Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak (Oven + Grill, Medium Rare)

A tomahawk steak is one of those things I love making when people are coming over. It looks impressive, but it's really just a thick bone-in ribeye, and cooking it well comes down to patience and a good thermometer.

this recipe

If a tomahawk is more steak than you need, try my Wagyu strip steak for a smaller cut with plenty of flavor. And when I want a sauce to spoon over grilled beef, my chimichurri rojo gives it a smoky, garlicky finish without getting in the way of the steak.

Ingredients

Start with a thick bone-in tomahawk ribeye, kosher salt, and black pepper. Use a little neutral oil if needed for searing. A compound butter and flaky salt are optional finishing touches-not requirements.

• Bone-in tomahawk ribeye, 2.5 inches thick
• Kosher salt (for the dry brine)
• Coarsely cracked black pepper
• Cow's Rule Garlic & Herb Compound Butter (basil, parsley, freshly crushed garlic - Bleu Cheese & Chive or Au Poivre as alternates)
• Florida Pure Sea Salt Pure Flaked Sea Salt (finishing flake)
• Neutral oil (optional, for the sear)

Tomahawk Reverse Sear Time & Temp Calculator

Use the thickness and doneness settings to estimate how long the low-oven stage might take. A leave-in thermometer is still the best guide. For medium-rare results, the recipe uses a low oven followed by a short high-heat sear.

How to Reverse Sear a Tomahawk Steak

Pat the steak dry and season it well. Set it on a rack over a baking sheet and cook in a low oven until it reaches the recipe's recommended temperature for the searing stage. Watch the thermometer, not the clock.

When the steak is ready, heat the grill until it's very hot. Sear the tomahawk briefly on each side, then brown the fat edge with tongs if needed. Let it rest before slicing, and finish with a little flaky salt or compound butter if you like.

Dry brine

Pat the tomahawk dry on both sides and along the bone. Season generously with kosher salt and cracked pepper on both faces and the fat-cap edge. Rest on a wire rack at room temp for 30 to 45 minutes. (For a deeper brine, salt the night before and refrigerate uncovered.)

Probe the temperature

The thermometer is the recipe. Insert a leave-in probe into the thickest part of the meat, parallel to the bone, not touching the bone - bone reads cooler than meat. Whether you're checking at the 45-minute mark or pulling at 115°F, the number on the screen is your only truth.

Slow roast in the oven to 115°F

Preheat the oven to 225°F. Set the steak on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan. Start checking the probe at 45 minutes. Pull the second it reads 115°F - 60 to 90 minutes total for a 2.5-inch tomahawk. Not 120, not "close enough." 115.

Tent, fire the grill, sear

Tent the steak loosely with foil for 10 minutes while you fire the grill - full open vents on a kettle, all burners on high on gas. Pull the foil. Lay the steak directly over the hot grates for 60 to 90 seconds per side. Flip once. Stand it on the fat-cap edge with tongs for 30 seconds to render the cap. Mahogany crust, not black.

Butter, slice, salt

Move the steak to a clean board. Drop a tablespoon of Cow's Rule Bleu Cheese & Chive Compound Butter directly on the hot meat - it melts and pools across the surface in seconds. Rest 5 minutes uncovered. Slice off the bone, then against the grain into half-inch pieces. Finish each slice with a flake of Florida Pure Sea Salt. Final internal: 128-30°F. Pass the board around.

Substitutions

No tomahawk? A thick bone-in ribeye works with the same approach, although the cooking time will vary. No grill? A very hot cast iron pan may work for a smaller cut that fits comfortably. If you don't have compound butter, finish with plain butter or skip it altogether.

Variations

I love this with garlic-herb butter, but a simple salt-and-pepper finish is equally good. For a steakhouse-style dinner, serve it with crispy potatoes and a big salad. A little fresh chimichurri is another nice option if you want something bright alongside the beef.

Storage

Cool leftover steak promptly, refrigerate in an airtight container and use within 3-4 days. Cold, thin slices are delicious over salad. If you reheat it, do so gently to avoid drying it out.

More from Whisk & Wine

If the reverse sear made the tomahawk look easy, the rest of the W&W shelf was built on the same curation - slow-build technique, premium ingredients, the kind of cooking that holds up at a beach-house table.

More Beef & Lamb Recipes

Try my Wagyu Strip Steak, Sous Vide Ribeye with Tomato Chimichurri, or another favorite from my beef and lamb recipes.

Reverse Sear Tomahawk Steak (Medium Rare)

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• Author: Jess @ Whisk & Wine
• Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 1 tomahawk (serves 2-3) 1x

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Description

Edge-to-edge medium rare bone-in ribeye, slow-roasted in a 225°F oven to 115°F internal, then ripped over a hot grill for the crust. Finished with Cow's Rule Garlic & Herb compound butter and Florida Pure Sea Salt.

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Ingredients

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1 bone-in tomahawk ribeye, 2.5 inches thick (about 2.5-3 lb)

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons Cow's Rule Garlic & Herb Compound Butter (or Bleu Cheese & Chive, or Au Poivre)

Florida Pure Sea Salt Pure Flaked, for finishing

1 tablespoon neutral oil, optional, for the sear

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Instructions

1. Pat the tomahawk dry on both sides and along the bone. Season generously with 2 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper on both faces and the fat-cap edge. Rest on a wire rack at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 225°F. Set the steak on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan.
3. Insert a leave-in probe thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, parallel to the bone, not touching the bone.
4. Slow roast the steak in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 115°F. Start checking at the 45-minute mark - total time is 60 to 90 minutes for a 2.5-inch tomahawk.
5. Move the steak to a board and tent loosely with foil for 10 minutes. While it rests, fire the grill to maximum heat (full open vents on a kettle, all burners on high on gas).
6. Pull the foil. Sear the steak directly over the hot grates for 60 to 90 seconds per side, flipping once.
7. Stand the steak on its fat-cap edge with tongs for 30 seconds to render the fat strip.
8. Move to a clean board. Top with 2 tablespoons Cow's Rule Garlic & Herb compound butter. Rest 5 minutes uncovered. Internal should land at 128 to 130°F.
9. Slice off the bone, then slice against the grain into ½-inch pieces. Finish each slice with a flake of Florida Pure Sea Salt right before serving.

Notes

The thermometer is the recipe. Always pull at 115°F - carryover from the sear and rest adds 13 to 18°F. Final internal is the truth, not time on the clock.

Deeper dry brine: Salt the night before and refrigerate uncovered on a wire rack. Pat dry again before the cook.

No oven, only grill: Run a two-zone fire at 225°F on the cool side to 115°F internal, then move to the hot side for the sear.

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6 oz steak