T-Bone steak is the Rolls-Royce of cuts: filet mignon on one side, strip steak on the other, split by a striking T-shaped bone. Tender, delicious, multiple textures — there’s a reason it is one of the most sought-after cuts.
And when cooked right, T-bone steaks are a juicy, mouthwatering masterpiece.
What is T-bone steak?
The T-bone steak comes from the short loin primal of the cow. Butchers split one of the cow’s vertebrae in half and create a cut that includes the filet mignon from the tenderloin on one side and a sirloin strip steak on the other, separated by the signature T-shaped bone.
This creates the beauty and challenge of a T-Bone steak: it offers variety but takes more care to ensure both cuts are cooked to perfection. Tenderloins are leaner and cook faster. Strip loin steaks (also known as New York Strip Steaks) are marbled and need more time to cook so the fat renders.
T-bone steak vs. porterhouse steak
People often confuse T-bone steaks with Porterhouse steaks. Porterhouses are larger cuts, with more meat taken from the rear end of the steer, which includes more of the prized tenderloin. T-bones are cut closer to the head of the cow, resulting in a smaller piece of tenderloin.
In order for a cut to be classified as a porterhouse instead of a T-bone, the butcher must ensure the tenderloin and T-bone are above a USDA-designated minimum width.
The best ways to use T-bone steak
With a cut this nice, you shouldn’t use T-Bone steak in any recipe that will smother its flavor with too many ingredients. Simple is best here. Otherwise, you should use a less expensive cut.
Here are a few of the best ways to use T-Bone steak:
- As part of a classic steak dinner
- Steak and eggs
- Steak salads
- Surf and turf meals
- Steak sandwiches
- Grilled steak fajitas
12 T-bone steak recipes
While making a good T-bone steak is relatively simple, making a great T-bone steak requires attention to detail. Here are a few recipes you can follow that do their due diligence. We’ve included a few different cooking methods and some alternatives to steak dinners toward the end.
We also recommend cooking the T-bone medium-rare (130-135º), which means pulling the steaks at ~120º before searing (if using the reverse sear method), and pulling them at 125-130º before letting the steak rest for 5-10 minutes.
1. Grilled and reverse-seared T-bone steak
This is a great breakdown from Austin Eats of our personal favorite method for making T-bone steak: a reverse sear on a grill. You start low and finish high. The trick is good temperature control!
2. Smoked and reverse-seared T-bone steak
For a smoker angle on the reverse sear, use this recipe from Hey Grill Hey. As you’d expect, you smoke it at a lower temperature and finish on a cast iron.
3. The perfect grilled T-bone steak
For those of you who prefer videos, use this one from Max the Meat Guy for a good breakdown on prepping and cooking T-bone steak. He also opts for a reverse sear.
4. Direct pan sear T-bone steak
If you prefer to sear and then cook with a skillet, use this direct sear breakdown from Self Proclaimed Foodie. She also covers some good dos and don’ts on when to flip steaks and how long to let them rest.
5. Smoked pellet grill T-bone steak
Here’s a no-frills grill recipe from Traeger if you own a pellet grill — it’s just a few short steps with no extra fluff.
6. Colombian pan-seared T-bone steak
For a different spin on T-bone, use this recipe from Eater at Home. The roasting process is fairly standard, but the Colombian sides and sauces are worth a look.
7. Direct sear grilled T-bone steak with garlic herb compound butter
For a good breakdown of a classic direct sear on a grill, use this recipe from Chef Billy Parisi. The ice cube trick is clever, and you can see how to get those perfect grill marks.
8. Broiled dry-aged T-bone steak
For a broiler-only approach, use this recipe from Chef Nils Hoyum. As he says, time is not a good measure of when meat is finished — use a thermometer.
9. Pan-seared and oven-roasted T-bone steak
This recipe from Food Network uses a pan sear and then oven roast. This one is as simple and as home-friendly as it gets.
10. Reverse-sear oven T-bone steak
If I didn’t have a grill, this is the method I’d use. Roast it slowly in the oven, and then finish it in a cast iron. This recipe from My Chicago Steak shows you how to get it done.
11. Leftover T-bone steak sandwiches
This recipe from AskChefDennis is for prime rib sandwiches, but you can easily substitute in T-bone steak since the meat is similarly tender. Good bread, horseradish, caramelized onions, and a bit of leftover T-bone. You can’t go wrong.
12. T-bone steak and eggs
Alternatively, you can always fry up some T-bones for steak and eggs. This may be one of the more expensive breakfasts you’ll have, but hey — why not treat yourself? This one is also from My Chicago Steak.
How to grill T-bone steak
You have two main options when cooking a T-bone. A direct sear, and a reverse sear. This is true of both grills and oven-baked/skillet methods. We prefer the reverse sear. It allows you to control the two cuts’ temperatures better before finishing with a sear.
Direct sear (grill)
- Take the t-bone steaks out of the refrigerator and let them approach room temperature.
- Get the grill ripping hot — 450°+.
