Tomahawk Steak Recipe

The mighty Tomahawk steak! That is THE steak to convey out once you need to impress. However you’ll be able to’t cook dinner it like common steak – it’s too large! One of the best ways to cook dinner a tomahawk steak is utilizing the reverse-sear technique. Protected, easy and extremely efficient that yields juicier meat and a greater crust, it’s a complete recreation changer!

With its large bone and spectacular dimension, the mighty Tomahawk Steak calls for consideration! The truth is, it’s only a rib-eye (scotch fillet) with an extra-long bone – some say you’re paying for weight you’ll be able to’t eat.

However nobody can deny the wow issue! Folks ooh and aah whereas it cooks (in contrast to chicken breast 😅), then swoon at first chew. Tomahawk isn’t all present! Rib-eye is steak royalty – juicy, with simply the fitting about of fats marbling, full of beefy flavour.

It’s a premium minimize so that you pay severe $ for it at steakhouses – assume, $200+. So get one your self and cook dinner it at house as an alternative!

JB and I researched and tried quite a few strategies, and one of the best was a simple standout: the reverse sear technique beginning within the oven and completed on the BBQ, a method made well-known by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt when he first wrote about it in 2007 for Prepare dinner’s Illustrated. See the FAQ on the backside of the put up for extra chatter and background on testing.

Now – let’s get cooking!

Right here’s an up-close-and-personal of the tomahawk steak contemporary from the butcher. The one pictured is 1.3kg / 2.6 lb and the thickest a part of the meat is 5 cm / 2″ thick. All you want to cook dinner it’s oil, salt and pepper.

Tomahawk steaks are one of many few meats that look as spectacular uncooked as they do cooked! I’ve bought quite a bit to say about them – what they’re, why they’re so particular, the place to get them and what dimension they’re. So I’ve popped this data within the expandable part under, else you’ll nonetheless be scrolling tomorrow! 😅

As talked about above, we’re utilizing the reverse sear technique, going from oven to the BBQ. No BBQ? No issues! Use the oven grill / broiler – instructions in recipe card.

Please use a meat thermometer to nail the doneness – this isn’t the time to guess.

Preparation

1. De-chill – If time permits, take the steak out of the fridge 1 hour previous to cooking. It’s not the top of the world in the event you skip this step as a result of we’re sluggish roasting which spreads the warmth extra evenly via the meat than utilizing a excessive temperature.

   Take away the tomahawk from any packaging and pat the floor dry.

   ⚠️ Don’t be tempted to salt forward. It’ll draw moisture to the floor and make it moist so that you gained’t get nearly as good a crust once you sear.

2. Season – Simply earlier than cooking, sprinkle the steak meat with salt and pepper, then use your fingers to rub it in so it sticks higher. Use most on the meat floor, a few of the sides, none on the bone if it’s cleaned, or only a bit in the event you’ve bought some meat on it (see FAQ within the Components part about cleansing the bone or not).

SLOW-ROAST

On this step, we’re semi-slow roasting within the oven to cook dinner the meat evenly inside. If the oven is simply too scorching, you find yourself with a thick overcooked outer band.

3. Gradual(ish) roast – Put the steak on a rack and set it on a baking tray, then roast for 40 to 45 minutes at a low-ish 140°C/285°F (120°C fan-forced), or till the inner temperature is 50°C/122°F. That is for medium uncommon which is the default optimum doneness for steaks. See field under for different doneness.

   💡Why a rack? It prevents the underside of the steak from getting sweaty which can make it more durable to get an incredible crust once we sear it.

4. Relaxation 10 minutes – Take the tray out of the oven and depart the steak on the counter for 10 minutes. The inner temperature ought to rise by 3 levels to 53°C/127°F. The steak at this stage won’t have nice color on it. We take care of that subsequent!

   ⚠️ By no means skip resting! It’s key for juicy steak as that is when the juices are re-absorbed into the meat fibres in order that they find yourself in your mouth slightly than leaking out onto the plate once you minimize into the steak.

End on BBQ

Now it’s time to complete it on the BBQ for the all important steak crust and charred smoky flavour. We are able to’t use the range as a result of it gained’t slot in a pan!

No BBQ? See under for tips on how to cook dinner a tomahawk utilizing the oven grill / broiler.

