Tomahawk Steak – RecipeTin Eats

Tomahawk steaks are simply scotch fillet steaks – often known as rib-eye within the States – with the bone in, lower additional lengthy.

When the bone is lower shorter, it’s referred to as by different names, together with bone-in rib eye, rib steak, cattleman’s cutlet (Australia) and côte de boeuf. Whereas these are the identical lower, the factor that units tomahawk steaks aside is the additional lengthy bone.

Dramatic impact of the lengthy bone + prized steak meat!

The meat half itself – scotch fillet / rib-eye – is a favorite amongst steak lovers as a result of the meat is generously marbled with fats which melts as they cook dinner, creating an extremely juicy, tender texture and glorious beefy flavour. Once you’ve bought a steak hankering, it’s laborious to beat thick-cut scotch fillet! (PS I’m not speaking these skinny economical scotch fillets, I imply good thick 4cm /1.6″+ ones you may actually solely get from butchers!)

Right here in Australia, tomahawk steaks typically weigh between 1 – 1.5kg (2 – 3 lb) with the thickest a part of the meat round 5cm/2″ thick, although you may get them even thicker.

This recipe methodology will work for any thickness and weight, the oven time will simply take longer or shorter.

The deal with a part of the bone is usually “frenched” (ie scraped clear of fats and meat) for presentation, leaving a clear white bone that makes the tomahawk look additional spectacular.

If yours isn’t frenched (like mine, pictured above), it’s completely tremendous as a result of it doesn’t have an effect on flavour, solely visuals. However in the event you’d love to do it, it’s simpler to do after the oven step, as soon as the meat is cooked, somewhat than when it’s uncooked. You’ll lose a little bit of edible meat, however most of it’s fatty or sinewy anyway. And you’ll all the time serve the offcuts on the facet!

Discover tomahawk steaks at butchers and a few contemporary produce shops (I get mine from Harris Farms – I’m in Australia). Within the States, it appears to be extra widespread, accessible at giant grocery shops together with Costco.

A extremely good high quality tomahawk steak might be extremely juicy, tender and have glorious beefy flavour. Listed here are a few of my tips about beef high quality!

• Low-cost v costly beef – affected by breed, the way it’s raised, what it’s fed, how it’s processed and the way the meat is saved. Sure heritage breeds are considered extra fascinating. How cows are fed additionally impacts high quality – grain or grass. In the meantime, beef sweating in vac packs for weeks are cheaper, however high quality suffers in comparison with freshly butchered carcasses.

• High quality of life of the animal comes into play too – Animals that lived life will produce better-tasting meat (assume battery chickens vs free vary).

• Grass v grain fed beef – Neither is inherently superior (flavour and texture clever) and it’s a matter of style! Grain fed animals are larger, the meat is extra marbled with a richer, buttery style. Grass fed cows are normally smaller, and the meat is much less marbled and fatty. Nonetheless it has a extra advanced and pure beef flavour that many get pleasure from. Individuals typically additionally favor the concept of high quality pastured beef raised naturally over cows ate up solely grain in industrial feedlots.

• Most Australian beef is in actual fact grass-fed, however word that many grass-fed animals are nonetheless completed on grain or eat some grain throughout their life. That is regular trade apply. If you’d like pure grass-fed beef, that you must particularly ask 🙂

Sure, completely, this reverse-sear methodology is right for thick lower steaks

The recipe is particularly formulated for tomahawk steaks as a result of the bone is so lengthy, you may’t match them in a stove-top pan. However the methodology will be utilized to any thick lower steak 3cm / 1.2″ or thicker. For thinner steaks, I typically simply cook dinner them on the range / BBQ as a result of they’re skinny sufficient to cook dinner by means of comparatively evenly with out ending them within the oven. See right here for my favorite stovetop methodology – the Cheffy butter basted means!

Tomahawk is one other nice instance of how JB and I work collectively on recipes! The concept got here from me – I’ve observed tomahawks changing into extra available at native butchers lately. Then we had a staff lunch at a steakhouse lately and ordered the tomahawk. Jaw dropping – each in flavour and value. Simply the excuse I wanted to sort out it to make it at house!

