When I was at Carolina, there was a small diner just outside Chapel Hill, in Carrboro, I believe. I can’t remember the name of the greasy spoon but I remember they had a T-Bone Steak Dinner as a special on Wednesday’s for $2.25. My suite-mates and I often shared a cab ride to the restaurant and ordered the steak dinner which came with a crispy salad and a piece of grilled Texas Toast. The steak was cut thinly enough that you could almost read a newspaper through it, but it was delicious – well worth two-bucks and a quarter.
T-Bones are my favorite steak cuts, particularly thinly sliced T-Bones. I like them that way because (1) they are not as fattening (less calories in a smaller steak), (2) they cook super quickly and (3) are packed full of flavor.
The T-bone and porterhouse are the of beef cut from the beef short loin. Both steaks include a “T”-shaped lumbar vertebra with sections of abdominal internal oblique muscle on each side. Porterhouse steaks are cut from the rear end of the short loin and thus include more tenderloin steak, along with a large strip steak.
There is not much to cooking a T-bone. Lots and lots of salt makes it happen – coarse Kosher salt. I also sprinkle on a bit of fresh ground pepper and also a little Omaha Steak rub, that comes with each box of Omaha Steaks. It is far and away the best steak rub on the market – makes it almost worthwhile to buy their meats – just for their rub.
I also like it that you can cook these thinly cut T-bones in literally 2 minutes. Get the grill piping hot, toss on the steaks, flip them once and you’re in business.
Occasionally you can run into a nice sale on a family pack of thinly cut rib-eyes. If you see any, take advantage!
T-Bone Steaks
2 thinly cut T-bones
Kosher Salt
Coarse black pepper
A bit of steak rub (Omaha Steak Rub) if you can find it)