Tomahawk Steak

Tomahawk Steak vs Ribeye

Tomahawk steak is a bone-in ribeye steak carved from the beef rib primal cut.

• It is cut from the sixth to twelfth ribs and includes the eye of the ribeye, known as  longissimus dorsi.
• The average thickness is about two and a half inches.
• At least five inches of rib bone is left intact (often times up to eight inches).
• It is Frenched (trimmed of meat and fat) for a pleasing visual effect.
• The long protruding bone looks like the handle of a tomahawk hence the name of the steak.
• The typical weight of a Tomahawk ribeye is around forty ounces, bone included.
• The meat is well marbled, tender and buttery, with rich beefy flavor.

This richly flavored cut is prized among beef lovers, but the prices it commands are not in direct proportion to value. A premium is charged for the steak's spectacular look - beef bones fetch a higher price than they normally would.

Ways to Cook a Tomahawk Ribeye

There are a number of ways to perfectly cook a Tomahawk steak and they are all relatively easy and involve the same two essential steps - only their order and the means of executing them varies. We will look at:

• oven (classic and reverse sear)
• grilling (indirect heat) and
• sous vide

The key to cooking this thick, large, bone-in ribeye is to allow the needed time for the meat to cook evenly on the inside, at a low temperature, and create an appetizing outer sear at a high temperature. All methods of cooking a Tomahawk steak include these two steps.

How to Prepare a Tomahawk Steak for Cooking

• If the steak you bought was frozen thaw in the refrigerator slowly - for two to three days so it is thoroughly defrosted.
• Once you remove it from the packaging pat it dry with a paper towel and allow it to reach room temperature (usually about an hour). 
• Because the meat is so flavorful simply seasoning it with salt and pepper is enough - reserve compound butter and sauce(s) for when you are enjoying the cooked steak, but try it with just a sprinkle of sea salt first to appreciate its wonderful flavor. 

Tomahawk Steak In Oven (Classic Method and Reverse Sear Method)

You can follow one of two avenues to prepare the cut using the oven - the classic or the reverse sear techniques. 

Classic. Here the Tomahawk is hard seared in a cast iron skillet or on the grill after which it's transfered to the oven to finish cooking to the desired temperature, rested and served.

Reverse Sear. As the name implies, this method reverses the order of the steps. To reverse sear Tomahawk steak first it is cooked it in the oven, until its internal temperature reaches 100-110 F. Next it is seared over a hot grill or in a suitably sized skillet (or a gridle) with olive oil and/or butter until the temperature for the desired doneness is reached. 

NOTE: The best results are achieved when the oven is set at a lower temperature, we like 300 F, some people go as low as 225 F. However, in a restaurant setting when diners generally do not have the patience to wait for their food, oven temperatures are often set much higher - Chris says that at the various restaurants he has worked at they regularly cook the steak in a 425-450 F oven.

Tomahawk Steak on the Grill - Indirect Heat Method

In order to cook your Flintstone sized steak entirely on the grill you need to use the indirect heat technique. It is the perfect solution for grilling thicker foods that require longer cooking time and might burn if placed over direct heat or for tougher cuts of meat. With this cooking method the steak cooks near the heat source and not directly over it. It is then finished over high heat.  

Indirect grilling allows the fat marbling to slowly render and the collagen of the connective tissues near the bone to liquify and flavor the meat. The high heat sear at the end combines the surface sugars and amino acids into a number of flavors via the Maillard reaction.

(This is also the method we use to grill prefectly tender, juicy and flavorful chicken drumsticks.)

You can use a gas grill or a charcoal grill for indirect grilling. For your benefit the image sequence below illustrates the workflow with charcoal (due to the extra steps involved in prepping and adding hot charcoals). The recipe card below has separate instructions per type of grill.

• Light a burner on one side of the gas grill or pour hot charcoals on one side of the grill, effectively creating dual heat zones. Close the grill until the internal grill temperature gets to the 225-250 F range.
• Season the ribeye and place it on the grate away from the direct heat. Every five minutes or so move it - rotate it 45 degrees, then flip it over and again rotate 45 degrees. Continue to indirectly grill like this until a meat themometer registers about 100-110 F when inserted in the thickest part of the ribeye, away from the bone.
• If using gas grill crank up the heat of the burner or turn on a second one and when the grate is really hot, move the steak over the direct heat and sear for about 30 seconds per side, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the desired brownness develops and a meat thermometer measures the temperature for your intended doneness. For perfect medium rare this is 135 F.
• For charcoal grill rest the steak covered (to stay warm) on a baking sheet while you add about half a chimney of hot coals. Once the grate is really hot sear the Tomahawk directly over the charcoals, flipping every 30 seconds or so until desired brownness and temperatures are reached. 
• After 10-15 minutes of resting time, slice. 

Sous Vide Tomahawk Steak (Pan or Grill Sear Finish)

With this technique you will cook a seasoned, vacuum sealed Tomahawk steak in sous vide water bath until it is perfectly and evenly cooked on the inside and then you will finish it by searing it in a pan, griddle or over a hot grill grate until the desired doneness is reached. 

You can set the temperature the steak needs to reach in the water bath depending on how done you want it to be, we generally go for 120 F and then complete the cooking process during the browning (for a medium-rare finish at 135 F). 

The best part about cooking a protein sous vide is that once the preset internal temperature is reached you have the luxury of time about when to take the steak out of the water bath - it will not overcook. The temperature of the meat will stay at the preset value until you need it.

Most restaurants these days use this exact technique for thick cuts or even delicate proteins such as rack of lamb or salmon. Serving a perfectly cooked bone-in ribeye on demand becomes much easier once it has already been uniformly cooked throughout and only needs to be finished.

Tomahawk Ribeye Steak Temperatures and Doneness

Follow these guidelines when cooking your Tomahawk steak:

• Rare: pull steak at 125 F and rest
• Medium-rare: pull steak at 135 F and rest (recommended)
• Medium: pull steak at 145 F and rest
• Medium-well: pull steak at 150-155 F and rest
• Well done: pull steak at 160 and rest (we advise you do not cook it this much)

How Many Servings Can You Expect?

The average forty or so ounces bone-in ribeye will comfortably serve three beef loving diners or four shier eaters. As one of the best steaks you can prepare its rich flavor guarantees that it will taste perfect if cut against the grain for sharing and simply seasoned with fresh ground black pepper and and some sea or kosher salt. 

Compound Butter Ideas for Steak

Garlic Herb Butter for Steak
Best Sauce for Steak Recipes
Teres Major Steak
Rosemary butter
Bourbon sauce butter 
Preserved lemons & herbs butter

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