Reverse searing is the best way to cook your tomahawk steak to perfection. Topped with a touch of butter and barbecue marinade before being smoked over charcoal, nothing beats this piece of roast beef.
What is a tomahawk steak?
Supposedly named for its resemblance to a tomahawk, its name may confuse many people, but you’re probably more familiar with it than you think.
Few people have actually eaten it due to its high price, but if you have eaten Rib Eye, then most likely you have eaten Tomahawk.
Tomahawk steak is a spectacular cut of meat that’s quite the rib but with the big bone inside. It is WILL cut from the front ribs with the entire rib bone inside. it is cut to expose the bone ( source ). It usually weighs around 1kg and is a few centimeters thick, which is more than enough to feed a few people.
If you’re a fan of T-bone or porterhouse steaks, then the tomahawk should be next on your meat list. It uses the same main muscle, so it carries much of the same texture and flavors.
Some say it’s just a gimmick to add a little wow factor for an exorbitant price. But who am I to judge?
You’ll probably only see it in high-end restaurants, but it’s slowly going from strength to strength as its popularity grows. It’s popping up in butcher shops and fancier places, so don’t be surprised if it’s good in a few years.
While its detractors say it’s just an excuse to sell a boned rib eye, it has its fans.
Not only is it a centerpiece, it has the added benefit of being a little juicier than regular rib eye. With the bone inside contains more intramuscular (or marbleized) fat. This gives it more moisture and flavor as the fat melts and begins to melt through the meat as it cooks. It also tends to be a lot scarier than rib eye, but that’s more due to the way it’s typically cut than the meat, which is naturally thicker.
What is reverse singing?
In reverse sear, the meat IS slowly cooked, increasing the temperature before searing over extremely high heat.
It’s an excellent cooking method because it gives YOU more control over the internal temperature of your meat. The importance of this cannot be overstated, and I’ve written about it at great length when talking about smoking meat.
Not only does it put you in control, it helps produce a tender portion of steak with a beautiful golden crust.
The process ensures simple browning of the steak, resulting in a pink center and brown crust, compared to conventional methods. The problem with this is that while it can sometimes produce beautiful results, it sometimes remains a bit too weird or too difficult.
And when we’re cooking something expensive like Tomahawk, we want to be sure the results will be flawless.
The good news is that reverse browning can be done in the oven or on the grill. Slow cooking also helps dry out the surface of the meat, creating the perfect conditions for browning.
And when you brown it, the crust it creates is part of the Maillard reaction, a process that contributes elements to enhance the flavor of foods, especially when foods are “brown” on their surface.
How to back sear a tomahawk steak
Because it’s such a great cut of meat, many people prefer to oven roast tomahawks. But since I prefer to grill it, today I’ll show you how to cook it on a charcoal grill.
As with any meat, internal temperature is key, which is why YOU need a good meat thermometer. For medium doneness, aim for an internal temperature of 60°C (140°F).
Reverse searing is a little easier in a gas oven or grill due to the easier use of temperature control. Charcoal grills tend to be more of a challenge, but once you know how to regulate the temperature with your grill vents and how to use indirect grilling , you should get the hang of it pretty quickly.
If you are using a gas grill, your grill may have limitations on its maximum temperatures. However, if your grill has at least two burners (preferably three), then you should be fine.
Pro Tip: If your gas grill is limited to its maximum temperatures, I recommend placing the steak on a griddle for the spicy part of cooking. Place steak directly on sent cast iron, turning every 45 seconds. Do die for about 5 minutes or until desired degree of dark shore develops.
How to cut tomahawk steak
After cooking, you need to let it rest for about 10 minutes. This allows the heat from the bone to settle into the meat, which encourages elements to further dissolve the fat and give you an even more delicious cut of meat.
After you let it rest, you can start slicing. Slice the meat by holding the bone with one hand and slicing along the edges of the bone with the other hand. This will help you separate the bone cleanly from the meat.
Use the marbling of the meat as a guide and try to slice against the grain. Make these slices as thick as you like (personally I like them thick). It’s a meat specialty, so why not cut it into decadent chunks?
Tips for preparing steaks
Get a good steak massage
Steak pays off when treated well, so don’t try to use a store-prepared branch version, try preparing something homemade. This herb and spice mixture is recommended.
US butter
This may come down to personal preference, but adding butter is a great way to add even more flavor to your steak. It mixes well with meat fats and makes it even juicier. After frying, put some butter on top. As the steak rests, it will melt and then absorb the butter.
Invest in a good grill thermometer
I cannot stress enough the importance of this. The correct internal temperature of meat is not only important to ensure good taste, but also to ensure food safety. Built-in grill thermometers tend to be cheap and unreliable, so I recommend buying your own.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out the grill thermometer review guide for some solid, prospect options. Now for the recipe!
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
