Tomahawk steak is an unusual cut of beef rib that makes a statement on any BBQ plate. But what is it exactly, and does it deserve the hype? Learn everything you need to know about prep, temperatures, and techniques with our tomahawk steak guide.
Table Of Contents
- What is a Tomahawk Steak?
- Tomahawk Steak vs. Ribeye
- Tomahawk Steak vs. Cowboy Steak
- Do Tomahawk Steaks Taste Better?
- How Much Does a Tomahawk Steak Cost?
- Where to Buy Tomahawk Steak?
- How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak
- Meat Prep
- What are Safe Internal Temperatures?
For a chef, using the best ingredients is a necessity. When it comes to cuts of meat, it doesn’t get much better than the tomahawk steak. This beautiful cut of bone-in ribeye brings a joyful challenge to chefs who work hard to perfect their cooking techniques.
If you’ve been wondering exactly how to get this glorious cut of meat perfectly cooked, you’ve clicked on the right spot. Read on to learn about the tomahawk steak and how to prepare the mouthwatering delicacy.
What is a Tomahawk Steak?
The tomahawk steak gets its name from the large bone that protrudes from the large part of meat taken from the cow’s ribs. This bone gives the look of a hatchet or tomahawk handle.
Butchers prepare this cut of meat by “frenching” it – this technique involves creating an attractive presentation by removing fat and meat cleanly from the bone. Butchers and chefs will french a crown roast and a rack of lamb to give it the formal presentation, too.
Tomahawk steaks have a few remarkable traits. One is the massive piece of bone that makes the steak look primal – almost Flintstonian. The second trait is the thickness, which presents beautifully on a plate. Most importantly, the steak is delicious, especially when cooked to perfection on the inside with a charred crust on the outside.
Butchers cut the tomahawk steak from the rib, just like they would for any other rib steak. Most tomahawk cuts are at least two-inches thick. Butchers include the longissimus dorsi, spinalis, and complexus in the cut. Consider cutting the rib primal from 6 through 12, leaving the bone in place, then cutting individually large pieces.
The tomahawk cut is large. Most are about two-inches thick, and the bone is about seven inches long. This substantial cut occupies a large space on the grill and the plate. The steak weighs about 2.5 pounds and usually has at least five inches of meat left on the bone.
Tomahawk Steak vs. Ribeye
The tomahawk steak and ribeye are cut from the same part of the cow. One notable difference is the bone that protrudes from the tomahawk steak. The ribeye steak just has the meat and is much smaller.
A tomahawk usually weighs between 30 and 60 ounces and is two-inches thick. A 60-ounce steak weighs 3.75 pounds! The ribeye is usually a 12-ounce cut that is about an inch thick.
Tomahawk Steak vs. Cowboy Steak
The cowboy steak is a bone-in ribeye, just like the tomahawk. But it has a smaller frenched bone in it. Cowboys reportedly cooked this steak with the bone so they could use it as a handle while grilling it.
Both cuts have well-marbled meat with plenty of flavors. The cowboy steak is usually about half the weight of the tomahawk cut.
Do Tomahawk Steaks Taste Better?
The tomahawk steak tastes delicious, especially if the meat has sufficient marbling. Cuts of meat closest to the bone taste the best. The challenge is getting the thick steak cooked correctly, yet it’s the thickness that makes it taste so good. Because the steak is so thick, chefs can get the crust to brown while the inside stays juicy and colorful.
A thin cut does not cook in the same way as a thick one—the thin cuts of meat brown through before the crust browns. While the thickness is a challenge, it is also a blessing because it gives you time to get the inside and outside just right.
How Much Does a Tomahawk Steak Cost?
The cost of a tomahawk steak varies based on the butcher, the farm, and the seller. The price of the steak does not always determine the quality or flavor of the meat. For example, steaks from grass-fed cows tend to cost more than steaks from cows raised in factory farms.
Price Per Pound
The price per pound ranges between $30 to $80. Unfortunately, much of that cost comes from the bone. But the bone is essential to the meat’s character, so if you want a tomahawk, you have to pay for it.
