How to Grill a Tomahawk Steak & The Best Tomahawk Steak Recipe
Updated: Aug 19, 2021
It’s hard to imagine a better main event for your dinner than a properly cooked Tomahawk Steak. Sometimes known as a Cowboy Steak, a prime cut of Tomahawk Ribeye is undoubtedly a steak fit for a king.
Most tomahawk steaks weigh in at 1.4kg or more. Combined with the fact that they are typically high quality cuts of meat, you’ll want to make sure you know how to grill a Tomahawk Steak to make sure you’re getting the maximum bang for your buck.
First things first, you’ll want to get your beef seasoned. We've always been a fan of keeping things simple when it comes to seasoning quality pieces of meat – all you really want to do is bring out the delicious flavor within your tomahawk ribeye.
We like to use a seasoning mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, but you can feel free to use your favorite steak seasoning as a substitute.
A tomahawk steak is a HUGE piece of meat, so you want to make sure to be liberal when it comes to applying your seasoning. Make sure you coat the entire thing, including sides and even the fatty parts.
From there, let your steak rest at room temperature for about 45 minutes. During this time, the beef will absorb the seasoning and flavor will begin to sink in. Also, the seasoning will absorb some of the moisture inside of the steak which will help create a beautiful crust when we sear later in the process.
While the steak rests, go ahead and get your grill fired up. If you are using a gas grill, you might only need 5-10 minutes to get heated up. If you’re working on a charcoal grill, you may need a little more time to get your fire right. Either way, this is a great time to get your grill heated up in preparation to sear your steak.
You’ll want to set up a 2 zone cooking surface – one side of your grill should run piping hot, about 500-550 degrees for the sear. The other side should be cooler where we’ll cook the steak all the way through by going low and slow.
After the searing side of your grill is hot and ready to go, it’s time to get the tomahawk steak on there. Place the beef on the grate and press down.
After 2.5 minutes, rotate the steak 45 degrees (keeping it on the same side), and press it down into the grate again. Sear for another 2.5 minutes.
We are ready to flip the steak now (so after 5 minutes total on the first side). Flip the tomahawk ribeye steak and repeat the last step, searing the other side for 5 minutes total with a 45 degree rotation after 2.5 minutes.
After the sear is complete, move the steak over to the “cooler” section of your grill for the slow cook. Place the steak on a raised rack or on your grill’s swing away warming rack.
At this time, you should insert your probe meat thermometer. Make sure the probe is measuring temperature at the very center of the loin.
Take your shallow aluminum pan and place butter, garlic clove, and fresh thyme inside. Place the pan on the grill and underneath the steak to catch drippings from the beef. All of the contents will combine. From time to time (I usually do it every 5-10 minutes), baste the contents of the pan back over the steak with a basting brush.
From here, we’re not cooking for a set amount of time – we’re grilling until the inside of the steak reaches it’s desired doneness. Just to give you a ballpark idea though, plan on slow cooking for around 30-45 minutes.
Sources:
https://ownthegrill.com/how-to-grill-a-tomahawk-steak/