Whatʼs the difference between a porterhouse and a t-bone steak? - Chef's Resource (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a porterhouse and a T-bone steak? ›

While Porterhouse steaks are cut from the rear area of the short loin, T-Bones are cut closer to the front. This gives the Porterhouse a little bit more of the tenderloin than the T-Bone. So when you're looking at a T-Bone and a Porterhouse side-by-side, you'll notice the Porterhouse is bigger.

The Porterhouse Steak

In addition to the size of the tenderloin; the thickness of the steak also determines whether a cut is considered a Porterhouse or a T-bone. USDA guidelines outlines a porterhouse must be at least 1.25 inches thick measured from the tenderloin, and a T-bone is 0.5 inches thick.

The best way to cook a Porterhouse steak is on the grill, but pan-seared Porterhouse steak is also delicious. Additionally, you can broil Porterhouse steak in the oven, smoke in a smoker, or even use the sous vide method.

The T-Bone is cut from the short loin, and actually has two different steaks attached to the bone. On the long side is the strip. If you would take that strip and cut it away from the bone, you would have Rube's New York Strip. On the smaller side of the T-bone is the tenderloin.

Because the porterhouse is cut from the junction of the tenderloin and top loin, it delivers a mouthwatering combination of tender, succulent filet mignon and rich, flavorful New York strip. As a meal, the size of a porterhouse steak is unrivaled, and many steak lovers find it easily feeds two people.

A whole porterhouse steak actually consists of two other famous cuts of meat, the tenderloin and strip steak, separated by a “T” shaped bone. Both of these meats are very tender because they don't receive much exercise or bear a lot of the cow's weight.

A porterhouse steak includes strip steak on one side of the bone and a tenderloin filet on the other side of the bone. These are the same meats that a T-bone steak has, but the filet on a porterhouse is generally larger and thicker than that of a T-bone.

When it comes to fat mixed into the tissue, the Porterhouse comes out on top. It's a much more marbled cut of meat than the Filet Mignon, especially on the larger strip steak side. This gives it a more complex and intense beef flavor as well.

Porterhouse Taste

The Porterhouse steak has a larger section of tenderloin, which is a leaner cut with a milder flavor compared to the Ribeye's fattier and more robust flavor. However, the Porterhouse also includes a strip steak on the other side of the bone, which has more marbling and a firmer texture.

The anatomy of having two different steak cuts separated by a bone makes cooking the porterhouse tricky. The tenderloin side tends to cook more quickly while the NY strip side takes a little longer to come up to doneness temp.

How to tenderize a porterhouse steak? ›

Salting. Most cuts of steak benefit from being salted up to an hour in advance of cooking, but especially tougher cuts. In addition to seasoning the steaks, salt helps break down proteins and make the meat more tender. Liberally salt the steaks up to an hour before cooking, then proceed according to your recipe.

A tomahawk steak is a bone-in ribeye steak that has been trimmed to resemble the shape of a tomahawk, cut from the beef rib. It's a cut that includes the eye of ribeye, the ribeye cap, and the complexus.

Porterhouse steaks are cut from the rear end of the short loin and thus include more tenderloin steak, along with (on the other side of the bone) a large strip steak.

Price / Cost Difference

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.

These cuts—ribeye, New York strip loin, and filet mignon—can certainly be dubbed the best, and few will disagree. “Filet is the most tender cut, but has the least amount of flavor. Ribeye is the most flavorful, but the least tender of the three, and New York is in the middle.” Flannery explains.

The winner of the debate between ribeye vs porterhouse boils down to preference. Some people prefer ribeye for its incredibly tender and flavorful meat. However, others enjoy porterhouse because it's bigger and contains two different cuts of steak to enjoy, a prime difference between porterhouse and ribeye.

The most tender of all cuts of beef, tenderloin steaks are lean and known for their delicate, butter-like texture and thick cut. These mouthwatering steaks are so tender they can be “cut with a butter knife.” Tenderloin steaks are commonly known as filets or filet mignon.