This smoked tomahawk steak is the ultimate show-stopping cut, infused with rich, smoky flavor and finished with a high-heat sear for a perfect crust. Juicy, tender, and bursting with bold flavor, it’s the ideal centerpiece for any barbecue gathering.
Course barbecue, BBQ, dinner, Grilling, Main Course
Cuisine American, Barbecue, Grill
Keyword beef, How to smoke a tomahawk steak, meat, pellet smoker tomahawk steak, reverse seared tomhawk steak, show-stopping, smoked
Prep Time 2 hourshours5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Resting Time 15 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Calories 24kcal
Author Bon Appeteach
Ingredients
3 lb.Tomahawk Ribeye Steak
1tbsp.Kosher Salt
1tbspBlack Pepper
1tbsp.Olive Oil
Additional Rubsas desired
Instructions
Dry Brining
Read through the dry brining section in the article above. Set aside a minimum of 2 hours (but best if done at least a day ahead of time) for this process.
Remove the tomahawk steak from the packaging and pat it dry with paper towels.
Salt the entire steak, top, bottom, and sides.
Place it over a wire rack sitting over a smaller baking sheet (so the air moves around the steak). Leave it uncovered and place the tomahawk steak into the fridge.
Allow the salt to penetrate and absorb into the meat.
Smoking
Remove the steak about 30-45 minutes prior to smoking from the fridge.
Lightly oil it and add any additional seasonings (black pepper or other steak rub of choice).
Preheat the smoker (can be pellet, charcoal, or even gas) to 225 F.
Place the tomahawk steak onto the smoker grates and insert a smoke probe thermometer into the center of the meat.
Let the tomahawk smoke until it hits an internal temperature of 110-115 F.
Remove the steak and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Searing
While the steak rests, either increase the temperature and set the smoker up for searing or light a gas grill as needed. The grill should reach a minimum temperature of 600 F.
Place the tomahawk steak down onto the grill grates over direct heat and sear about 60-90 seconds. Be cautious of flare up's from the fat cap on the steak.
Flip to sear the reverse side of the tomahawk and repeat as needed to create the grill marks or until the steak hits a desired level of doneness. For medium rare, remove the tomahawk steak from the grill when it hits 125 F.
Let the steak rest, tented under foil about 10 minutes.
Serving:
Use a boning knife and remove the steak from the bone. Set the bone aside.
Slice the steak into thin pieces, against the grain for tender steak.
Place the steak meat and the bone back onto a platter and fan the meat out.
Serve with your favorite sides and some compound butter.