Tomahawk Steak
Is there any steak that looks more impressive on a plate than a Tomahawk Steak? I think not. In fact, I don’t know if anyone in the history of the world has been able to eat a tomahawk steak without posting a picture of it on Instagram or Snapchat or Facebook. The best part is it usually won’t fit on a plate.
The tomahawk steak is a ribeye steak with the whole bone still attached. The frenched bones (all the meat and tissue is removed from them) extend a good 8-10 inches or more beyond the steak. Once you see a tomahawk steak you will know how they got their name.
Where does the Tomahawk Steak come from?
Basically the tomahawk steak is just a ribeye with the whole bone still attached. You get all the great flavor of a ribeye steak plus the great presentation that the bone provides.
Does the bone actually add flavor? Debatable. I would lean towards no. Any flavor you would get from the bone will come from the marrow which is in the middle of the bone. Since the bone tissue is very, very dense you will get no flavor that seeps out into the steak from the bone. The bone in a tomahawk steak does provide some great thermal protection though. The meat right under the bone won’t easily overcook so that is one less surface you have to worry about.
But let’s be honest. The bone just makes this steak look freakin’ cool!
Most tomahawk steaks are about 2 inches thick and weigh 2-3 pounds. Some people think that is big enough to feed 2 people. I would tell those people to stick to the salad bar. If you get a tomahawk steak it isn’t to share, it is to stuff your face with multiple pounds of awesome meat.
How to cook a tomahawk steak
The awesome looking bone on a tomahawk steak can pose some cooking challenges. Ultimately you want to get a great sear on the outside of the steak and get the inside cooked to a perfect medium rare (125 degrees is what I shoot for). You also want to minimize the grey band around the outside of the steak and have a nice, uniform pink color throughout the meat. Since these steaks are usually 2+ inches thick that just screams out for some sort of reverse sear.
To reverse sear you cook the meat at a low temperature and then blast the outside over high heat to get a nice sear and crust on the outside of the steak. Because of the bone a cast iron pan is pretty much out of the question so that would lead me to take this steak outside and grill it.
Jess Pryles has an awesome guide on how to cook a tomahawk steak. You can read in depth on her site but basically you put all the coals on one side of the grill, cook over the opposite side until the steak gets to ~100 degrees. Pull the steak off, rest it, and add more hot coals to your grill. Then you sear the steak off over the hottest coals you can get. The final product should be a steak right around 120-125 degrees which is just about perfect for me. Go read her post for all the details and marvel at the awesome pictures she has.
Cook a tomahawk steak without a grill
If you don’t have a grill there are a couple options. One involves a torch which I am guessing most of you don’t have. The other requires you to have a cast iron griddle of some sort. With a regular cast iron pan the sides would get in the way of the bone. A griddle is long and flat with no walls to get in the way so the bone won’t be an issue. Cook your steak in a 200-250 degree oven until it gets to 105-110 degrees, pull it and rest it, get your griddle as hot as you can, add a bit of oil, and sear the heck out of the steak. If, however, the bone is wider than the meat and you can’t get good meat to pan contact I wouldn’t recommend this method.
As far as seasoning you don’t need anything other than salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid to use quite a bit of salt. Since this is 2+ pounds of meat you will need quite a bit of salt. I would probably say use AT LEAST one tablespoon of salt, probably closer to two. You can either salt the meat right before you cook it or “dry brine” it by salting it and leaving it uncovered in the fridge for a day. That will allow some of the salt to penetrate the meat.
Where to buy a tomahawk steak
Forget your grocery store, warehouse store, or even your butcher. Well, if you really know your butcher you can probably ask them to cut you some of these but it won’t be something they will regularly carry.
Your best bet for a good, high steak will be to buy your tomahawk steak online. Snake River Farms sells an awesome American Wagyu tomahawk steak that would grade out above prime. You are probably looking at $100 or so for a nice big tomahawk steak. This might seem like a lot but if you think about it a tomahawk is a very inefficient cut for a butcher. Since they have to leave the bone on they are missing out on the opportunity to sell the short ribs. That is probably $10 worth of meat right there. Ground beef can be made from the trimmings. The butcher will make less money on the ground beef than the short ribs he is sacrificing. The time involved to french the bone needs to be accounted for as well.
Are you going to eat a tomahawk steak every time you want a steak? Probably not. A special occasion would be the time to bust out the tomahawk. Father’s Day is a given but a big promotion or anniversary or birthday would also be fitting for a steak like this.
Like what you read? Be sure to share it with your friends and come back tomorrow to learn about another cut of beef.
