Smoked Tomahawk Steak

The king of all steaks, Smoked Tomahawk Steak is just about the best thing you’ll ever have the pleasure of smoking. Meaty, marbled, tender, flavorful, and juicy, it just doesn’t get much better than this! Fire up your smoker and treat yourself to the king of all steaks for dinner tonight!

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I’ve topped this Smoked Tomahawk Steak with a mustard seed chimichurri sauce, but you can eat it just like it is, and it is so freaking fabulous. This sexy cut of meat turns out perfectly on the smoker, so no matter how thick it is, it’ll turn out perfectly cooked every time.

The kiss of smoke puts this cut of beef over the top, and when you cook it low and slow, the flavors come out. Don’t be intimidated by cooking a tomahawk steak – once you get over the sticker shock of the price, it’s a cakewalk!

What’s a Tomahawk Steak?

Called a tomahawk steak because of its resemblance to the Native American tomahawk, this is a colossal steak with an ever bigger bone. It is essentially a ribeye, but it’s cut with the whole rib bone intact. Yes, you’re paying for bone – and about 8-10 inches of bone or more – but who can resist serving this glorious chop? And the taste is every bit as fabulous as you might expect. Tomahawks are usually reserved for steakhouse restaurants, and they’re often prime. So expect to pay out big bucks, but this is the steak to pick when you really want to impress.

How To Buy A Tomahawk Steak

You might have to get this steak from a butcher as most grocery stores won’t stock them. I lucked out and saw them at Costco and nearly went broke filling my freezer with a few of them. Who can resist prime beef and a bone like that? I sure couldn’t. Wherever you buy it, look for good marbling, not too much fat (though some is important), and make sure the meat is Frenched properly – cut down and away from the bone, exposing a clean bone. You can do this yourself, but it is a pain, and most places sell tomahawks already Frenched.

Smoking a Tomahawk Steak

Ingredients

• Tomahawk steak – Any thickness
• Montreal Steak Seasoning – I love this because it’s a great blend of salt, pepper, and garlic, which is all this steak needs.

To make the mustard seed chimichurri

• Parsley – Fresh parsley, not dried.
• Cilantro
• Shallot – Or sweet onion.
• Garlic – Fresh is best.
• Yellow mustard seeds – Dried.
• Brown mustard seeds – Dried. If you can’t find brown, use twice the amount of yellow seeds.
• Lime juice – Freshly squeezed.
• Olive oil
• Red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper

How To Smoke a Tomahawk Steak on a Pellet Smoker

1. Preheat your smoker to 180-F.
2. Coat the steak liberally with Montreal Steak Seasoning, ensuring a good even layer. Press it on with your hands, and don’t forget to get the sides.
3. Smoke the steak at 180-F for about 30-45 minutes to give it a good dose of smoke.
4. Turn the heat to 225-F and smoke it for another 90-120 minutes or until it reaches 125-F with a digital meat thermometer. This will get you to medium-rare, which is perfect for this cut of steak.
5. Tent the steak with foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

How To Cut A Tomahawk Steak

I suppose you could just go caveman on the steak and tear into this smoked tomahawk ribeye or grab a steak knife and fork and get down to eating. Or, you could cut it restaurant-style for an elegant presentation. Here’s how:

1. Cut the meat away from the bone, keeping the meat in one piece.
2. Cutting against the grain, cut the steak into 1/2-inch slices.
3. Put the steak back together again and plate it with the bone nestled up next to it.
4. Drizzle the mustard seed chimichurri over the top and dig in!

How To Make Mustard Seed Chimmichurri

1. Finely dice the shallot and garlic and add them along with the mustard seeds to the lime juice. This will take the bite out of the raw garlic and shallot and soften the mustard seeds. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes.
2. Finely chop the parsley and cilantro, then add it and the remaining ingredients to the shallot and lime juice.
3. Season with salt and pepper and liberally spoon it over the steak.

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• Let the steak rest at room temperature for an hour or so to let it warm up before smoking it. This will reduce the time on the smoker and will allow for a more even cook.
• Seasoning is important – it may seem like a lot of seasoning, but some will fall off, and beef needs salt!
• Don’t cut the steak until you’re ready to serve and letting it rest is imperative! Keep all those juices inside. I rested this one for about 20 minutes, and it was still hot and hardly a drop of juice escaped.

Make it a Meal

Wondering what to serve with a smoked tomahawk steak? You could argue that there’s enough beef on this ribeye steak to be the whole meal, but in case you want to serve your steak with equally delish sides, these are some of my favorite picks:

• Griddled asparagus
• Fried potatoes
• Smoked cauliflower
• Corn on the cob
• Southern Blueberry Cobbler for dessert

Frequently Asked Questions

Step By Step Process

Want More Delicious and Easy Recipes?

• Steaks on the Blackstone
• Smoked Lamb Chops
• The Best Traeger Recipes
• Smoked Asparagus