<P> The origin of the term "porterhouse" is contentious, with several cities and establishments claiming to have coined it . The Oxford English Dictionary traces the etymology from proprietor Martin Morrison serving large T - bones in his Pearl Street (Manhattan) "Porter House" around 1814, while noting the lack of contemporary evidence to support the tale . This origin story gained traction in the late 19th century, but others contend a Cambridge, Massachusetts hotel and restaurant proprietor named Zachariah B. Porter lent his name to the cut of beef, and others claim the steak takes its name from various 19th Century U.S. hotels or restaurants called Porter House, such as the Porter House Hotel in Flowery Branch, Georgia . </P> <P> To cut a T - bone from butchered cattle, a lumbar vertebra is sawn in half through the vertebral column . The downward prong of the' T' is a transverse process of the vertebra, and the flesh surrounding it is the spinal muscles . The small semicircle at the top of the' T' is half of the vertebral foramen . </P> <P> T - bone and porterhouse steaks are suited to fast, dry heat cooking methods, such as grilling or broiling . Since they contain a small amount of collagen relative to other cuts, longer cooking times are not necessary to tenderize the meat . The bone also conducts heat within the meat so that it cooks more evenly and prevents meat drying out and shrinking during cooking . The meat near the bone will cook more slowly than the rest of the steak, and the tenderloin will tend to reach the desired temperature before the strip . </P> <P> Bistecca alla fiorentina, or' beefsteak Florentine style', consists of a T - bone traditionally sourced from either the Chianina or Maremmana breeds of cattle . A favorite of Tuscan cuisine, the steak is grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, seasoned with salt, sometimes with black pepper, and olive oil, applied immediately after the meat is retired from the heat . Thickly cut and very large, "Bistecca" are often shared between two or more persons, and traditionally served very rare, sometimes garnished with lemon wedges, if not accompanied by red wine, and accompanied by Tuscan beans as a side dish . </P>

What cuts of meat is a porterhouse steak