What’s the best way to cook a T-bone steak?

The T-bone steak is a high-quality cut of beef known for its meaty flavour and tenderness. Its premium price at steakhouses and upscale restaurants reflects its position on the animal, coming from the area along the spine with the least used muscles. The T-bone steak is closely associated with the popular porterhouse steak due to both having been cut from the short loin area, but the T-bone is generally slightly smaller in size than the prized porterhouse. It does still have the same desirable qualities, though, with a strip of the top loin on one side of the bone and an extra-lean and beautifully soft tenderloin fillet on the other side. The T-bone boasts moderate marbling and is a classic steak lovers’ steak, perfect for a special occasion.

The T-bone steak is great for grilling on the barbecue on a summer’s day, with most restaurants preferring to cook this cut of beef over open flames for a brown, crusty surface and a nice pink or red interior. However, it tastes just as delicious cooked in the kitchen using a griddle or in a frying pan, which is likely a more familiar method of cooking for first-timers. In this recipe, the connoisseurs of steak at The Dorset Meat Company explain how to do just that, with guidance on how to get the most flavour and tenderness out of your T-bone steak.

The T-bone has generous bits of fat to keep it moist while the tenderloin fillet adds tenderness and plenty of flavour. The intact bone provides a useful handle to easily grab hold of the steak and flip it without puncturing the meat, effectively locking in all the juices. For this reason, you don’t need to go overboard with adornments and need only add a drop of olive oil and a little seasoning. This popular steak is cooked hot and fast in a griddle or heavy based frying pan and is best served medium-rare, with a golden outer crust and pink and juicy centre.

1. Remove your T-Bone steaks from the packaging, make sure you pat them dry and leave them out until brought to room temperature.
2. Preheat your pan or griddle at a high heat for around 10 minutes.
3. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
4. Add a drop of olive oil to the pan. When it begins to smoke, add the steaks. For best results, position the fillet farthest from the heat, as this is the fastest cooking part of a T-bone steak.
5. To prevent the cooking base from becoming overcrowded, avoid cooking more than two steaks in one pan.
6. Start with a quick sear, turning each steak until they form a crisp golden outer crust. If the meat is burning rather than browning, take the pan away from the heat and allow to cool slightly before you resume cooking.
7. Cook on each side for 5-6 minutes for medium rare. The steaks will become firmer as they cook, so you can determine how well done they are by gently pressing on each one with your thumb. For a medium rare steak, it should feel tender, but with a little resistance.
8. Set aside to rest in a warm place for at least 5 minutes.
9. Cut each steak from the bone and carve the meat into strips across the grain.
10. Serve with your preferred sides. We love onion rings and salad for a classic American take on the dish, or creamy sautéed mushrooms for an extra special dinner.

Now if that’s not a mouth-watering prospect, we don’t know what is.