T-Bone, Club, and Porterhouse

T-Bone steaks, Club steaks, and Porterhouse steaks are the same. T-Bone Steak must be at least 0.25" thick. Any smaller, it would be called a Club Steak. The filet portion of a Porterhouse must be at least 1.25" thick at its widest point.

A center T-shaped bone divides two sides of the steak. On one side is a tenderloin Filet and the other is a top loin, better known as the New York Strip Steak. If you cut the bone out, you get a Filet and a New York Strip. If you leave one side on the bone, you get either a bone-in Filet or a bone-in New York Strip.

So, all T-bones contain a filet and a New York Strip and all Porterhouses are T-bones, but not all T-bones are Porterhouses.


Incidentally, Ribeye and Rib Steak are the same. The Ribeye is boneless and the Rib Steak includes the rib bone, and is often called a Bone-In Rib Eye Steak. In Australia, when the bone is removed, it is often called a "Scotch Filet". Other names include: Beauty Steak, Market Steak, Delmonico Steak, and Spencer Steak.

Steak Myths Debunked

Searing steaks lock in juices.
False - First, it helps give you a nice crunchy and flavorful snap when you take a bite. And secondly, you can get a prettier color on the outside, but it does not lock in juices.

Salting steak before cooking will draw out the moisture and leave you with a tough cut of meat.
Yes and no - It is true, if you are going to salt-pack a steak for an extended period of time, the salt will draw out the moisture. If you prepare a steak for grilling by adding sea salt and crushed pepper on the exterior just before placing it over the flame, there is not enough time for the salt to draw out moisture and you get a seasoned, great-tasting cut of meat.

Only flip your steak once.
False - If you flip your steak more than once you are not ruining it. It is simply a matter of personal preference. The effect on steak's taste is negligible. If you are regularly flipping your steak, chances are you keep the grill hood open, which means you are letting out heat. This will affect cook time, but if you make an adjustment for the lower temperature by extending time, it will be fine. Some people prefer to flip their steaks often because it helps prevent curling.

Sizzling steaks hot of the grill taste best.
False - Setting your steak out on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking it is a misconception, but resting your steak after cooking is not. Resting your steak for five minutes after coming off the grill will make it juicier. When a steak comes hot off the grill the exterior is very hot, and because of the temperature, there is little moisture on the surface. The center of the steak is considerably cooler and still has moisture. As a steak rests, the muscle fibers loosen and the juices will spread more evenly across the steak and not so much on your plate.

Cooking Steak Myths

Myth Searing steaks lock in juices. - First, it helps give you a nice crunchy and flavorful snap when you take a bite and you can get a prettier color on the outside. However, it does not lock in juices.

Myth Salting your steak before cooking will draw out the moisture and leave you with a tough cut of meat. - Yes and no. It is true, if you are going to salt-pack a steak for an extended period of time, the salt will most definitely draw out the moisture. The way to prepare a steak for grilling is to pat a nice solid coat of sea salt and crushed pepper on the exterior right before placing it over the heat. There is not enough time for the salt to draw out any moisture and you are left with a well-seasoned, great-tasting cut of meat.

Myth Only flip your steak once.- If you flip your steak more than once you are not ruining it. This is simply a matter of personal preference. The effect on your steak's taste is negligible. It is more about how you prefer to grill, and where you are most comfortable. If you are regularly flipping your steak, chances are you have the hood open, which means you are letting out heat. This will affect the timeliness of your cook, but if you make an adjustment for the lower temperature by extending time, it will be fine. Some people prefer to flip their steaks often, because it helps prevent curling.

Myth Sizzling steaks hot of the grill taste best. - While setting your steak out on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking it is a misconception, resting your steak after cooking is not. You should not go straight from grill grate to plate. Resting your steak for five minutes after coming off the grill will make it juicier and more flavorful. Basically, there is much science that goes into this. When a steak comes hot off the grill the exterior is very hot, and there is little moisture. The center of the steak is considerably cooler and still has moisture. As a steak rests, the muscle fibers loosen and the juices will spread more evenly across the steak.

Salt and Grilling

Spring means time to clean the barbecue and get ready to grill. Salting meat after it is cooked helps the flavor, but salt draws moisture out of the surface of the meat. If salt is left on the surface of meat for a significant period of time, it will dehydrate the meat. Usually, this is not a good idea before cooking meat.

However, if the meat is going to be cooked quickly (like a grilled steak) and if the salt is added just before cooking, then the salt will neither help nor hurt the meat. This is because it is too short a period of time for the salt to dehydrate the surface of the meat.

Sausage vs. Steak

A recent study suggests that eating processed meat such as sausages increases the likelihood of heart disease, while red meat does not seem to be as harmful.

A Harvard University team which looked at studies involving over one million people found just 50g of processed meat a day also raised the risk of diabetes, but there was no such risk from eating even twice as much meat, such as beef, lamb, or pork, even though the two forms of meat have a similar fat content.

The researchers speculated that given the similar quantities of cholesterol and saturated fats, the difference may be explained by the salt and preservatives added to processed meats. This is defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting and includes bacon, sausages, salami and other luncheon meats.

The team from Harvard School of Public Health looked at 20 studies involving more than one million participants from 10 countries. On average, each equivalent of a sausage or a couple of rashers of bacon was associated with a 42% higher chance of developing coronary heart disease and a 19% higher risk of diabetes.
   
Go for lean cuts and aim to cook from scratch using healthier cooking methods like grilling or baking.

"Although cause-and-effect cannot be proven by these types of long-term observational studies, all of these studies adjusted for other risk factors," said Renata Micha, lead author. I love the disclaimer - the results of these studies can't be proven. Hmmm. Maybe I will put a bit less salt on my bacon and sausage, just in case. . .