# Tomahawk Steak Recipe Needed



## Tristan (Jul 9, 2012)

Hi, my local butcher just randomly started bringing in Australian Wagyu (margaret river cows + marketing) Tomahawk steaks.

They look massive, and likely good eating.

Anyone here has an amazing recipe for it along with cooking tips and a sauce to go with? :wink:

I have one steak dinner a week, but never handled a tomahawk. I don't want to ruin a lot of very expensive meat.


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## ajhuff (Jul 9, 2012)

A sauce? I believe the only thing that goes on a steak is salt.

-AJ


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## Duckfat (Jul 9, 2012)

The thing about a Tomahawk is that it's just a long bone rib eye. For what two of those Wagyu Tomahawks cost you can likely buy an entire prime bone in rib eye. If you buy a whole loin Let it age in the cryo in your fridge for four weeks. Take it out of the cryo and put it on a wire rack to dry for another 3-5 days in the fridge. You will have outstanding steaks only instead of one meal you will have several. Prime rib is easy to cut into steaks. Just remove the chine bones and cut up your steaks the size you want them. If you really want that Tomahawk look you can trim the end of the loin and French the bones. They wont be long bones like a Tomahawk should be but they will still taste great. Sort of a mock Tomahawk or maybe a cleaver steak. :rofl2: Be sure to grind those trimmings for burger if you go that route.
As far as cooking the Tomahawk cook it the same way you would any other steak just wrap the bone with foil. For me that means getting the BGE up to around 550+ on dome temp. Season the steaks and let them set out at room temp about an hour in advance. I toss a Mesquite chunk in the BGE after it's up to temp. Sear both sides of the steak and shut done the lower vent and daisy wheel on the BGE and let the steak set in the smoke 3-4 minutes. Pull and rest. I like MR so if you like your steak more or less done simply adjust you cook time. You can use the same technique on most charcoal grills with a lid like a webber. Even a Sportsmans Hibachi can be used like that if you have an old webber lid.
Sauce? Oh yeah. Ice cold Longboard, Bells Oberon or maybe some Dogfish Head IPA. 

Dave


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## Namaxy (Jul 9, 2012)

For a steak like that, I suggest nothing but salt and pepper, and grilling on an open charcoal/wood flame.

Then, focus on the sides rather than adorning the steak itself, in this case grilles asparagus, corn pudding and pommes anna.

Dave in the post above has described perfectly how to cook them on the BGE if you go that route :doublethumbsup:

View attachment 8461


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## schanop (Jul 9, 2012)

If your beef has a lot of marbling (like some export quality aussie wagyu), grilling on a direct heat will take that fat away heaps. Kinda waste of money for the marbling, IMO.


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## Namaxy (Jul 9, 2012)

schanop said:


> If your beef has a lot of marbling (like some export quality aussie wagyu), grilling on a direct heat will take that fat away heaps. Kinda waste of money for the marbling, IMO.



Agreed. One of the advantages of the BGE is you sear it first, then crank down the temp to well under 300 F to finish.

I like the reverse cook for a lot of meat cuts, but I still feel a 'steak' benefits from some flame and smoke.


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## Duckfat (Jul 9, 2012)

schanop said:


> If your beef has a lot of marbling (like some export quality aussie wagyu), grilling on a direct heat will take that fat away heaps. Kinda waste of money for the marbling, IMO.



That's true with a high number Wagyu but not so much for most with out a number grade or US wagyu (Meat on marketing steroids). I'm glad to let some of that fat go myself. A steak like this sears very fast so loss is minimal.

Dave


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## Tristan (Jul 9, 2012)

From this store, i typically treat myself to a 6/7 marbling aussie wagyu. Whether the numbering convention is standardised out here is anyone's guess. Bigger numbers visually have a better marbling, and I've not gone past 8/9. I can't remember the marbling on the tomahawks.

Yeah, every single week my steaks are done with salt and pepper. The only weird thing I do is I have this white truffle salt (made with white truffles and sea salt flakes, not truffle essence at least the bottle says so) which I use in place of regular kosher/table/sea salt. I will get around to trying hawiian pink, black, pacific ocean and fleur de sel (just bought a bucket) eventually, but been really happy with truffle salt for some reason.

I was asking about the sauce because, well, it would be food for the folks. And I think they are used to putting some sauce on the meat. Was thinking along the lines of a good grilled pear burnt cognac and cream sauce on the side... but I haven't nailed the proportions. Was hoping someone out there did.

Thanks for the BGE guide, I'm sure it will help many who are on the fence about one. I'll think about shipping. Heck, if it works out, I'll think about distributing... I'm sick of how all the good stuff is in your neck of the woods  Now there's an idea for a monday...