To be sincere, with the steak and beef cooking data that now we have between the 2 of us, this recipe was not a lot about determining one of the simplest ways to cook dinner it (the reverse sear methodology I discuss within the publish was the apparent reply for a steak of this measurement). It was about attempting different strategies, discovering the pitfalls and – the factor we spent essentially the most time on – how effectively it may be cooked utilizing the broiler / oven grill, for many who don’t have a BBQ (reply: shockingly effectively!). See in publish for the no BBQ methodology.

By way of the cooking assessments, JB did the legwork on this one. I did a number of speaking, analysis and consuming (<- my best power).

• Managing flare ups on the BBQ – tomahawks are fairly fatter on the outer edges (for this reason the meat half is so juicy and attractive!). Even in the event you oven bake first you may’t get away from this, so we ended up recommending that much less assured BBQ’ers use the flat iron facet of the BBQ as a substitute.

• The proper pull temp out of the oven so as soon as BBQ seared the ultimate rested inner temperature = excellent medium uncommon

• How laborious is it to cook dinner effectively, fully on the BBQ with out utilizing the oven – Very laborious. JB did it extraordinarily effectively, however then once more, he educated in Michelin eating places.😅 I’ve tried previously and ended up with a thicker band of overcooked outer edges than he did. Additionally, flare ups are actually tough to handle.

• Deciding whether or not it was price dry brining or not (we determined not – see under).

• Deciding on a tomahawk worthy sauce – Cowboy Butter was the winner!

Umm…. perhaps 12? As I point out within the level above, this recipe was extra about doing iterations of our base recipe for pitfalls, determining if cooking it fully within the oven (no BBQ) was tomahawk worthy, making a BBQ plus broiler model on video, then making a number of variations for photographs.

I don’t know why, however I actually struggled to shoot the tomahawk to seize a hero shot I believed was recipe-worthy. As I sit right here penning this on Friday morning, I’m nonetheless sad with the photographs and we’re going to squeeze in a 3rd shoot simply earlier than this publish goes reside at 4pm this afternoon.

Sure, I actually function this fashion – the “larger” a recipe, the upper the bar for the hero shot! Keep in mind, I’m not knowledgeable meals photographer! I’m simply an newbie, which is why I don’t all the time get it first go. 🙂

You’ll be able to if you would like. We selected to not as a result of we didn’t assume it improved the top end result to warrant the additional step – this bone-in lower of beef is so juicy cooked utilizing this reverse-sear methodology, plus there’s the Cowboy Butter to serve it with.

In case you bought a really economical tomahawk steak (I don’t assume that’s widespread right here in Sydney, because it’s bought as a premium lower), it’s possible you’ll wish to dry brine as it should tenderise the meat in addition to seasoning all over which can enhance the meat flavour. Right here’s how one can dry brine:

• use barely much less salt – 1 1/2 teaspoons as a substitute of the two teaspoons per the recipe. Cause: we felt the dry brine was a little bit too salty.

• put the salt and pepper per the recipe on the steak the day earlier than (as much as 48 hours forward)

• set the steak on a rack set on a tray or plate

• refrigerate uncovered

• take away from the fridge 1 hour prior per recipe

• cook dinner per recipe. (Don’t put extra salt on, else the floor might be too salty).

Firstly – invite me? By no means been to a tomahawk get together!

Secondly, bake the tomahawks near when your friends arrive. Relaxation them loosely coated in foil to retain warmth and preserve them coated so that they keep heat. The extra you’ve, the hotter they’ll preserve one another.

You’ll be able to have the tomahawks baked and even one hour forward as a result of even when they quiet down nearly to room temperature, it’s tremendous, as you’ll carry them again as much as temp on the BBQ.

Then BBQ sear on demand – placed on a present in your mates!

What you don’t wish to do is cook dinner the tomahawks up to now forward that it’s important to refrigerate them as a result of the meat gained’t be as juicy after BBQ’ing.

Sure! I actually wished to attempt to determine this out for readers who don’t have a BBQ or when it’s so blustery chilly exterior it’s not BBQ climate. I’m THRILLED with the outcomes!

Basically, the tomahawk will be completed beneath the oven-grill / broiler as a substitute of the BBQ. The crust is clearly not so good as doing it on a screaming sizzling BBQ, however it’s nonetheless glorious! It really works effectively as a result of we’ve already cooked the steak within the oven so the floor already has a head begin and it’s a thick lower. This system wouldn’t work for normal, skinny grocery retailer steaks.

See word 5 within the recipe card for instructions. Don’t skip the scrunched foil for levelling the steak – makes all of the distinction for even browning!