Why Is It So Expensive?
The steak is so expensive because of the cut and the bone. Frenching a cut of meat is time-consuming, and butchers need to be compensated for their work. Ideally, if you give the meat time to cook, the bone marrow will add flavor to the cut. But, grilling the meat does not give the marrow time to affect the taste of the steak.
Where to Buy Tomahawk Steak?
You can buy tomahawk steaks in several places, and where you buy it determines how it is prepared. If you purchase it at your favorite steakhouse, a skilled chef prepares it for you. If you buy it from a butcher, you have to prepare it. No matter where you buy them, you should expect to pay a hefty sum.
Butchers sell them in their brick-and-mortar shops and online. These notable butchers sell them online:
Porter Road
Their 2.5 to 3-pound steaks sell out quickly, so you might have to get on the waiting list. Their tomahawk ribeye comes from the largest ribeyes of each cow and includes the entire rib bone. The butcher frenches the bone to show how clean and white it can get. Porter Road ties up the cuts before they ship them to you.
Porter Road Tomahawk Ribeye
Porter Road cut the two largest ribeyes off of each rib section, and leave the entire rib bone attached. The extended rib is then frenched, removing all of the meat and tissue to expose the beautiful white bone. We tie these mammoth cuts up for easy cooking, then send them your way.
Snake River Farms
Their 2.75-pound Wagyu tomahawk steak is loaded with marbled fat for extra flavor. To make space for the bone, the steaks are at least two-inches thick. Their steaks come from Japanese black cattle grown in the United States, like the ones in Japan used for Wagyu Kobe steak.
Snake River Farms American Wagyu Tomahawk
Thick and rich with a high level of intramuscular fat or marbling. Each steak is cut to accommodate the width of the rib bone making it two inches or more. The Snake River Farms American Wagyu tomahawk is the full ribeye including the delectable ribeye cap or deckle.
How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak
Creative chefs have several methods for how to cook a tomahawk steak. Try them all so you can find your favorite.
Reverse Searing
Reverse searing Tomahawk steak involves slowly smoking the beef before finishing it off with high temperature searing. You start this cooking technique by cooking the meat in an oven for a long time at a low temperature. Slowly roasting the meat in a closed oven lets the inside cook to your desired doneness. After the inside has reached medium-rare or medium, you can brown the outside on a sizzling hot pan.
Because of the steak’s thickness, use a meat thermometer to see if the inside has reached a safe temperature.
Hybrid Grilling
When you hybrid grill a tomahawk ribeye steak, you use two techniques to get the steak cooked to your choice of doneness. A top-notch hybrid grill lets you slowly smoke the steak in the smoker section.
Then, after a few hours of slowly smoking, you remove the steak and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, put it on the hot grill. This type of grilling lets you get the best of both worlds with the woody smoke flavor highlighted by the seared exterior with flavorful grill marks.
What is the Ideal Smoking Temperature?
The goal of smoking a tomahawk steak is to give the steak time to slowly cook on the inside. Many chefs recommend using a smoker set around 225-240°F. If you are roasting in an oven, you should set your oven to 250-275°F.
Meat Prep
No matter what method you choose, you will need to give the inside time to cook and to rest. For safety purposes, you should also check the internal temperature before you sear the outside. Once you have determined the inside is a safe temperature, the last step is to cook the outside, either in a pan or on a grill.
You should season the steak with your favorite salts and peppers. You can also marinate the steak, but plan for more time than a typical beef cut.
Preparing a tomahawk steak takes time. You cannot expect to cook it quickly on the grill like you would a sirloin steak. If you’ve ordered your meat online and it has arrived frozen, the best way to thaw steak is in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Before you cook the steak, let it reach room temperature, which adds another 30 to 40 minutes to your prep time.
Once the meat reaches room temperature, pat it dry and season it. Smoking a tomahawk steak takes at least two hours. Roasting it in the oven takes about 30 minutes.
