Dry Brine Tomahawk Steak
The short version. Season the tomahawk on every side with salt, pepper and garlic and leave it uncovered on a wire rack in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. Smoke it at 225 to 250°F until the center reads 115 to 120°F, mist it with beef tallow, then sear it hard for about 90 seconds a side plus the edges. Rest 10 minutes uncovered, carve the meat off the bone and slice it against the grain.
A tomahawk is a bone-in ribeye with the full rib bone left on, usually two inches thick or more and two to three pounds. That thickness is exactly why it belongs on the reverse sear. Cook it hot the whole way and you get a thick grey band under the crust before the center is ready. Bring it up slowly and the whole thing is the same pink from edge to edge.
The dry brine is what makes the crust. A steak this thick has the time and the mass to take a long brine, and a day or two on the rack seasons it all the way to the bone while drying the surface so the sear browns instantly.
At a glance
- Serves: 2 to 3
- Steak: 1 tomahawk, 2 to 2.5 lb, about 2 inches thick
- Dry brine: 24 to 48 hours, uncovered, on a rack in the fridge
- Low stage: 225 to 250°F indirect, about 75 to 100 minutes
- Pull for medium rare: 115 to 120°F
- Sear: about 90 seconds per side, plus the fat edge
- Rest: 10 minutes, uncovered
Dry brine it, and do not rinse it
Pat the steak dry and season every side, including the edges and the meat around the bone, with Livia's Salt Pepper Garlic, about a teaspoon per pound. Set it on a wire rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate it uncovered for 24 to 48 hours.
Do not rinse it afterward. Rinsing puts water back on the surface you just spent two days drying, and a wet surface steams instead of searing. The salt has already worked its way in, so the surface will taste seasoned, not salty.
Pitmaster tip: The steak will look dry and darker after a day or two on the rack. That is exactly what you want. If you like a heavier crust, add a light dusting of The Rocks All Red Meat Rub by Whiskey Bent BBQ right before it goes on. It carries salt too, so keep it light.
The low stage
Run a smoker at 225 to 250°F, or set up two zones on a grill with the cool side in that range. Oak, hickory or cherry all suit beef. Lay the tomahawk on the cool side with the bone pointing away from the heat so it does not scorch.
Probe the thickest part of the eye with an instant read thermometer, from the side and at least half an inch away from the bone. Bone conducts heat differently and will throw off the reading. Pull it when the center reads 115 to 120°F for medium rare. On a two-inch steak that is usually 75 to 100 minutes, but go by the number, not the clock.
The sear
Get the hot side as hot as it will go, at least 500°F at the grate. Pat the surface dry, give it a light mist of wagyu beef tallow spray, and sear about 90 seconds a side with the lid open. Then stand it up on the fat edge for 30 seconds to render it. A tomahawk is heavy, so use the bone as a handle with a gloved hand or long tongs.
Shake Heath Riles Garlic Butter Rub over it straight off the heat and rest it 10 minutes, uncovered. Foil traps steam against the crust and softens it.
Carve it
Run your knife along the bone to take the eye off in one piece, then slice it about a half inch thick against the grain. Fan the slices back against the bone to serve. Put Rufus Teague Steak Sauce on the side for anyone who wants it. The full recipe card is below, and pull temperatures for every doneness level are in our reverse sear guide.
Everything in this cook, in one box.
The Upper Crust Steak Box has the thermometer, the brining rack, the wagyu tallow spray, Livia's SPG, The Rocks, Heath Riles Garlic Butter Rub and Rufus Teague Steak Sauce. Free US shipping.
Get the Upper Crust Steak BoxWant new rubs and sauces to try every delivery? See the Grill Masters Club subscription.
Keep going
2
10 minutes
1 hours 45 minutes
24-48 hours
A tomahawk is a two-inch bone-in ribeye built for the reverse sear. Season it with Livia's SPG and let it dry brine uncovered on a wire rack for a day or two, so the salt works in and the surface dries for a hard crust. Smoke it low to an even medium rare, mist it with wagyu tallow and sear it hot. Finish it with Garlic Butter Rub, then carve it off the bone.
Directions
Pat the steak dry with paper towels and season every side, the edges and around the bone with Livia's SPG.
Set it on a wire rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 24 to 48 hours. Do not rinse it afterward.
Run your smoker at 225 to 250°F, or set up a two-zone grill with the cool side in that range.
Dust lightly with The Rocks if you want a heavier crust.
Place the steak on the cool side, bone pointing away from the heat, with a thermometer in the center of the eye at least half an inch from the bone.
Cook until the center reads 115 to 120°F for medium rare, about 75 to 100 minutes.
Remove it and get the hot side as hot as it will go, 500°F or more.
Pat dry, mist with wagyu beef tallow spray and sear about 90 seconds a side, then 30 seconds on the fat edge.
Shake Heath Riles Garlic Butter Rub over it straight off the heat.
Rest 10 minutes, uncovered. Carve the eye off the bone, slice against the grain and serve with Rufus Teague Steak Sauce.
Join 100,000+ Grill Masters
Get weekly recipes, pro tips, and exclusive deals sent straight to your inbox. Plus your free Pit Card download and 10% off your first order.
