Porterhouse vs. T-Bone Steak: What’s the Difference?

What exactly is the difference between a porterhouse and a T-bone steak? And are they interchangable? We consulted the experts to find out.

A classic grilling steak, this cut is named for the T-shaped bone that runs through the meat.

This bone separates two muscles, the flavorful strip (or shell) on the left above and the buttery tenderloin on the right. The texture is tender-chewy on the larger strip side, with a noticeable grain.

Some see this steak as creating a best-of-both-worlds steak dinner in terms of flavor and texture.

Sometimes called a “king steak,” a porterhouse is really just a huge T-bone steak—often large enough to serve two people.

Because of its size (it’s normally cut thicker than the T-bone), you’ll often see it served sliced up for portioning purposes. The T-bone is cut from the front of the short loin, which captures the tapered part of the tenderloin; the tenderloin portion of the porterhouse is larger than it is on the T-bone, because the porterhouse is cut farther back.

This larger tenderloin portion gives the porterhouse a higher price tag. In fact, there are rules to this prized cut: The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires a steak’s tenderloin portion to measure 1¼ inches or greater from bone to edge for it to be classified “porterhouse.”

The main difference between porterhouse and T-bone steaks is that they come from different ends of the short loin of a cow.

Both the porterhouse and T-bone come from the short loin, running from the last rib through the midsection and into the hip area. A T-shaped bone cuts through the short loin: One side contains the tenderloin, the other the larger shell muscle, otherwise known as the strip steak.

Arielle Hofherr of Hofherr Meat Co. in Northfield, Illinois, says the separating point between porterhouse and T-bone steaks comes halfway through the short loin.

As the short loin goes from the front of the animal to the back, the tenderloin gets larger. This back part is the porterhouse, which essentially means a larger piece of the tenderloin.

(Fact: The Kansas City Strip comes from the very end of the short loin, where the T-shaped bone tapers to a corner.)

Because a porterhouse includes more of the tenderloin, it costs more than a T-bone. (At Hofherr, the porterhouse price tag is $2 more per pound.) But when it comes to shopping for porterhouse, bigger isn’t always better. Bigger—and more expensive—porterhouses may also be streaked with chewy connective tissue and rubbery fat. Here’s why (and how to avoid it).

In terms of flavor, porterhouse and T-bone steaks will taste the same: milder in their beefiness than, say, a ribeye. But they both make up for it in texture—since these muscles get little exercise, they cook up very tender. Our test cooks say porterhouse and T-bone steaks are two-for-the-price-of-one: the best of all worlds for both taste and texture.

As a result of their similarity, they can be substituted for one another. Just pay attention to their respective thicknesses and how that may impact cook-time.

The difficulty comes in cooking these cuts evenly. Since the lean tenderloin part cooks more quickly than the more-marbled strip section, our suggestion (if you’re cooking on a grill) is to position the meat so that the tenderloin faces the cooler side of the grill. This allows the delicate tenderloin to cook at a slightly slower rate and stay tender and juicy.

Watch our step-by-step video instruction below to see how to cook a porterhouse or T-bone steak on the grill.

1. Cut along bone to remove strip section.

2. Turn steak around and cut tenderloin section off bone.

3. Cut each piece crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices.