Steven Raichlen’s T-Bone Steak: Grilled Perfection on a Plate

Steve Raichlen’s T-Bone Steak is one of our all-time favorite go-to recipes when we want to make a special steak dinner. The steak comes off the grill juicy, delicious, and flavorful with an onion butter sauce that caps it off.

Serves: 2 Time: 20 minutes Cookbook: Project Fire

When it comes to grilling, Steven Raichlen is an undisputed master of cooking with fire. His grilling and BBQ recipes are masterpieces, and Steven Raichlen’s T-bone steak recipe is no exception. This steak recipe is perfect whether you’re new to grilling or you’re a seasoned backyard grill master looking to hone your skill.

The result of this recipe is a juicy steak cooked over high heat with a beautiful restaurant-quality crust on the outside and tender perfection on the inside. The payout will be so rewarding you might just decide to become the new go-to grill master for your friends and family.

Pro Tip: Want to make this a multi-course meal? Steak goes great with Jacques Pepin’s Blue Cheese Salad!

Jump Ahead:

• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥩 Ingredients Needed to Make Steve Raichlen’s T-Bone Steak
• 🍴 Equipment You’ll Need in the Kitchen
• 🥄 How to Make Steve Raichlen’s T-Bone Steak
• ❓ Steven Raichlen’s T-Bone Steak Tips, Tricks, and FAQs
• ♨️ A Note on Steaks and Grills

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Straightforward: Even if you’ve never grilled steak before, you can turn out a perfectly juicy steak for family or friends following this recipe.

Scalable: If you can grill one steak you can grill four. You’re only limited by the amount of time you have or the space on your grill.

Simple: The recipe is simple yet perfect when planning a special dinner for guests, friends, and family. The steak will be juicy and flavorful and the onion butter sauce puts it over the top.

Ingredients Needed to Make Steven Raichlen’s T-Bone Steak

To make Steven Raichlen’s T-bone steak, you’ll need steak and several basic ingredients that you probably already have in the kitchen.

• T-Bone Steak: A T-bone steak is one of the best meals you can make. Done right, the steak is juicy, tender, and flavor-packed. There are different types of steaks you can purchase from the grocery store, and we’d recommend USDA Prime or better.
• Butter: You want butter, not margarine for this. Butter provides a rich, deep flavor that maximizes the flavor of the onions for the onion-butter sauce that gets poured over the steak.
• Green Onions: Also called scallions, green onions are the perfect compliment to this steak recipe. Choose out green onions that are healthy and firm, all the way to the tip of the green stalk.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher salt or sea salt, not table salt, should be used here. The larger grain salt imparts the right amount of flavor and prevents you from oversalting the steak.
• Pepper: Fresh ground pepper is best, but if you have pre-ground pepper in a shaker bottle, that’s okay too in a pinch.
• Vegetable Oil: You need to oil the grill grate to prevent the steak from sticking. You can use any vegetable oil for this step.

Equipment You’ll Need In the Kitchen

Weber Grill

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Cast Iron Skillet (Small)

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Wire Rack

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Rimmed Sheet Pan

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BBQ Tongs

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Instant Read Thermometer

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• Grill: We use a Weber for all of our grilling and smoking needs. This is a small but mighty powerhouse when it comes to all the things you can do with it.
• Small Cast Iron Skillet (6-8 inch): You need something that can withstand extremely high temperatures since you’ll be placing this directly on the grill. A small cast iron skillet is perfect for this purpose.
• Wire Rack: The steak needs to rest and cool. Placing it on a wire rack keeps the juices from pooling underneath and creating soggy meat. This wire rack nests in your backing sheet and be used for a wide variety of items from resting meat to cooling cookies and other baked goods. We love ours.
• Rimmed Sheet Pan: When you pull the steak off the grill and rest it on the wire rack, you’ll have a small bit of drippage. By placing a rimmed sheet pan underneath the wire rack, you’ll prevent drips from getting anywhere they shouldn’t.
• BBQ Tongs: While you can certainly use other kitchen tongs, BBQ tongs are purposely longer than regular tongs. This prevents you from getting too close to the heat while pulling meat off the grill.
• Instant Read Thermometer: An instant-read thermometer is used to check the doneness of the steak once you pull it off. If it’s not quite cooked to your preferred temperature, you can always put it back on the grill to cook a little longer.

How to Make Steven Raichlen’s T-Bone Steak

Get ready to fire up the grill, have some fun, and enjoy a juicy, perfectly-cooked T-bone steak.

Prep the grill

It’s time to fire up your grill to medium-high heat for direct cooking.

Prepping a charcoal grill

If you have a charcoal grill, start by getting your charcoal nice and hot. Use a charcoal chimney to easily light the coals and let them catch fire. When ready, remove the grill grate and place coals on one half of the grill. Place grill grate and lid back on, and give your grill a few minutes to preheat.

When it gets hot, clean the grill grates with a metal brush or scrape tool, then oil the grate so the steak won’t stick. 

If you want your steak to have a smoky element, throw some wood chips on the coals prior to cooking.

Prepping a gas grill

If you have a gas grill, open the propane tank’s valve, turn the fire dial to medium-high, and either hit the spark button or use a grill lighter. You only need to heat one side of the grill.

When hot, clean the grill grates with a metal brush or scrape tool, then oil the grate so the steak won’t stick. 