- Pat the steak dry with a paper towel.
- Drizzle and spread olive oil on both sides of the steak.
- Season liberally with salt and pepper, including edges.
- Place steaks on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes, avoiding moving them.
- Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Check the temperature of the steak. Pull at 125°F-130°F for medium.
- Remove and let rest for 5 minutes (it should still rise a few degrees).
- Serve with fresh butter over top or another sauce like a chimichurri or a gremolata.
- Slice against the grain and serve.
Reverse sear (grill)
- Take the t-bone steaks out of the refrigerator and let them approach room temperature.
- Preheat the grill with a cool section and a hot section (two-zone).
- Pat the steak dry with a paper towel.
- Drizzle and spread olive oil and both sides of the steak.
- Season liberally with salt and pepper and grill immediately, or add in a 45-minute marinating period.
- Place steaks on the low-heat section of the grill, with the tenderloin farthest away from the heat.
- Cook until 110-115º, flipping once after 5 minutes.
- Move to the hottest section of the grill.
- Sear for 1-2 minutes on each side until 5º below the desired temp.
- Remove and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with fresh butter over top or another sauce like a chimichurri or a gremolata.
- Slice against the grain and serve.
Direct sear (oven)
- Take the t-bone steaks out of the refrigerator and let them approach room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 400º.
- Get a cast iron ripping hot (water should dance across).
- Pat the steak dry with a paper towel.
- Drizzle and spread olive oil on both sides of the steak.
- Season liberally with salt and pepper, including edges.
- Place steaks on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes, avoiding moving them.
- Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Check the temperature of the steak.
- Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve with fresh butter over top or another sauce like a chimichurri or a gremolata.
- Slice against the grain and serve.
Reverse sear (oven)
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Let steaks come to room temperature while the oven heats up
- Place steaks on a wire rack pan
- Salt generously with kosher salt and let marinate for at least 45 minutes. If marinating longer, put them back in the fridge.
- Place steaks in the oven
- Get a cast iron to medium-high heat
- Pull steaks 10 degrees or so below your desired temp
- Put some high-smoke point oil in the pan (any neutral oil).
- Sear for ~1 minute on each side, depending on the heat
- Remove 5º below target temperature
- Let rest for 10 minutes
How to make great T-bone steak every time
Here are a few extra tips for making sure the money you spend on a T-Bone pays off:
- Salt generously and marinate for at least 45 minutes. T-Bones are thick cuts, and the salt needs time to penetrate the meat, break down the protein strands, and then reabsorb the water before cooking.
- Let the steak get to room temperature. A cold steak makes it harder to develop a crust.
- Buy a thick T-bone. It’s harder to build contrast between your crust and the interior if your interior is going to come up to temp too fast. Try getting a T-bone that’s around 2” thick if you can. A little less is fine.
- Buy grass-fed and grass-finished. These T-bone steaks are leaner and pricier than mass-produced steaks, but the differences in taste and nutrition are overwhelming.
- Use a meat thermometer. Unless you cook a lot of T-bone steaks, it is unlikely you will be able to eyeball or feel your way to medium-rare. Just use a thermometer and get perfect results instead.
- Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking. This isn’t as important with a reverse sear, but it’s still a good habit to get into. This time allows the juices to reabsorb and prevents them from spilling out all over your cutting board.
- Cut across the grain. T-bones make these easy since you just have to cut perpendicular to the T-bone, but make sure you slice across the meat’s grain (its visible protein strands) to snap them and make the steak more tender.
What to serve with T-bone steak
Any of the steak classics will do:
- Mashed potatoes
- Parsnips
- Carrots
- Baked potatoes
- Roasted broccoli
- Creamed collards
- Roasted mushrooms
- Grilled brussel sprouts
Where to buy the best T-bone steak
The best steaks are from cattle entirely fed on grass from the beginning of their lives to the end. No grain feed. No added hormones. No antibiotics. None of that. If you have good farmers who raise their animals well, you don’t need to defend against rampant disease.
We take pride in being extremely careful with the farmers we work with. Every cow that goes through our shop is fed an exclusive diet of fresh grass — all the way to the end. Plus, we only work with farmers who prioritize sustainability and use innovative farming techniques that are keeping us and our world healthy.
To see what real grass-fed and grass-finished beef raised on the best grass in the world tastes like, check out our t-bone steaks.
The bottom line on T-bone steak recipes
T-bone steak’s amazing texture and two-cuts-in-one make it a great, but slightly challenging choice to cook at home. Use a reverse sear on a grill for the best results, and if you are a steak lover, it is a must-try.
Happy grilling!
Nathan Phelps
Nathan Phelps owns and writes for Crafted Copy, a boutique copywriting shop that finds the perfect words for interesting products. He is also an ethical foodie, outdoors-aficionado, and hails from Nashville, TN. He splits his time between helping sustainable businesses find new customers and managing his ever-increasing list of hobbies, which include playing guitar, baking bread, and creating board games.
