How to Cook the Perfect Tomahawk Steak

How to Cook the Perfect Tomahawk Steak

There are steaks and then there’s the tomahawk steak – a thick cut ribeye with a long, exposed bone. Set a beautifully cooked tomahawk on the table and watch the carnivores gathered gasp and salivate in a simultaneous Pavlovian response. Let’s learn more about the tomahawk and discuss how to cook it perfectly.

What is a Tomahawk Steak?

The tomahawk steak is a thick-cut, bone-in ribeye steak with a long bone still attached. The extra meat and fat is cleaned from the bone, a process referred to as “Frenching.” This reveals a long section of beef bone. The bone looks like the handle of an axe, hence the name “tomahawk.” The attached ribeye steak is also large and together this makes for a sensational appearance. 

What Cut is a Tomahawk Steak?

Each tomahawk is cut from the rib primal; and the steak is made up of three major muscles, all held together with tender sinew with large swaths of rich fat between them. The muscles are the longissimus dorsi, or large center eye, the complexus, a smaller side muscle which is not always present depending on where the steak is cut, and the spinalis dorsi, also called the cap of ribeye or deckle. The cap is universally known as the single most flavorful and tender cut.

Each rack of ribs used for tomahawk steaks has 7 bones. We cut each steak to include the bone, which produces steaks approximately 2” thick or more.

Some folks say the bone adds flavor, but in general, this is not the case. However, there are real advantages to a bone-in steak. In addition to looking amazing, the bone insulates the meat from cooking heat. The meat next to the bone remains extra juicy and tender. Many steak lovers seek out that section to enjoy its delicious flavor and texture.

What is the Best Way to Cook a Tomahawk Steak?

Each Snake River Farms American Wagyu tomahawk is a substantial steak. The average weight is 2.7 pounds, although it’s not unusual to receive one that is considerably heavier.

Even so, it’s easy to cook the tomahawk perfectly using well-known steak cooking techniques.

How to Reverse Sear a Tomahawk Steak 

If you want to use your kitchen to cook up the tomahawk, we recommend the reverse sear. As the name implies, instead of searing a steak at the start, it’s slow roasted at a lower temperature then finished (or seared) prior to serving. 

Here are the simple steps to reverse sear your tomahawk steak:

1. Heat your oven to 225°F.
2. Season the steak liberally with kosher salt and place it on a wire rack set into a baking sheet.
3. Place the steak on the rack and baking sheet into the oven. The idea is to slowly bring the entire steak up to temperature at a lower heat to cook it to your desired degree of doneness.
4. After about 30 minutes, check the tomahawk’s temperature with a meat thermometer. While any thermometer will work, we recommend a fast-read digital thermometer to make it quick and easy to read your steak’s temperature. Insert the probe halfway through the steak, in the largest section of the ribeye, away from the bone. A medium rare to medium finish for the tomahawk will yield the best texture and flavor. The target temps are 120°F for medium rare and 130°F degrees for medium. Every oven is different, so the time to get your tomahawk to temp will vary. In general, this will take approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
5. When the steak reaches your ideal temperature, remove it from the oven, place it on a cutting board, tent it loosely with foil and allow it to rest at least 15 minutes. The steak will continue to cook and allow its juices to be reabsorbed. You can let the steak rest for up to 45 minutes.
6. When you’re ready to serve the steak, turn on the broiler in your oven. When it’s hot, place the steak underneath. Don’t go anywhere. This will happen fast, and you don’t want to burn the tomahawk! Watch the steak get crisp and turn a deeper shade of brown. When it looks good to you, flip the tomahawk and repeat the process.
7. Remove the steak from the oven and serve immediately.

How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak on the Grill 

Your grill is an ideal way to cook an SRF tomahawk. We recommend a good charcoal grill, but a gas grill will work as well.

Regardless of your grill type, set it up for 2-zone cooking. For a charcoal grill, this means arranging the lit coals to one side of the grill. For a gas grill, it means turning on just one burner.