Prepping your stovetop

If you plan to cook this T-bone steak on a stovetop, then pre-heat your cast iron skillet or carbon steel fry pan on medium-high heat.

Season the steak

Pat the steak dry with paper towels and liberally sprinkle salt and pepper onto both sides of the steak. This is all the seasoning we’ll use today, but you can definitely get fancy by incorporating a unique seasoning, spice, or rub if you’d like.

Grill the steak

Place your steak on the grill directly over the heat source.

If you want professional grill marks on your steak, position the steak on the grill grates at a slight diagonal angle. Grill the steak for 2 minutes, then turn it so it’s resting diagonally in the opposite direction and grill for an additional 2 minutes. Flip the steak over and repeat the technique. If you want your steak rare, reduce the time to 1 ½ minutes for the grill marks.

Medium rare is considered the perfect level of doneness by most chefs. If you’re unsure of what you like, shoot for medium-rare. You can always cook it up a little more if you discover that you’d like less pink on the inside.

Cooking time

If you like your steak…

Rare: 3 minutes per side; internal temp 120-125°F.

Medium-Rare: 4 minutes per side; internal temp 130-135°F.

Medium: 5 minutes per side; internal temp 140-145°F.

Well Done: 6-7 minutes per side; internal temp 160°F.

Check for doneness

The easiest way to check a steak’s doneness is by using an instant-read thermometer. To get an accurate temperature read-out, place the probe into the middle of the New York strip side. 

Once the steak has reached the preferred internal temperature, place it on a wire rack with a sheet pan underneath to catch juices and drippings. This step allows the steak to rest, keep more of its juices inside, and prevent the bottom from getting soggy.

Let the steak rest for five minutes.

Prepare green onion butter

While the steak rests, place a small cast iron pan directly on the grill. Add butter and allow it to melt. Chop 3-4 green onions. Once the butter is melted and is slightly brown, add the chopped green onions and cook for 2 minutes. If you don’t have a grill-safe pan, complete this step on your stovetop, instead. Once finished, remove from heat.

Plate the steak and serve

Place the steak onto a plate, and pour the hot butter and onion mixture over top. It will sizzle beautifully and add a delicious layer of rich flavor.

Steven Raichlen’s T-Bone Steak Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

A Note on Types of Steak

If you’ve never purchased steak before, you might be tempted to think a steak is a steak. However, depending on where you shop, you could be presented with around six options: USDA Choice, USDA Prime, grass-fed, dry-aged, American Wagyu, and Japanese Wagyu.

Whether you have all types at your disposal or only one, you’re still just minutes away from cooking some of the best steaks around. Just choose one of the options below that fits your budget and your needs.

USDA Choice

USDA Choice is high-quality beef that has less marbling than its more expensive cousin, USDA Prime. Choice beef is what most grocery stores have on their shelves. Choice steaks are a good option if you want a quality product that is lighter on the wallet.

USDA Prime

Prime beef has more fat or “marbling” in the meat and is sourced from younger beef cattle than Choice. The marbling makes steak more tender and contributes to a better flavor. USDA Prime is the standard in high-end restaurants and will cost more than USDA Choice in grocery stores.

Grass-fed

Grass-fed beef comes from cows that eat grass their entire lives. These steaks typically cost as much or more than USDA Prime and are considered the healthiest option. Since these cows are fed grass instead of grains like their commercially raised counterparts, there is less fat in the meat and more vitamins and antioxidants.

Dry-aged

These high-quality steaks are aged in an environment where temperature and moisture can be controlled. During the aging process, the steak’s flavor is concentrated and the meat becomes more tender than non-aged meat. Dry aging typically takes around 30 days and it is well worth the wait.

American Wagyu

Black Angus bulls are cross-bred with full-blooded Japanese Wagyu heifers to get American Wagyu beef. This results in beef with the full flavor of American cattle and the intense marbling of Japanese Wagyu. You can find these steaks online and at specialty butcher shops. American Wagyu is some of the priciest steak around, but if you want to splurge, this is a reason to do it.

Japanese Wagyu

Japanese Wagyu comes from full-blooded Japanese Wagyu cattle. These cattle are treated like royalty and everything they eat and do is carefully monitored. The result is beef that is tender and loaded with marbling which results in phenomenal flavor. Japanese Wagyu is the most expensive steak there is, but if expense is no issue, you’ll be glad you took the plunge.

Types of Grills

Gas and charcoal grills are both ideal for grilling steaks. Either option will produce a juicy, cooked-to-perfection steak that leaves you wanting more.

Electric grills that you plug into a kitchen outlet aren’t recommended for this recipe. Most electric grills are too small to cook the steak through, and none will produce that classic smoky, wood-fired taste that grills are known for.

If you don’t own a grill, but still want a homemade steak, pull out a cast iron skillet or carbon steel fry pan and cook your steak on the stovetop. With high enough heat, you’ll still achieve a nice sear on your perfectly-done steak.

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Even More Meat

Here are more great meat-forward recipes to try from friends in the food blogging world!

Skill Level: Beginner

• Enjoy smoked sausage in air fryer.
• Make a crock pot chuck roast.

Skill Level: Intermediate

• Try your hand at smoking venison kabobs.
• Learn how to cook carne asada on the grill.
• Learn new skills to create smoked beef tenderloin.
• Make a perfect rack of pork.

Pro tip: If you’re looking for a scrumptious side, make a bowl of Sundried Tomato Burrata Pasta to go with your meal!