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[pmillen]

I'm glad to see this 'problem' highlighted.  The exact same issue occurs with Porterhouse steaks since the loin side of a Porterhouse is simply the striploin discussed above. 
As you proceed toward the rear of the steer, the 'filet portion' of a Porterhouse steak becomes larger which makes some people think that is a more desirable Porterhouse steak than the ones with a smaller filet portion.  Not so!!  Even though you do get a larger filet portion, the quality of the striploin muscle degrades toward the rear due to the embedded gristle mentioned above. So there's a trade off between getting a larger filet portion and a degraded strip loin portion.  Best Porterhouse steaks are more 'center cut' with a somewhat smaller than maximum size filet portion (but still larger filet portion than the T-bone filet portion).  Always examine the quality of the strip loin side of a Porterhouse steak and look out for that unwanted embedded line of gristle before deciding to buy it.

Yep.

Meat cut definitions have changed.  Forty years ago, my father, the butcher, would have insisted that only two Porterhouse steaks can be cut from a side of beef.  He preached that the remaining steaks cut from the short loin are T-Bones, no matter how thick they’re cut.  Today’s butchers rename a T-Bone to Porterhouse if it’s more than 1¼” thick.

Irrespective of the naming convention, when steaks are cut from the short loin, from front to back, the likelihood of including tough connective tissue in the Striploin increases as the steaks approach the rear.  The University of Nebraska has been studying the genetic makeup of Angus and Angus/Piedmontese cross breeds in an effort to reduce the included connective tissue.

[MustangBob]

Meat cut definitions have changed.  Forty years ago, my father, the butcher, would have insisted that only two Porterhouse steaks can be cut from a side of beef.  He preached that the remaining steaks cut from the short loin are T-Bones, no matter how thick they’re cut.  Today’s butchers rename a T-Bone to Porterhouse if it’s more than 1¼” thick.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the USDA naming difference between a T-Bone and a Porterhouse is based on the "width" of the filet portion --- not the thickness of the steak.

Definition: "According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, combo steaks cut from the short loin that contain a tenderloin section that is at least 1.25 inches across at its widest point qualifies the steak as a Porterhouse. A filet portion with a 'maximum width' between 1.24 inches and 0.51 inches makes the steak a T-bone instead.  A filet portion less than 0.5 inches at it's widest point is simply a bone-in strip steak."

If you really want to impress your butcher, order the steaks by their IMPS (Institutional Meat Purchase Specification) numbers: 1174 is a T-bone; 1173 is a porterhouse. Then there should be no mistake.

[pmillen]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the USDA naming difference between a T-Bone and a Porterhouse is based on the "width" of the filet portion --- not the thickness of the steak.

Definition: "According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, combo steaks cut from the short loin that contain a tenderloin section that is at least 1.25 inches across at its widest point qualifies the steak as a Porterhouse. A filet portion with a 'maximum width' between 1.24 inches and 0.51 inches makes the steak a T-bone instead.  A filet portion less than 0.5 inches at it's widest point is simply a bone-in strip steak."

   No, you aren't wrong.  I remembered the 1¼”.  I just forgot what was being measured.  Thanks for straightening me out.

[Bentley]

That one on the left looks like it would be real close to 1.25 inchs (that would not be a Porterhouse to me), it is the steak the waiter would bring to me when I order the Porterhouse, but then he would bring out the steak on the right and give it to guy at the next table, who also ordered the Porterhouse...That is how it goes for me!

[jdmessner]

That one on the left looks like it would be real close to 1.25 inchs (that would not be a Porterhouse to me), it is the steak the waiter would bring to me when I order the Porterhouse, but then he would bring out the steak on the right and give it to guy at the next table, who also ordered the Porterhouse...That is how it goes for me!

Could be worse, I got mashed potatoes, aint got no T-Bone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA6UM0ZM6r4

[pmillen]

I think that the definitions could be better written.


Text from pages 67 & 68 of the USDA specifications.


Image found online.