Tomahawk steak is a cut of beef ribeye that has five or more inches of extra rib bone for presentation purposes. It’s called a “tomahawk” cut because the long bone resembles a single-handed axe. Tomahawk steaks are also known as “cowboy” steak. Whatever name you know this cut of meat as, it is a very big cut of beef that is expensive but it is tender, packed with a lot of flavour and can easily feed four or five people.
I recently made a tomahawk steak to celebrate Paul’s birthday. In our house when it is your birthday, you can request any meal you choose. Paul of course being a HUGE carnivore requested a Tomahawk steak. Given the size of a Tomahawk steak, needless to say I wouldn’t let him eat it all on his own, so I thought it would be fun to have friends over to share this wonderful cut of meat and serve it family style for dinner.

Tomahawk Steak Served Family Style

Here is what you will need:

For the dinner:

• 1 tomahawk or cowboy steak
• Olive oil
• Rub
• Thyme butter

For the rub:

• 2 tbsp of paprika
• 2 tbsp of crush black pepper
• 2 tbsp of kosher salt
• 1 tbsp of granulated garlic
• 1 tbsp of granulated onion
• 1 tbsp of crushed corriander
• 1 tbsp of dill
• 1 tbsp of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp of coffee grinds (coffee grinds help to enhance the flavour of the beef)
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar
• Mix all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl and set aside.

For the thyme butter:

• 1 stick of butter at room temperature
• 2 tbsp of fresh thyme
• In a small bowl mix butter and thyme until well blended. Wrap butter in parchment paper, then in plastic wrap (making sure it is well sealed) and put in the freezer until frozen (minimum of 2 hours).

Note: Thyme butter can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month.

Here is how to make the steak:

• Heat the grill until it reaches 375°.
• Take the steak out of the fridge and let it rest for about 45 minutes or until it is at room temperature.
• Place steak on a baking pan large enough to fit the steak.
• Rub the entire steak with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Then rub the entire streak with the steak rub. Save remaining steak rub for another day.
• Sear the steak for 2 – 3 minutes. If your BBQ doesn’t have a side sear, heat your grill to 600° and sear the meat 2 – 3 minutes, take the steak off and lower the temperature of the grill to 375°.
• Place the steak on the grill on direct heat and cook until the internal temperature reaches 150°.

• Take the steak off the grill, top with 2 tablespoons of the frozen thyme butter and let the steak rest for 10 minutes.
• After the steak has rested, I like to cut it into thin slices and serve on a platter family style with caesar salad. You can find my caesar salad recipe here: Easy Dinner: Steak and Caesar Salad

I hope this recipe inspires you in your kitchen – enjoy!