I’ve gone to the store to pick up steaks hundreds of times and it took me a long time to realize that the bone that looks like a “T” in a t-bone steak looks like the same bone in a porterhouse steak. I always thought that they were different parts of the cow because they have two completely different names. Turns out that was not true at all and they are incredibly similar.
A wider filet is what distinguishes the porterhouse from the T-bone steak. Both steaks are cut from the short loin part of the cow but the porterhouse is cut from a different part of the short loin to give it a larger filet.
There is an exact width the filet has to be on a porterhouse for it to be called such. This is the only physical difference for a porterhouse to not be called a t-bone steak. They are composed of two different steaks in one that you can buy as separate cuts. And one of these steaks, either the porterhouse or T-bone is called “The King of Steaks.”
Is porterhouse and T-bone steak the same?
The porterhouse has a wider tenderloin than the t-bone. This is determined by the United States Department of Agriculture in the fresh beef Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications or the IMPS.
In the fresh beef IMPS, there is a multitude of specifications for purchasing meat. An important part is the specifications for each cut of beef. Below I have two quotes from the fresh bee IMPS. The first one is the determining specifications of a porterhouse according to the USDA. The second one is the determining specifications of a t-bone according to the USDA.
Item No. 1173 – Beef Loin, Porterhouse Steak – The steaks shall be prepared from any IMPS short loin item. The maximum width of the tenderloin shall be at least 1.25 inches (3.2 cm) when measured parallel to the length of the back bone.
USDA: INSTITUTIONAL MEAT PURCHASE SPECIFICATIONS-IMPS
Item No. 1174 – Beef Loin, T- Bone Steak – The steaks shall be prepared from any IMPS short loin item. The maximum width of the tenderloin shall be at least 1⁄2-inch (13 mm) when measured parallel to the length of the back bone.
USDA: INSTITUTIONAL MEAT PURCHASE SPECIFICATIONS-IMPS
As you can see the difference between a porterhouse and a t-bone is quite specific. Both cuts are from the beef loin and more specifically the short loin. The main difference is that the porterhouse has to have a tenderloin that is at least 1.25 inches in maximum width when measured parallel to the bone.
The t-bone has to have a tenderloin that is at least 1/2 an inch in maximum width when measured parallel to the bone.
So, any t-bone with a tenderloin that has a maximum width of 1.25 inches is actually a porterhouse. And, any t-bone with a tenderloin that has a maximum width of less than 1/2 an inch is actually NOT a t-bone.
What is better porterhouse or T-bone steak?
A porterhouse is usually considered better because it is a bigger piece of steak. It can be about 24 ounces if you get one at a restaurant compared to a t-bone which is usually about 16 ounces on average. Although, it can vary significantly by the restaurant and who butchers the meat as there is no set standard size for either cut.
If you get a 24-ounce steak then it is probably a good portion for two people. One pound is 16 ounces so a 24-ounce steak is 1.5 pounds of meat. That is even hard for me to finish!
Generally, a porterhouse will always be considered better because it is larger in one area. It is larger in the most tender part of the steak that is only on one side of the bone. They both have this tender part to them but it is a much smaller portion on the t-bone.
What are the two steaks in a porterhouse and a t-bone?
A tenderloin and a strip loin are the two steaks that are found in a porterhouse and a t-bone. Both of these can be sold separately as two different steaks or in one such as in a porterhouse or t-bone. All of these steaks are still a part of the short loin part of the cow.
The strip loin goes by other names as well such as a New York strip steak, strip loin steak, or strip steak. It is considered a lean steak but I think it has a good amount of fat on it usually which I love because it makes it super tasty. You can also get this cut with a bone-in but you’re just paying for the extra bone.
The tenderloin is the most tender part of the cow. So, it is delicious and is considered a lean cut as well. It goes by many names such as filet mignon, bone-in filet, tenderloin and chateaubriand. It has very little fat on it so you don’t get that extra taste.
You can see the two steaks in a porterhouse in the two pictures below. The first picture is of me showing you what the filet mignon is and the second picture is of me showing you what the new york strip is.
Which is more expensive porterhouse or T-bone steak?
According to prices.org, you can expect to pay for a porterhouse anywhere from $15 when on sale to $28 per pound and for a t -bone anywhere from between $15 when on sale to $28 per pound as well. They are usually the same price per pound and this is because they are the same cuts of beef but just different sizes.
If you go to a store and have a porterhouse in one hand but a t-bone in the other the price per pound will probably be the same. But, the porterhouse will probably be more overall because it will have more ounces and be heavier. This is because it has a larger filet section and it is a bigger steak overall.
Is a filet mignon in a porterhouse or T-bone steak?
The filet mignon is in a porterhouse and T-bone steak. It is a special part of the tenderloin which is the most tender part of the cow. It’s the most tender because it is the least used muscle in the back of the cow. The muscles that are used more are gonna be tougher.
The filet mignon is cut from the tip of the tenderloin in the loin area of the cow. And, the loin area of the cow is where the porterhouse and T-bone steaks come from! So, a part of the filet mignon is in a porterhouse and a t-bone.
What is the king of steaks?
The king of steaks is of course the porterhouse. It can’t be the t-bone because the t-bone is just an inferior piece of steak compared to the porterhouse. Don’t get me wrong the t-bone is a great steak and is probably big enough for most people.
The porterhouse has what is considered a full-size filet mignon. The t-bone is only considered to have a partial-size filet mignon.
Porterhouse steaks are considered the king of steaks because they have to great pieces of steak in one. A New York strip and a full filet mignon are both a part of the porterhouse steak.
A tip on cooking a porterhouse or a t-bone
Both porterhouse and T-bone steaks are no doubt great for grilling. Although, a lot of people, like myself, like to pan-fry steaks or use a skillet. I would suggest against doing that with a porterhouse or t-bone.
The reason is because of the bone in the middle. It can cause the steak to not sit right against the pan. So, one part of the steak may be sitting on the pan and getting cooked correctly, but another part maybe not because that part is still attached to the bone.
Conclusion
Both the t-bone and porterhouse steak has the infamous “T bone” in the middle of the steak. At first look, they may look almost identical but they are not.
The porterhouse is the bigger steak because it has a full filet mignon. The t-bone only has a partial filet mignon. This is why the porterhouse is called the king of steaks because it has a New York strip and a full filet mignon.
A porterhouse can be big enough for two people to eat. And, when you cook it in a pan just be careful of the bone that can get in the way of making the steak cook evenly.
Check out my post about what a Denver steak is here.