Tomahawk
Ribeye • Dramatic • Rich • Expensive
Scorecard
What does tomahawk taste like?
A tomahawk tastes like a ribeye — rich, juicy and heavily marbled. You're mostly paying extra for the long bone and the presentation.
What does tomahawk look like?
A thick round ribeye attached to a long, cleaned rib bone that looks like an axe handle.
Choose Tomahawk if you like
- • a showpiece steak
- • rich marbling
- • sharing at the table
Skip it if
- • you want value for money
- • you want a smaller portion
Where it comes from: Rib section, cut with the full rib bone — the rib section. See the beef cut chart.
Also called: Cowboy Steak, Bone-in Ribeye.
Often seen in: Steakhouses, United States, Australia.
How to cook tomahawk
Tomahawk
Medium rare- Best methods
- Reverse sear · Grill with two heat zones
- Typical thickness
- 2 in / 5 cm+
- Time per side
- 2–3 min sear after 35–50 min at 250°F / 120°C
- Rest
- 12 min
- Pull from heat at
- 130°F
- Final after resting
- 135°F
The bone insulates one side. Rotate it during the slow phase and finish over direct fire.
Common mistake: Treating it like a normal steak — it needs the slow phase first.
What to eat and drink with tomahawk
Ribeye flavor at showpiece scale. Keep the plate simple so the cut stays the centerpiece, but bring acid.
Sides
Grilled charred vegetablesCrowd favorite
Smoke matches smoke; bitterness balances heavy marbling.
Smashed potatoes with garlicCrowd favorite
A sturdy starch for a sharing cut.
Sauces
ChimichurriClassic
The go-to for fatty grilled beef across South America.
Café de Paris butterClassic
Herb-and-anchovy butter, a steakhouse tradition for large grilled cuts.
Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon or BordeauxSommelier consensus
Firm tannin is required at this fat level.
Priorat or Douro redSommelier consensus
Dense and structured for a big grilled cut.