How to cook the perfect tomahawk steak
Bring the wow factor to your BBQ with a mighty tomahawk steak. Here’s how to cook it perfectly to make the most of its rich flavour and succulent texture – scroll down for all the timings, temperatures and trimmings you need.
What is a tomahawk steak?
Tomahawk steak is taken from the rib, with the bone left in for a rich, full flavour. Ours is always from British, forage-fed beef, reared by farmers who share our commitment to animal welfare. It’s named for its shape – the long bone looks like the handle of an axe.
What is a tomahawk steak?
Tomahawk steak is taken from the rib, with the bone left in for a rich, full flavour. Ours is always from British, forage-fed beef, reared by farmers who share our commitment to animal welfare. It’s named for its shape – the long bone looks like the handle of an axe.
Tomahawk steak COOKING TIMES & temperatures
Tomahawk steak COOKING TIMES & temperatures
How to BARBECUE a tomahawk steak
Make the tomahawk the star of your barbecue this summer. Cooking over coals will give it a caramelised, flavour-packed crust.
Light the barbecue. Season the steak and set aside.
When the barbecue coals are covered in white ash, lay the tomahawk steak on the grill with the lid on. Use an upturned roasting tin or disposable foil tray if your barbecue is not lidded.
Cook for the times listed. To prevent the outside of the meat from burning, stand by the steak as it cooks with a pint of water to hand. As soon as the flames flare up, dampen the heat by flicking water on the coals until they die down.
Leave to rest for 10-20 minutes, then slice and serve.
How to REVERSE SEAR a tomahawk steak
Cook your tomahawk steak perfectly every time by reverse searing it – that means roasting it in the oven first, then finishing on the barbecue.
Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Season the steak and set aside. Light the barbecue.
Place the tomahawk steak in an ovenproof tray and roast for the times listed.
When the barbecue coals are covered in white ash, lay the tomahawk steak on the grill and cook for 2 minutes each side, until caramelised.
Leave to rest for 10-20 minutes, then slice and serve.
How to cook a tomahawk steak in the OVEN
Not barbecue weather? Sear your tomahawk steak in a frying pan until caramelised on the outside, then finish in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Season the steak and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add the steak and cook on a high heat for 2 minutes each side.
Place the tomahawk steak on an ovenproof tray and roast for the times listed.
Leave to rest for 10-20 minutes, then slice and serve.
Tomahawk cooking with our EXPERT chefs
Tomahawk cooking with our EXPERT chefs
LISTEN to Angela
Listen to Angela Hartnett cook a tomahawk steak for Nick Grimshaw and Chris and Rosie Ramsey on episode 11, season 3 of Dish, the podcast from Waitrose. Angela serves hers with herb butter – you can find a similar recipe below.
WATCH Jess
Watch our step-by-step video to see Jess Woolridge, chef tutor at the Waitrose Cookery School in Salisbury, perfectly cook a tomahawk, and blitz up a zippy chimichurri to serve with it.
What to SERVE with tomahawk steak
What to SERVE with tomahawk steak
Accompaniments to make
Herb butter
Put 2 crushed cloves of garlic in a large pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt and a little freshly ground black pepper; crush to a purée. (You can also use a food processor, whizzing briefly after each addition.) Add 10g picked, finely chopped herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, basil and parsley, and the zest of ½ lemon, and pound them into the garlic. Slowly add 75g cubed unsalted butter, crushing it in as you go. If your mortar isn’t big enough, transfer to a mixing bowl and beat with a spatula. Spoon the butter onto a square of baking parchment and roll it into a log. Seal or twist the ends of the parchment and put in the fridge to firm up for 30-40 minutes. Place on the cooked tomahawk steak to melt.
Béarnaise
Creamy béarnaise is a classic sauce to serve with steak. Put ½ a finely diced shallot, 2 tbsp dry white wine, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and 1 tarragon sprig in a pan. Bring to the boil, and simmer until reduced by ½. Discard the tarragon and transfer the reduction to a heatproof bowl, then set aside. Add 1 egg yolk to the shallot reduction and set over a pan of barely simmering water (the base of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water). Add a pinch of salt and whisk together for 3-4 minutes, until it doubles in volume. Take off the heat and pour in 75g melted unsalted butter, in a slow, constant stream, whisking as you go. Once it’s all incorporated, season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Chop 2 more tarragon sprigs and stir through before serving.
Spicy dipping sauce
To make a flavour-packed sauce for dipping morsels of steak, mix together 2 tsp Cooks’ Ingredients Gochujang, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar, 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds and 2 tbsp water. Cover and chill until needed.
Chimichurri
This piquant purée goes perfectly with steak. Mix finely chopped fresh oregano, flat leaf parsley and shallots with 2 crushed cloves of garlic. Add the juice of ½ lemon, 3 tbsp rapeseed oil, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and ½ tsp dried chilli flakes, season and mix well. Cover and chill until needed.
Salsa verde
Bright, punchy salsa verde is easy to make and goes perfectly with tomahawk. Put 25g fresh parsley leaves, 2 tbsp capers, ½ garlic clove, 4 anchovy fillets, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp red wine vinegar and 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil into a food processor, and blend until fairly smooth. Cover and chill until needed.
Sauces & butters to buy
If you’d rather chat with your barbecue guests than make your own sauces, try our ready-prepared sauces and butters.
6 TIPS for a tremendous tomahawk
6 TIPS for a tremendous tomahawk
Before cooking, let the meat come to room temperature, and season with salt.
The easiest way to make sure the steak is cooked exactly the way you like it is to use a temperature probe: rare should be 48°C, medium rare 52°C, medium 58°C, medium well 62°C and well done 68°C.
During cooking, baste the meat with melted butter or with beef dripping, which adds extra flavour.
After cooking, let your steak rest on a wire rack over a tray in a warm place for 10-20 minutes (depending on the size). This allows the muscle to relax, so the meat stays tender.
Always slice the meat against the grain.
Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt.
