A T-bone steak is a large, thick cut from the short loin of beef, containing a T-shaped lumbar vertebra bone with tenderloin on one side and strip steak (sirloin) on the other. It is essentially two steaks in one: the small, meltingly tender fillet and the firmer, beefier strip, divided by the bone that also adds flavour during cooking. Because it combines the two most prized loin muscles, it is a steakhouse showpiece, usually cut thick and grilled or broiled to serve one hungry diner or two moderate ones. The bone slows cooking near its edges, so even doneness needs care. Like all beef on the bone, it must come from cattle meeting BSE-related age controls.