My favorite tomahawk steak recipe is the reverse sear method using a sous vide. I start low and slow until it hits the perfect doneness on the inside, then finish it off with a blazing hot sear to get that gorgeous crust on the outside. It’s the best of both worlds—tender on the inside, crispy on the outside.
One of the reasons I think using a sous vide to reverse sear a tomahawk is it seems to me that the extended time in the sous vide really tenderizes the steak to a level you don't normally get with just grilling.
Recently, my family and I traveled to Olympic National Park for Gage's birthday. Because he practices the carnivore diet, steak is a big deal! I wanted his birthday dinner to be extra special and convinced him we could make tomahawks in the sous vide and then do a reverse sear on the Blackstone grill.
Don't worry, if you don't have a grill or a sous vide, I'll teach you how to reverse sear a tomahawk to perfection no matter what's in your kitchen.
We got our tomahawks from an amazing butcher nearby called the The Meating Place. Not only do they have amazing steaks, but incredible bacon, pepperoni sticks, soup bones, AND award-winning reubens at the cafe across the parking lot.
Let me tell you, this was the BEST steak of my life! So perfectly done in the middle with the most delicious brown crust. I'll never make a tomahawk any other way! This is FOOL-PROOF!
What's In This Blog Post?
Ingredients Needed
- Tomahawk - A thick tomahawk steak that is at least 2" is perfect for the sous vide. Anything thinner and you risk over-cooking your prime grade steak during the sear stage.
- Butter - There's no better way to finish a perfectly seared Tomahawk steak than with some melted butter.
- Garlic - A few cloves of garlic add some delicious flavor to your finished steak.
- Thyme - Adding in some fresh thyme to the butter and garlic at the end of the sear creates the most delicious buttery and flavorful crust.
- Salt - A big piece of meat needs a lot of salt! More than you think you'd need. some kosher salt is a great choice.
Equipment Needed
Sous Vide - To reverse sear a tomahawk steak to perfection, we love to use our sous vide. Ever wonder. how those steak restaurants grill their steaks to perfection every time even when they are busy? A sous vide allows you to seal up your steaks, let them cook while you're doing other things then sear them to perfection when you're ready.
Vacuum Sealer - We buy a lot of meat in bulk so we use our vacuum sealer to make sure it doesn't get freezer burned. The vacuum sealer is also perfect for sealing the tomahawk steaks before cooking in the sous vide. If you don't have a sous vide you can use the water displacement method by placing the tomahawks in a large ziplock bag. Push the steak in the bag down into the water, allowing the pressure of the water to push the air out. When you get to the top, seal the bag around the bone. Make sure the bags stay upright while cooking so that the water doesnt get into the bag.
Blackstone Grill or Cast Iron Pan - Nothing better than a super hot cast iron pan to get that perfect sear on your steak! If you want to learn how to reverse sear on a grill, check out our friends at Vindulge on how to grill a tomahawks steak.
Ribeye vs Tomahawk
A tomahawk is essentially a ribeye but with the rib bone still in. Leaving the bone in the steak while cooking helps keep the steak from overcooking because the bone insulates the meat against the heat.
The shape of the bone sticking out of the steak resembles the shape of a tomahawk, which is where it gets its name.
The cost of a tomahawk and a ribeye is similar in price, but you might have to go to your local butcher to get a tomahawk steak, or you can even buy them online.
Technically, you ARE paying for the bone when you buy a Tomahawk steak, which may seem silly, but it's a specialty cut and does truly look impressive. If you want to save a bit of money, you can ask for a cowboy steak, which has a slightly shorter bone.
During the holidays, you can find prime Tomahawks at Costco!
How To Pick A Good Tomahawk Steak
If you're going to drop some coin for a premium cut of meat then you should know what to look for. You want to choose a tomahawk that has some nice marbling but not big sections of gristle. Gristle looks semi-transparent and is chewy and hard. Marbling (fat) is white and should look like the roots of a tree going through the meat. Marbling = juicy. Marbling good. Gristle bad.
How To Reverse Sear In A Sous Vide
- Seal your tomahawk with your vacuum sealer so that no water gets on your steak during cooking.
- Place the sealed steaks into the sous vide and set the temperature to 10 degrees below your desired doneness. 130ºF for medium doneness, 120ºF for rare.
- Your steaks should reach the correct doneness after 1-2 hours depending on how big they are, but can be held at temperature for up to 6 hours without losing texture. Our tomahawks were a little over 2 lbs each.
- Remove the steaks from the packaging and dry the steaks.
- Let the steaks rest for 20 minutes before searing. Resting ensures the juices absorb back into the steak, keeping it moist and tender.
- Season the tomahawks liberally on all sides with steak seasoning or your steak seasoning of choice.
- Preheat your Blackstone, grill, or cast iron pan to high. The grill should be smoking hot (literally).
- I like to put a little oil on the grill, but there's enough fat in the tomahawk that you don't have to.
- Sear each side for about 2 minutes or until a beautiful dark brown crust forms.
- Add some melted butter, garlic, and thyme on top of the steak while searing the other side.
- Cut the bone off the ribeye. Slice the ribeye against the grain in thin pieces and serve alongside the bone for a fun presentation.
How To Reverse Sear In An Oven
- Bring your steaks to room temperature for 2-3 hours so they are no longer cold at all in the middle. Cold steaks cook unevenly and can end up burnt on the outside and raw in the middle.
- Season your steaks on all sides liberally.
- Preheat your oven to 225ºF.
- Cook your steaks on a sheet pan until the internal temperature reaches ten degrees lower than your desired doneness. 130ºF for medium, 120ºF for rare.
- Let your steaks rest for 15-20 minutes before searing.
- Heat your cast iron pan (or grill) on high until it's smoking hot.
- Sear your tomahawk for about two minutes or until a dark brown crust forms then flip.
- Place your butter, garlic, and thyme on top and let it melt while you sear the second side.
- Cut the bone off the ribeye. Slice the ribeye against the grain in thin pieces and serve alongside the bone for a fun presentation.
FAQ
The answer is essentially demand. Tomahawks are considered a specialty cut, although they are gaining popularity. Specialty items usually need someone with specialized skills to prepare, which may be hard to find, resulting in a higher price. The average price of a good quality tomahawk steak is $24.99/lb.
No. A ribeye steak is a tomahawk without the bone. The bone adds nothing but an impressive presentation and maybe some amount of protection during the cooking process but ultimately is the same thing.
Recipe
Equipment
- 1 sous vide
- 1 vacuum sealer or zip lock bag
- 1 cast iron pan blackstone or grill
Ingredients
- 2 giant Tomahawk steaks
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Instructions
- Salt and pepper your tomahawk steaks liberally on all sides.
- Seal the tomahawks steaks with the vacuum sealer or place them into large ziplock bags.
- Place the tomahawks into the sous vide with the water.
- Set the temperature on the sous vdie to your desired doneness (128ºF/55ºC for medium rare) or (134ºF/61ºC for medium doneness).
- Let your steaks cook for 3-4 hours in the sous vide.
- When you're ready to grill, take your tomahawk steaks out of the sous vide and remove the plastic seal.
- Dry the steaks off as much as you can with a paper towel.
- Heat your blackstone or your cast iron pan to very high until it begins to smoke.
- Sear your tomahawk steaks on each side for aout 2 minutes or until a nice, rich brown crust forms.
- Turn off the heat and add the butter, garlic, and thyme to the pan and let it foam up. Coat the steaks in the butter mixture and remove them from the grill.
- Let your steaks rest for about 15 minutes before you cut and serve the steaks.