After the first cooking, searing the steak takes about 30 seconds per side, especially if the pan or grill is hot.
What are Safe Internal Temperatures?
Safe temperatures for tomahawk steaks are 135°F for medium-rare and 145°F for medium. You should check the temperature after the steak rests for about three minutes.
After you have prepared the steak, the final step is to place it lovingly on the plate. Then, garnish the plate and find the perfect light so you can take a fantastic shot for Instagram.
FAQs
How should a tomahawk steak be cooked? ›
We recommend medium-rare. When cooking Tomahawk steak in the oven to this degree, broil for 19–21 minutes for a 2-inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F. After removing from the oven, rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil.
How long does it take to cook a tomahawk steak in the oven? ›How long does it take to cook a tomahawk steak? Depending on the thickness of the steak, and preferred cooking method, it will take somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes. A 1.20KG tomahawk, around 2 inches thick, cooked to medium-rare (around 57C), will take around 30-40 minutes in an oven set at gas mark 1/140C/120C.
What's the best way to eat a tomahawk steak? ›Because of the size of this steak the reverse sear method is the perfect way to cook it. Reverse searing involves slow roasting the meat in a low temperature oven, to bring it to the desired internal temperature, and then finishing it with a quick sear on the grill to create a delicious crust and lock in the flavor.
How long does it take to cook a tomahawk steak on the grill? ›Grilling time
Medium-rare: 22-24 minutes in total (I grilled my 2 ½ pound steak in the photos for 24 minutes in total, with a 5 minute sear on either side). Medium: 24-26 minutes in total. Medium-well: 26-28 minutes in total.
You can cook a tomahawk steak just like a normal one, the most important factor is to make sure it's well tempered (rested to room temperature) so you're getting the inside up to temp fast enough before the outside burns. It's much better to get the inside right up to medium rare so you can sear without worrying.
Why is a tomahawk steak so expensive? ›The main reason tomahawk steaks are more expensive is because they're so tender and flavorful — and also, BIG. This is thanks to the fact that they come from the forequarter rib section of the bison.
How long to cook a tomahawk steak in the oven at 350? ›Once the tomahawk is evenly browned on all sides, place it on a rack and put it in the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 130ºF-135ºF, remember the internal temperature of the steak will continue to rise after coming out of the oven.
What is the best temperature to cook steak in the oven? ›Let it hang outside of the fridge for about 30 minutes while you preheat your oven. For thicker cuts of steak (like ribeye or filet mignon), 450° is your magic number. For thinner steaks, like flank and skirt, you're better off just using the broiler. —If you're using a skillet, get it HOT.
What temperature do you slow cook a tomahawk steak? ›With the slow cook, I love to smoke the meat to infuse that smoke flavor into it. I prefer using either hickory, oak, or pecan wood. I smoke it at 225 degrees until internal temp reaches around 125-130 degrees.
Why put foil on Tomahawk steak? ›This step is optional, but makes for a prettier final presentation. Moisten a paper towel and wrap it around the bone 'handle' of the steak. Then wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the paper towel. This will keep the bone from getting too charred during the cooking process.
How many people does a tomahawk steak serve? ›
The Tomahawk is cut based on the thickness of the rib bone and is usually 5cm/2 inches thick. The size of this monster makes it an ideal sharing steak for a special occasion or romantic meal as it can quite easily feed 2-4 people.
Should you flip a tomahawk steak? ›Flip the meat regularly.
To ensure an even cook and also keep an eye out for hot spots, flip the Tomahawk over every 5 minutes or so, not only flipping end to end, but also side to side.
Because it's a thick cut, the tomahawk steak is best when pan seared and then finished in the oven.
Do you sear a tomahawk steak? ›Place steaks on the hottest side of the grill, searing for 3-4 minutes. Use tongs to flip the steaks to the other side and sear for another 3-4 minutes. Move tomahawk steaks to a low-heat area of the grill to continue cooking until they reach your desired internal temperature, usually between 10-20 minutes.