.5 inches (about 1.3 cm) wide. However, many restaurants might call a steak with a large tenderloin a "T-bone," even if it's technically a porterhouse.
T-bone steaks are usually seen as very high-quality steaks. This is because they are large and have meat from two of the best parts of the cow: the short loin and the tenderloin. Because of this, they can be quite expensive at steakhouses. Porterhouse steaks are often even more valued because their tenderloin part is bigger.
In some countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, the word "porterhouse" can mean different things. Sometimes it means a sirloin steak with the bone, but without the tenderloin. Other times, especially in New Zealand and Australia, a porterhouse is a sirloin steak that has had the bone removed.
Contents
What's in a T-bone?
To get a T-bone steak from a cow, a butcher cuts a lumbar vertebra in half. This cut goes right through the cow's backbone. The bottom part of the "T" shape is a bone called a transverse process. The meat around this bone is part of the cow's back muscles. The small half-circle at the top of the "T" is half of the space where the spinal cord used to be.
How to cook T-bone steaks
T-bone and porterhouse steaks are best cooked quickly using dry heat. This means methods like grilling or broiling. These steaks don't have much collagen, which is a tough part of meat that needs long cooking to become tender. So, you don't need to cook them for a long time.
Some people wonder if the bone helps the steak cook more evenly. They think it might spread heat through the meat and stop it from drying out. Others believe the meat near the bone cooks slower than the rest of the steak. They also think the tenderloin part might cook faster than the strip steak part.
Florentine steak
Bistecca alla fiorentina means 'beefsteak Florentine style'. This is a famous dish from Tuscan cuisine in Italy. It traditionally uses T-bone steaks from special types of cattle like Chianina or Maremmana.
This steak is cooked over a wood or charcoal fire. After cooking, it's seasoned with salt, sometimes black pepper, and olive oil. Florentine steaks are cut very thick and are usually quite large. They are often shared between two or more people. Traditionally, they are served very rare (meaning still quite red inside). Sometimes, they come with lemon wedges or are enjoyed with red wine. A common side dish is Tuscan beans.
Milanese Veal Cutlet
A similar cut of meat, but from a young calf instead of a cow, is used for Cotoletta alla milanese. This dish uses cuts about 1.5 cm thick. The meat is covered in breadcrumbs and then fried in clarified butter with salt.
See also
In Spanish: T-bone steak para niños
