The most eye-catching cut of beef, the tomahawk steak is perfect for special occasions, celebrations and holidays. It’s not just for show, though — we think it’s also one of the most flavorful parts of the cow and well-worth trying at home. To make sure you’re able to fully enjoy this great steak, we’ve compiled some tips to get you started below.

What is a Tomahawk Steak, Anyway?

Cut between the sixth and twelfth rib, this bone-in rib eye is a thick one, usually around 2″, weighing in at 2-3 lbs. It’s a special, tender and generally well-marbled steak, providing loads of flavor and an epic-looking handle for a show-stopping centerpiece.

Serving and Cooking Suggestions

This is the perfect cut for a party or date night in, as its larger size can easily feed 2+ diners. Both grilling and pan-searing this type of steak are winning options, but to have the most control over doneness, we recommend searing in a pan to get a good crust, then finishing in the oven.

What to Do with the Bone?

Wrapping the bone in foil can help prevent browning and charring for a nice presentation, but it is not required if you don’t have it on hand.

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Recipe and Method

1 tomahawk steak

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 head garlic

2 T. high smoke-point oil such as sunflower or grapeseed

half a stick of unsalted butter

4 sprigs fresh thyme, or a mix of thyme and rosemary

  1. Preheat oven to 350 with a rack in center.
  2. Dry your steak’s surface and sprinkle thoroughly with salt and pepper. Let steak come to room temperature, around 1 hour, depending on room and season.
  3. Meanwhile, cut the top off your head of garlic, drizzle with 1 t. oil, add pinch of salt and wrap in foil. Roast in oven around 30 minutes or until soft. Remove and let cool outside foil.
  4. Increase oven temp to 425.
  5. Wrap a moist paper towel around the tomahawk bone and completely cover the paper with foil. You can skip this step if preferred.
  6. Heat a heavy, large skillet (cast iron works great for this purpose) with 2 T. oil over medium-high heat until just hitting the smoke point. Lay your steak in skillet and sear for around three minutes without moving it. You may need to lightly press on it to get the flesh to hit the pan near the bone itself. Be careful of hot oil splatters; a splatter guard or long sleeves and an apron are good options here.
  7. Use tongs and/or your bone handle to rotate and cook the same amount of time on the other side. Don’t forget the other sides, since they are so large, too.
  8. Transfer steak to a light baking sheet or onto a rack on a baking sheet and roast until your desired temp has been reached.
  9. Meanwhile, add butter to pan, squeeze your roasted garlic cloves in and add your fresh herbs. Cook over low heat for about two minutes.
  10. This will vary greatly on your oven temperature, the thickness of your steak and how much you’ve already cooked it in the pan. A list of temps and their corresponding level of doneness is below. We recommend removing your steak from the oven a little in advance of these temps (5-10 degrees) since you’ll be cooking it in the pan with your butter sauce briefly, then letting it rest.
  11. When steak is done, remove from oven and place in butter sauce, spooning it over for about 1 minute. Remove from pan, tent lightly with foil and let rest 10 minutes.
  12. Remove foil (if using), then slice against the grain and drizzle with additional butter sauce.

Doneness temperatures (remove from oven 5-10 degrees below these for best results)

Rare: 115 degrees

Medium rare: 130 degrees

Medium: 140

Enjoy your steak!