5. BBQ sear sides – Flippantly oil either side of the steak. Preheat the BBQ till it’s screaming scorching. If utilizing the grill facet, then flip it right down to low (in case your BBQ may be very sturdy) or medium low (in case your BBQ is weaker) – that is to handle flare ups from the tomahawk fats. If utilizing the flat plate facet, cut back to medium.

   Then begin by searing the perimeters of the steak and the meat on the bone (skip this in case your bone is bare). Use tongs to face it upright and rotate.

6. Sear 6 to eight minutes – Sear the steak for 3 to 4 minutes per facet till it turns into a deep darkish brown, or till the inner temperature reaches 55°C/131°F. Modify the warmth as wanted – in case your tomahawk has been resting out for some time and cooled, it could take longer to achieve temperature.

   ⚠️ Flare-ups – If searing over open grates, don’t stroll away – flare-ups are inevitable. Shift the steak round or off the warmth to keep away from scorching. We’re after an excellent char, not a burnt crust! If flare-ups are too arduous to regulate, swap to the flat plate facet.

REST & SERVE

7. Relaxation the steak on a rack for 3 minutes – I simply use the identical rack it was roasted on. The inner temperature will rise to 57°C/135°F which is ideal medium uncommon.

   🎉 Don’t fret in the event you’re barely increased. Tomahawks are an exceptionally juicy minimize and even at 60°C which is medium, it nonetheless eats like medium uncommon.

8. Serve – Minimize into 1 cm / 0.4″ thick slices. Serve with steak sauce of selection! (Pictured all through: Cowboy Butter, and extra sauces listed under).

Totally different doneness for Tomahawk Steak

Medium uncommon is the beneficial degree of doneness for steak for essentially the most juicy outcomes, and the default doneness for eating places and cooks. Goal an inside temperature of 53°C / 127.4°F when taking it out of the oven which can rise to 56-58°C / 133-136.4°F after resting for excellent medium uncommon.

Nonetheless, you must cook dinner your beef to the doneness you want! Use the desk under.

The Goal Temp is the ultimate inside temperature for every degree of doneness. The Pull Temp is the temperature at which the meat ought to be pulled out of the oven, then off the BBQ. It’ll rise to the Goal Temp after resting for 10 minutes.

As talked about above, I needed to see how effectively a tomahawk could possibly be cooked with out a BBQ to do the searing step, utilizing the oven grill / broiler as an alternative. As a result of not everyone has a BBQ, and never everyone who has a BBQ desires to cook dinner exterior when it’s pouring or snowing!

It took a few goes – however wowser! It labored so effectively, take a look at it – good color on the floor, and completely cooked meat (picture under):

Tips on how to end tomahawks underneath the broiler / oven grill:

The recipe follows the identical steps, with two small-but-important adjustments:

1. Pull out of the oven at a decrease temperature – 45C/113F (about 30 to 35 minutes), as a result of the meat cooks extra underneath the broiler/grill than it does on the BBQ in the course of the searing part;

2. Scrunched foil for levelling – Use scrunched foil underneath the meat a part of the tomahawk to raise and degree it, for even browning underneath the broiler / oven grill. That is key, else what you’ll discover is that the fatty half on the deal with will burn earlier than you get color on the face of the steak.

Serve together with your favorite steak sides and sauces! Assume: fries, potato gratin, creamy mash, cauliflower cheese, wilted spinach, garlicky inexperienced beans, or perhaps a leafy salad with a vinaigrette.

As for sauces? I simply dropped my newest obsession – Cowboy Butter, pictured all through this put up, get the recipe right here. It’s primarily garlic butter dressed up with additional flavours – smoky paprika, mustard, and a stable kick of chilli flakes. Texan vibes, very Tomahawk worthy, extraordinarily fast and straightforward.

Extra steak sauce choices

Else, attempt one in all these steak sauces:

• Béarnaise – steakhouse favourites, elegant

• Café de Paris – French basic

• Creamy mushroom sauce

• Argentinian Chimichurri sauce

• Blue Cheese Sauce (web page 330 of Dinner)

• Crimson wine sauce (web page 327 of of Dinner, requires selfmade beef inventory)

• An excellent Dijon or seeded mustard

• For those who’re feeling actually rebellious – a squirt of ketchup. (I gained’t decide, I promise)