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## ajhuff (Jul 9, 2012)

ullhair: :cry:

In my not very humble opinion, a rib eye should never ever be sauced. I personally think filet is way over rated and is adored by people who confuse texture with flavor. It's a tender cut with no flavor, ergo why you see so many filet with bacon combinations. Strips, ok to sauce. Sirloin yes. Porterhouse, no. The lesser the cut of meat, and I rank rib eye at the top, the more appropriate a sauce is. My opinion. I won't touch a rib eye with sauce on it. Not really crazy about anything other than salt on it.


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## Jim (Jul 9, 2012)

The ribeye is my favorite cut and I have it as often as I can. (or sneak into the house) I have been fooling around with a reverse sear that is getting me some really great results.

I will rest the steak at least overnight uncovered in the fridge, with a generous salt and pepper application. When I am ready to prepare it I put it in a cold oven set for 170 degree for between 20-30 minutes- based on the thickness and who I am cooking it for, 20 minutes for a 1 inch thick, well marbled steak will give me a true Medium with just the texture change from rare that I like. 

I then light my fire and get the lump and wood chunks Hickory/plum burning very hot. I run the steaks out and get them on the coals, shifting them once and flipping once.

This gets me a true "Pink on the inside and Crusty on the outside" with perfect x cross hatches. 

There is a lot going on with this, from giving the salt time to work, to getting the surface of the meat dry for a good sear. I have really been enjoying these steaks cooked this way, and find the concept works really well with other products like sausage and even burgers.

The feedback on this has been really inspiring so I am still experimenting with it.


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## Deckhand (Jul 9, 2012)

I use tellicherry extra bold peppercorns and blue diamond kosher salt.
Here is an interesting article on seasoning before or right when you cook.

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/the-juicy-secret-to-seasoning-meat


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## GlassEye (Jul 9, 2012)

The methid Jim explained is very good. I will probably do a ribeye today or tomorrow, reverse sear in a pan, good salt, maybe pepper. No sauce.


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## mhlee (Jul 9, 2012)

Jim said:


> The ribeye is my favorite cut and I have it as often as I can. (or sneak into the house) I have been fooling around with a reverse sear that is getting me some really great results.
> 
> I will rest the steak at least overnight uncovered in the fridge, with a generous salt and pepper application. When I am ready to prepare it I put it in a cold oven set for 170 degree for between 20-30 minutes- based on the thickness and who I am cooking it for, 20 minutes for a 1 inch thick, well marbled steak will give me a true Medium with just the texture change from rare that I like.
> 
> ...



I've also had a LOT of success cooking steaks using the "reverse" sear method. For steaks thicker than 1 inch, this is now my preferred method of cooking. 

As Jim pointed out, salting well in advance of cooking is essential in my opinion. At least four hours before I want to cook a steak, I'll lightly salt all sides of the steak and let it sit in the fridge, uncovered or loosely covered with plastic wrap, flipping the steak over midway through the time so that one side doesn't sit in any excess liquid. However, you want to make sure you give the steak enough time to reabsorb the liquid that is initially drawn out by the salting. Overnight is usually safest to ensure that the liquid has been reabsorbed. 

If I'm cooking outdoors, I'll put the steak on the grill (cold) as far away from the heat (I use charcoal dividers to push all the charcoal to one side), get the grill to go as low as possible, anywhere from 175 to 200 and let it slow roast. (For indoor cooking, depending on what else I'm cooking and when I want the steaks done, I'll cook it in the oven as Jim described on a rack over a sheet pan anywhere from 150 to 200 degrees.) 

When it gets to 95 degrees inside, I remove the steak and let it rest, lift the grill, push the charcoal dividers together in the center, and open up all the vents and remove the lid to get the charcoal roaring hot. I re-season the steak with salt and pepper, and then sear it over direct heat on both sides until I get my desired temp of 130. The actual direct heat cooking time is usually less than 3 minutes a side. 

I've noticed that the temperature rise after taking the meat off the grill is less than what is experienced when cooking the entire time over high heat. I assume that this is because less time is spent grilling over high heat. In my experience, I've noticed that the resting temperature rises about 5 degrees, rather than 10 degrees.


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## schanop (Jul 9, 2012)

For a really, really good beef, you can always try Italian stallion way. Serve it just like the fame Bistecca alla Fiorentina: really high heat sear with lumps, two sides, and aim for blue in the middle. Cut it up, pour in good quality olive oil, and may be extra salt and pepper. A good quality aged balsamic can also be paired with the steak.


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## Namaxy (Jul 9, 2012)

For a roast of any sort, I love the 'reverse sear' or whatever various names the method takes on. For me that means sous vide to 130F, then hold, then sear on very high heat with fat and aromatics. A rib roast cooked with this method is fantastic. Ditto loin. But if you parse the meat into steaks, for me, (IE personal preference), I need more char and smoke. I can't get enough flavor with only 3 - 4 minutes over wood.