Here are the easy steps to grill your tomahawk with a 2-zone set-up:

1. Set up your grill with 2-zones – a hot side and a cool side. 
2. Season the steak liberally with kosher salt and place it on the cool side of the grill.  
3. Place the steak on the rack and baking sheet into the oven. The idea is to slowly bring the entire steak up to temperature at lower heat to cook it to your desired degree of doneness. You’re not trying to sear or brown the steak at this point.
4. To cook the steak evenly, flip it every 5 minutes. Also, rotate the tomahawk around the cool zone with each flip to minimize any cool or hot spots in your grill. After about 20 minutes, check the tomahawk’s temperature with a meat thermometer. While any thermometer will work, we recommend a fast-read digital thermometer to make it quick and easy to read your steak’s temperature.  Insert the probe halfway through the steak, in the largest section of the ribeye, away from the bone. A medium rare to medium finish for the tomahawk will yield the best texture and flavor. The target temps are 120°F for medium rare and 130°F for medium. Every oven is different, so the time to get your tomahawk to temp will vary. In general, this will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
5. When the steak reaches your ideal temperature, remove it from the grill, place it on a cutting board, tent it loosely with foil and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes. The steak will continue to cook and allow its juices to be reabsorbed.
6. When you’re ready to serve the steak, place the tomahawk on the hot side of the grill. Your grill should be set to maximum heat. Sear for 1 to 2 minutes and flip. As soon as the steak has a nice brown crust, remove it from the grill. 
7. Take your tomahawk to the table and serve immediately.

What is the Best Way to Cut a Tomahawk Steak?

As with any steak, you always want to cut the tomahawk against the grain of the meat. The grain is the natural direction the muscle fibers follow. Cutting against, or perpendicular to the grain, produces the most tender bite.

A ribeye steak is made up of different muscles, so we recommend separating the steak from the bone of a tomahawk. For maximum effect, this can be down at the table to wow your audience!

Here's how to best cut a tomahawk steak for serving: 

1. Get a firm grasp of the “handle” or bone using a dry kitchen towel or oven mitt.
2. Use a sharp knife and start from the handle and cut the steak from the bone.
3. Remove the soft cap (the tender outer section) from the steak and cut it into thick slices so everyone can have a taste of this delicacy.
4. Once the soft fat cap is removed, slice the center eye into thick slices.
5. Arrange the slices on a platter – start with the bone, arrange the center eye piece, then put the cap pieces on the outer section.
6. A dusting of flakey finishing salt is a nice touch before placing the platter on the dinner table.

Our Favorite Tomahawk Steak Recipes 

Tomahawk steak is a cut that steals the show of any meal it’s a part of.

Snake River Farms has put together some of the best tomahawk steak recipes to showcase this legendary cut of ribeye:

• Reverse Seared Tomahawk with Lemon Basin Salsa Verde

Snake River Farms Tomahawk Ribeyes are massive steaks that are best prepared using a reverse sear. This is a preparation method where the steak is cooked at a low temperature to ensure it is cooked evenly from edge to edge, then final seared on a hot grill. Chef Mandy Tanner walks you through the reverse sear and adds a bright and herbaceous final touch with a Lemon Basil Salsa Verde that pairs beautifully with the deep rich flavor of American Wagyu beef. A perfect way to enjoy a tomahawk ribeye! > LEARN MORE.

•  American Wagyu Tomahawk Prime Rib Roast 

Passionate chef and author Chris Cosentino is known for his unique culinary style and expertise in whole animal cookery. Chef Cosentino has personally crafted a set of recipes that center on our American Wagyu Tomahawk Prime Rib Roast and are written so that anyone can create a mind-blowing holiday meal. This recipe provides step-by-step instructions so you can set your holiday table with a beautiful and delicious centerpiece to impress all of your holiday guests. Take a look at the other three recipes to assemble a table that will provide wonderful memories that will last for days to come. > LEARN MORE. 

• Coffee-Rubbed Tomahawk Steak with Pinto Beans and Coffee Sauce 

Creating the perfect bite of tender, spicy, smoky barbecue is a science and an art form, and Tuffy Stone―five time World Champion Pitmaster, co-host and judge of Destination America’s BBQ Pitmasters, and co-owner of the award-winning Q Barbecue restaurants―has mastered it. We're honored to work with Tuffy and are thrilled he agreed to share his recipe for Coffee Rubbed Tomahawk Steak. This recipe appears courtesy of Tuffy Stone and can be found in his latest book Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press. This exciting new book is available to order at Amazon. > LEARN MORE. 

American Wagyu Tomahawk Steak from Snake River Farms 

 While we hate to throw out empty accolades, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a steak aficionado who doesn’t think the tomahawk is, indeed, the ultimate steak. Rich with marbling and gifted with a generous outer cap, this thick-cut steak stands alone in terms of juiciness, richness and beefy flavor. The long bone adds a striking appearance and creates tender and flavorful steak along its length.

While it might not be the steak you eat every day, it’s the ideal candidate for your next special occasion. Every steak lover should order an American Wagyu tomahawk steak from Snake River Farms at least once.