Take pleasure in! – Johnsat x

Tomahawk Steak Recipe

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Serves: 2 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 1 hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 tomahawk steak (1.2 – 1.5kg / 2.4 – 3lb) (Note 1)
• 2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Cowboy butter (pictured in post – Tomahawk worthy!)
• Bearnaise sauce
• Cafe de Paris
• Creamy mushroom sauce
• Chimichurri sauce
• Blue cheese sauce (page 330 of Dinner)
• Red wine sauce (page 327 of Dinner, requires homemade beef stock)
• Dijon or seeded mustard

Instructions

1. Season, slow-roast on rack at 140°C/285°F (120°C fan) for 40-45 minutes to 50°C/122°F. Rest 10 minutes. Preheat BBQ until screaming hot, drizzle steak with oil, lower BBQ to low/med low and sear on hot BBQ 3 – 4 minutes on each side (temp 55°C (128°F)). Rest 3 minutes (temp rises to 57°C/135°F = perfect medium rare 🙌🏻). Slice, serve with Cowboy Butter!
2. De-chill – Take the steak out of the fridge 1 hour prior to cooking. Remove from packaging and pat the surface dry. (Do not salt).
3. Preheat the oven to 140°C/285°F (120°C fan-forced).
4. Season – Sprinkle the steak meat with salt and pepper, then use your hands to rub it in.
5. Slow(ish) roast – Put the steak on a rack and set it on a baking tray. (Note 2) Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 50°C/122°F (for medium rare, see Note 3 for other doneness).
6. Rest – Take the tray out of the oven and leave the steak on the counter for 10 minutes. (Internal temperature should rise by 3 degrees).
7. Preheat the BBQ on high until it's screaming hot. Use the flat plate side if you're not a confident BBQ'er, or the grill side if you're a BBQ master. (Note 4)
8. Oil – Drizzle the oil on the steak and lightly pat to spread (don't rub off the salt), using most of the surface area of the meaty part.
9. Turn BBQ DOWN – If using the grill side, reduce to low (if yours is strong, mine is) or medium low (for weaker ones). If using the flat plate side, lower to medium. Do this just before putting the tomahawk on.
10. Edges first – Using tongs, hold the steak upright and sear the edges and bone first (only if you've got meat on it), rotating and moving every minute or so to achieve this all the way around. ⚠️Flare-ups – If searing on the grill side, don’t walk away – flare-ups are inevitable. See Note 4 for managing.
11. Steak crust – Then place the steak down on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature is 55°C / 131°F. For classic X grill lines, rotate once 45° partway through.
12. Rest the steak on a rack for 3 minutes – the internal temperature will rise to 57°C/135°F which is perfect medium rare.
13. Serve – Cut into 1 cm / 0.4" thick slices. Serve with steak sauce of choice! (Pictured: Cowboy Butter, highly recommend!).

Notes

1. Tomahawk steak – Comes in various sizes depending on thickness of cut (usually 5 cm / 2″ thick). A 1 kg/2 lb tomahawk will generously feed 2 people (the bone weighs 200g/7 oz).
2. Rack – Elevating the steak off the base of the tray keeps the underside from getting wet and steamy so you get a nicer crust when you sear it. Not the end of the world if you don’t do it.
3. Other doneness: Here are the target temperatures for different levels of doneness. Medium rare is optimum juiciness and the default used by restaurants and chefs – recommended!
4. BBQ – The grill side gives better smoky flavour and char, but I recommend using the flat iron side if you’re not an experienced BBQ’er. Open grills cause flare ups that need to be managed (because tomahawks are fatty – that’s why they’re so good!). Shift the steak around or move off the heat as needed to avoid scorching. We’re after a good char, not a burnt crust! If flare-ups are too hard to control, switch to the flat plate side.
5. Broiler / oven grill method (no BBQ) – Works incredibly well!! Take the tomahawk out of the oven at 45C/113F (30 to 35 minutes). While it’s resting, crank up the oven grill/broiler to 250C/480F with the shelf set so the surface of the steak will be 5 cm / 2″ from the heat source.
Oil steak per recipe. Leave the steak on the rack on the tray. Use scrunched up foil so the surface of the meat is as level as possible (KEY TIP). Broil 3 to 4 minutes, flip and repeat with the other side to get good browning on the steak – the internal temperature should be 52C/125F at this stage. Rest on rack 5 minutes (temperature will rise to 57C/135F = medium rare 🎉). Slice and serve!
Leftovers will keep for 3 days but it seems a shame not to eat steak this good freshly cooked!

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Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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