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## Crothcipt (Jul 10, 2012)

Lol when I first saw this thread I was wondering what the @#$$ a tomahawk steak was. We call them here a "cowboy cut." Have never heard it called anything else. As for sauce, maybe a oz. off to the side for something a little different, maybe some horseradish, or even some real wasabi. But never on the steak its self.


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## heldentenor (Jul 10, 2012)

The only sauce I've used on ribeyes and strips of decent quality (nothing to compare to what you're cooking) has been fifteen year old balsamic vinegar reduced almost to a syrup and mounted with some excellent butter. The quality of the butter and the balsamic are crucial--use good stuff, or not at all.


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## Crothcipt (Jul 10, 2012)

omg that sounds go good. Still would only have it on the side.


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## Duckfat (Jul 10, 2012)

Every time I've seen a Cowboy cut it was fabricated from a standard bone in prime rib. For those of you who may have never seen a long bone rib it is in essence the whole rib primal with the short rib meat removed but the rib bones left intact and not cut short like a bone in rib eye sub-primal that is commonly sold in cryo. It's not a common cut and the bone is much longer than a cowboy steak. This is just for aesthetics but costs more as you are loosing the bone in short ribs. 

Dave


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## brainsausage (Jul 14, 2012)

Jim said:


> The ribeye is my favorite cut and I have it as often as I can. (or sneak into the house) I have been fooling around with a reverse sear that is getting me some really great results.
> 
> I will rest the steak at least overnight uncovered in the fridge, with a generous salt and pepper application. When I am ready to prepare it I put it in a cold oven set for 170 degree for between 20-30 minutes- based on the thickness and who I am cooking it for, 20 minutes for a 1 inch thick, well marbled steak will give me a true Medium with just the texture change from rare that I like.
> 
> ...



You're definitely on to something Jim. I've done a variation on this- doing hanger steak sous vide to 125, then searing on a plancha with smoked butter. Nice tight but supple texture, and an amazing crust. I'll probably p**s a couple aficionados off here, but I far prefer a seared crust to a grilled crust. I love the flavor that the grill imparts, but I don't find the crust to be as satisfying as it is on a flat surface. I like to do my steaks and burgers on a plancha and flip them constantly. Beautiful crust, juicy flesh, and even doneness. I'll toss the burgers in an oven to let em finish after I get a nice sear. It's a little difficult in a restaurant setting, as I normally utilize it, but it's worth the time IMO no matter where you're heatin your meat. Pre salting is essential. It helps activate the myosin proteins in the meat, which aid in texture, moisture retention, color, and tenderness. Well worth the planning.


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## brainsausage (Jul 14, 2012)

Duckfat said:


> Every time I've seen a Cowboy cut it was fabricated from a standard bone in prime rib. For those of you who may have never seen a long bone rib it is in essence the whole rib primal with the short rib meat removed but the rib bones left intact and not cut short like a bone in rib eye sub-primal that is commonly sold in cryo. It's not a common cut and the bone is much longer than a cowboy steak. This is just for aesthetics but costs more as you are loosing the bone in short ribs.
> 
> Dave



+1. The bone aspect would make sense moreso if people were doing a long slow cook and utilizing the marrow flavors, but that's not coming into play here. You're just paying for bone. I guess you could chop it off yourself and save it for stock ... expensive stock...


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## ajhuff (Jul 14, 2012)

brainsausage said:


> +1. The bone aspect would make sense moreso if people were doing a long slow cook and utilizing the marrow flavors, but that's not coming into play here. You're just paying for bone. I guess you could chop it off yourself and save it for stock ... expensive stock...



Long and slow eh? When I go out to eat I often have the choice between the expensive bone in rib eye and the less expensive "standard" rib eye. I personally have never been able to taste the difference. I'm TOLD I can, but never actually have. Maybe this is why?

-AJ


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## brainsausage (Jul 14, 2012)

ajhuff said:


> Long and slow eh? When I go out to eat I often have the choice between the expensive bone in rib eye and the less expensive "standard" rib eye. I personally have never been able to taste the difference. I'm TOLD I can, but never actually have. Maybe this is why?
> 
> -AJ



The bone just looks more impressive. You really need to do a long, low temp braise to notice the flavors that emanate from the bone. Like braised bone in short ribs. Not that I'm advocating braising your rib eye...


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## Crothcipt (Jul 14, 2012)

I have tried both ways too. Both are good, but I can't really tell the difference, unless I am eating straight off the bone. I get a T-bone for that though.


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## Deckhand (Jul 14, 2012)

heldentenor said:


> The only sauce I've used on ribeyes and strips of decent quality (nothing to compare to what you're cooking) has been fifteen year old balsamic vinegar reduced almost to a syrup and mounted with some excellent butter. The quality of the butter and the balsamic are crucial--use good stuff, or not at all.


I made a high quality balsamic vinegar reduction about a month ago. I will try adding butter next time. Thanks for the tip.


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