GrillinFools
A tomahawk ribeye steak seasoned and slow smoked on a charcoal grill to 115F. Then the tomahawk is seared hot and fast in a cast iron pan with butter, herbs and garlic. That is how to grill a tomahawk in a cast iron pan.
Remember the best steak you ever ate or made? The best steak I ever made (and ate) was a reverse-seared prime grade ribeye. Slowly warmed with indirect heat and kissed with post oak smoke then seared and served.
Now that I think about it. Maybe the best steak I ever made was a prime ribeye seared in a cast iron skillet and bathed and basted with butter, oil, garlic, and herbs. Hmmmm. This is tougher than I thought it would be. I really loved both recipes. I wonder if I combine the two methods I can top them both. Take the best of both recipes to make the ultimate steak!
I don’t know if this will be the greatest steak recipe for all eternity, but it’s close.
And if it isn’t? Hey, I can always try again next week!?!
How to Grill a Tomahawk in a Cast Iron Pan Ingredients:
- 1 tomahawk beef steak, approximately 3 lbs
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup coarse ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup granulated garlic
- 1/2 cup oil-divided (I used olive but prefer grape seed or avocado for high heat)
- 1/2 lb butter (two sticks)
- 3 whole cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup finely sliced shallots
- 6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme (sub rosemary if you prefer)
- 1 chunk of favorite smoke wood (I used post oak)
To begin the search for the most awesomest steak recipe ever, we’re going to need a steak, a really big steak! Don’t even try this with anything on the shy side of 1.5 inches thick. 2 inches would be better.
And if I’m going to go big here, I might as well go with a tomahawk!
Because nothing says awesome like 18 inches of bone that cost $19.99/pound that nobody will eat!?
OK, it looks good in the pics and on the Gram! We’re not afraid to admit that.
Let’s check this steak out. Will it fit on my grill?
We’re also going to need a cast iron pan. If you don’t have one, here is my go to pan that’s less than $25. That’s a steal considering it will last many lifetimes. And to maintain your cast iron, we highly recommend this stuff called Crisbee. It looks like deodorant but it is amazing at keeping the rust off the cast iron. One stick of this stuff should last many years. We met the makers of Crisbee a few years ago at the World Food Championships. Phenomenal people.
How to Prep a Tomahawk Steak
The tomahawk was brought to room temperature then seasoned with simple kosher salt and coarse black pepper. It’s OK to add in a bit of granulated garlic too. A light application of oil will aid in the seasoning adhering to the meat. Usually a high heat oil such as canola, grape seed, or avocado oil works best for this recipe.
And just because we love this monster steak, let’s feature it one more time:
Here’s the steak with the seasoning applied.
Often, I’ll salt the steak a couple hours prior to grilling for a quick dry brine.
Ready for the grill:
How do you cook a tomahawk steak in a cast iron pan
We will start off by smoking the tomahawk as the first part of the reverse sear process. To do this we set up the grill for two zone cooking with coals on one side and nothing on the other:
Place the tomahawk on the cool side. Now would be a good time to toss in a chunk of smoke wood. I’ve found that post oak works really well with beef but other hardwoods would work also:
Here’s what was used for the skillet finish of the big ole hunk of beef.
Butter, oil, garlic, shallots, and fresh thyme sprigs:
How long do you grill a tomahawk steak for?
We don’t cook to time, we cook to temp. Our target temp here is between 125F-135F. To get there we slow cook/smoke the steak until it reaches 110F-115F degrees internal temperature. You definitely need a instant read thermometer to get this right. A handy dandy instant read probe thermometer is a must have (and HIGHLY recommended by the Grillin’ Fools):
***Editor’s Note ~ That 115 reading is at the outer edge of the steak. I bet a reading closer to the middle would’ve shown the steak was at 110 or even a few degrees lower***
Can you grill in a cast iron pan?
Absolutely. We’ve already imparted some lovely smoke flavor into that tomahawk and now we need to form that flavor crust on the outside and bring up the temp on the steak 10F-15F.
To do so, heat the cast iron skillet on the hot side of the grill and add the oil:
How to Grill a Tomahawk in a Cast Iron Pan
When the oil is hot, quickly sear the steak on both sides. Next add in the butter, garlic, shallot, and thyme. Using a spoon, continually baste and bathe the beef with the melted mixture until the desired temperature is reached. I usually target 125F-135F for medium rare:
Remove the rib eye from the cast iron and set on a cutting board to rest:
For a steak this size, a minimum of a five minute rest is needed, if not 10
Sliced and plated:
How to Grill a Tomahawk in a Cast Iron Pan Summary
Where’s the bone? Probably in my hand that isn’t holding the camera. Save the pan juices and drizzle over for a delightful buttery finish. So was it the ultimate steak recipe? Well, that’s for you to decide. As for me, I’m going to keep trying to perfect perfection. I think I need to get a bigger skillet though.
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How to Grill a Tomahawk in a Cast Iron Pan Recipe Card:
How to Grill a Tomahawk in a Cast Iron Pan
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tomahawk beef steak (preferably choice or prime grade and approximately 3 lbs)
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup coarse ground black pepper
- ¼ cup granulated garlic
- ½ cup oil divided (I used olive but prefer grape seed or avocado for high heat)
- ½ lb salted butter (2 stick)
- ½ cup shallots finely sliced
- 3 clove garlic
- 6 to 8 sprig fresh thyme (substitute rosemary if you prefer)
- 1 chunk your favorite smoke wood (I used post oak)
Instructions
- Season the steak liberally with salt, pepper and garlic, being sure to hit the top, bottom and the sides
- Set up the grill for indirect or two zone grilling which means coals on one side and nothing on the other, or coals at the bottom and a plate setter in the middle in the case of a kamado grill
- Toss in a chunk of hardwood for smoke flavor (oak and pecan work beautifully here)
- Smoke the steak on the cool side until it reaches 110F
- Stoke up the fire and place the cast iron skillet over the heat and pour in the oil
- When the oil is piping hot, sear the steak on both sides and then drop in the butter, garlic, shallots, and herbs
- Spoon the butter mixture over the steak over and over, basting it in flavor
- Flip the steak over and repeat on the other side
- When the steak reaches 125-130 (rare), remove from the heat to let it rest. If you like your steak a little more well done, continue to baste until it is where you like it
- Let the steak rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes
- Slice and serve
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