On June 16, Oregon lawmakers officially named the T-bone steak as the state’s official steak.
The new designation adds to Oregon’s list of state symbols, joining potatoes (named the official vegetable in 2023) and Jory soil (designated in 2011 as the state soil).
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Other state symbols include the Dungeness crab, pear, hazelnut, Oregon grape, Douglas-fir, Chinook salmon, and the beaver.
The Oregon House approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 13 in a near-unanimous vote on June 16. Only Reps. Jami Cate (R-Lebanon) and Thuy Tran (D-Portland) opposed it.
According to the resolution, cattle have been raised in Oregon since 1824 and ranked as the second-leading agricultural commodity in 2022. Every county in the state has cattle operations.
Rep. Mark Owens (R-Crane), a Harney County farmer, presented SCR 13. Sporting a shirt covered in T-bone steak images, Owens said the resolution celebrated more than a cut of beef—it honored Oregon’s agricultural heritage. Rep. Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham) wore a T-bone-themed T-shirt to show his support.
Ruiz joked that his story of eating two T-bone steaks during a visit to Eastern Oregon might “beef up” support for the resolution.
Rep. Bobby Levy (R-Echo), one of the bill’s sponsors, said despite the playful tone, the resolution carries real meaning.
“We’re doing more than naming a cut of beef,” Levy said. “We’re honoring the people behind the plate.”
The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and Oregon Cattlewomen unanimously backed the resolution, according to testimony from Diana Wirth, the association’s president-elect, at a public hearing on Feb. 24.
