I’d never cooked a t bone steak before, and searching the web found a mass of conflicting information. I read and watched all I can find and I figure out the key of how cook a t bone steak: nobody talks about the thickness.

If you already know how to cook a steak, you can cook a t bone. The difference is the thickness of the steak. The surface can be done, but the interior will need more time – so transfer it to a hot oven. Additionally, the bone doesn’t conduct heat as well as the meat itself, which mean the steak stays cooler nearer the bone so be prepared for it being less well done in the middle compared to the edge.

I say this all the time with meat cookery and especially steak that you need to use a probe thermometer. Test it when near done and get the temperature where you like it using my handy guide.

Where does the T Bone come from?

The T-bone steak is a classic cut that shares similarities with the porterhouse steak. It consists of both the top loin and sirloin, along with the tenderloin (fillet), connected together by the bone, which is intentionally left intact.

Its name is derived from the bone’s shape, often resembling the letter ‘T.’ The bone in a T-bone steak is actually the lumbar vertebra, which is halved to form part of the cow’s spine. The flesh surrounding this bone comprises the muscles from the spine, contributing to the dense marbling and providing ample fat coverage on the cut.

Although T-bone and porterhouse steaks come from the same region of the cow, they can sometimes be mistaken for one another. The key difference lies in the proportion of fillet present within the cut. To be classified as a porterhouse, the steak must have a larger portion of the fillet, measuring at least 3.1 centimetres in width.

Buy a probe thermometer for perfect steak

Want something to go with it? Here’s my recipe for beef dripping sauce