T-Bone Steak

Everyone loves a T-bone steak. It looks impressive—they did make it the steak emoji, after all!—and is full of beefy flavor. It cooks to tender perfection, whether seared in a pan on the stovetop or cooked over hot coals on the grill. This simple T-bone steak recipe enhances the meat with a quick marinade, then gives it a hot sizzle over fire and a final flourish of rich garlic-herb butter. It’s the one to grab when planning a backyard barbecue or steakhouse meal at home, complete with garlic mashed potatoes and easy popovers.

What is a T-bone steak?

Aptly named for the shape of the bone that runs across the top and through the middle of the steak, a T-bone is a unique type of steak. Cut from the short loin, a T-bone features two steaks separated by the bone: a strip steak and a tenderloin. Both parts of a T-bone have a deep, beefy flavor, with the strip having more marbling and the tenderloin staying more tender.

Because the steak features two cuts of beef, it can cook unevenly. Thankfully, there’s a way to use the grill’s natural hot spots to your benefit. Some grilling tips include placing the larger strip steak side of the T-bone over a hotter section than the tenderloin side, and then flipping and moving the steak as needed.

Ingredients for Grilled T-Bone Steak

• Herb butter: Topping a steak with flavored butter is a total pro move, but is easy enough to do at home. This version combines soft butter, fresh parsley, garlic and Italian seasoning to make a savory, herbal blend that adds contrast to the grilled steak.
• Olive oil: Olive oil helps the seasonings cling to the meat while lightly coating the exterior. If you need to season your grill grates, choose a different oil: one with a high smoke point, like vegetable, peanut or avocado oil.
• Salt and pepper: Letting the salt and pepper mix with the oil helps evenly distribute the seasonings on the steaks.
• Garlic powder: Garlic powder is an essential spice to keep on hand to add potent garlic flavor to various recipes. It works well here because it can withstand the grill’s high, direct heat without burning like fresh garlic would.
• T-bone steaks: Look for thick steaks, about 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick, with visible marbling, so you have time to char the exterior well without overcooking the meat.

Directions

Step 1: Make the herb butter

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In a bowl, combine the soft butter, minced parsley, minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate the herb butter until serving.

Editor’s Tip: Make the flavored butter a day ahead, shape it into a log, wrap it in parchment or wax paper, and refrigerate it. When the steaks are ready, unwrap and slice the butter to place on them.

Step 2: Marinate the steaks

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In a shallow dish, combine the oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

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Add the steaks, turning to coat them in the oil mixture. Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning once.

Editor’s Tip: The olive oil helps the seasoning adhere to the steaks and keep them from sticking to the grill grate. If you oil your grill grate first, skip the oil on the steaks and simply season them.

Step 3: Grill the steaks

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Grill the steaks over medium-high heat, covered, until the meat reaches the desired doneness, four to six minutes on each side. For medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°F, medium should read 140°, and medium-well should read 145°.

Editor’s Tip: Since a T-bone is made up of two different steak cuts, take the temperature of the meat from both sides since they cook at slightly different rates.

Step 4: Top the steaks with herb butter

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Remove the steaks from the grill and top each one with 1 tablespoon of herb butter. Let the steaks stand for five minutes before serving them.

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T-Bone Steak Variations

• Beef up the beef: Try a porterhouse steak instead of a T-bone for an extra hearty meal. Though it’s a similar cut, a porterhouse steak is bigger and thicker, so you’ll need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• Make a different butter: If you crave something bolder, make cowboy butter instead of herb butter for extra tang and a little spice. Or try other flavored butters, which can range from sweet to savory.
• Add some smoke: In a few easy steps, turn your grill into a smoker and infuse the T-bone steaks with barbecue vibes. Cook the steaks over indirect heat until they’re a few degrees below your desired doneness, and then quickly sear the steaks on the hot, direct-heat side of the grill to crisp the outside.
• Switch the seasoning: Try a different steak seasoning blend on the T-bone before grilling. Anything goes, from chiles to soy sauce.

How to Store T-Bone Steak

If you’re not cooking the T-bone steak the day you buy it, remove it from the supermarket packaging and wrap it well in storage wrap or butcher paper to keep the meat from oxidizing and turning brown. Once cooked, you can store a T-bone steak whole or carve the meat off the bone first. Store it in an airtight container or zip-top bag (it may be easier to fit whole steaks in a bag), or wrap it in storage wrap and foil to keep the meat from drying out.

How long does T-bone steak last?

Uncooked red meat lasts for up to five days in the refrigerator, and cooked meat lasts up to four days. You can also freeze the steaks for up to six months for cooked meat and 12 months for uncooked. When freezing steaks, everything needs to be well-wrapped for best results to prevent freezer burn.

How do you reheat T-bone steak?

When cooking a pricier cut of meat like a T-bone, it’s natural to worry about how to reheat steak so it doesn’t overcook and become dry and tough. For a whole steak, the best way is to reheat it in a low oven on a rack set over a baking sheet until it’s warmed through, using a thermometer to determine when it’s ready. For smaller pieces or slices of leftover steak, quickly warm them with a splash of broth or water in the microwave or a skillet.

T-Bone Steak Tips

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How else can you cook a T-bone steak?

If you don’t have a grill, you can still make an excellent steak in several ways. A heavy cast-iron skillet allows for deep browning on the steak’s exterior, though you may have to cook the steaks one at a time, like in this cast-iron skillet steak recipe. If using a thinner skillet that doesn’t hold heat as well as cast iron, brown the steaks quickly on the stovetop and then transfer them to the oven to finish cooking, like in this baked steak recipe. Lastly, a stovetop grill is an excellent replacement for an outdoor grill and cooks in a similar amount of time.

What does it mean to slice a steak against the grain?

Every cut of meat has a natural grain, which refers to the direction of the meat’s muscle fibers. When you cut a steak the right way—that is, across the grain—the meat is tender and easy to chew because the fibers have been cut into shorter pieces. Sometimes, the fibers can be easy to see, like in a flank or skirt steak. But the more tender the meat, the finer the fibers. If you start slicing and realize you are cutting with the grain, it’s not a problem. Just rotate the steak and start slicing again.

What can you serve with grilled T-bone steak?

The good news is that grilled T-bone steak pairs well with just about anything, so the options are never-ending. Take advantage of the hot grill and make grilled corn on the cob, grilled potatoes or a grilled vegetable platter. For something more classic, channel steak frites and serve a heap of crispy French fries on the side. To add some green to the table, quick creamed spinach or a salad with your favorite salad dressing rounds out the meal.

What else can you do with T-bone steak leftovers?

Leftover steak can be sliced cold and served over a salad or layered in a sandwich, or you can repurpose it a little more creatively and use it in a steak hash or roll it into a steak burrito. Don’t forget to save the leftover bones to make homemade beef stock or bone broth. Stash the bones in a freezer-safe storage bag until you have enough to make a batch.