Thursday Food spotlights the tomahawk steak, that big slab of well-marbled, buttery, beefy rib-eye with a colossal bone handle that makes it look prehistoric. It’s an impressively large steak that is kept on the rib, is sufficient enough to feed two people and acquiredgets its name because of the long bone (a long rib bone) that resembles the tomahawk axe.

It comes from two muscles outside of the ribcage of the steer. These muscles are not used as much as others, which is why they are tender and soft. When you cook a tomahawk steak right, you get a rich flavour that melts in your mouth.

The Difference Between Tomahawk and Rib-eye Steak

Most people confuse rib-eye with tomahawk steak, because it is actually the same piece of meat. A tomahawk steak is a bone-in rib-eye, taken from the rib area. The butcher can sometimes take out the bone, leaving the boneless rib-eye cut.

The easiest way to differentiate tomahawk steak from rib-eye steak is through the presence of a bone — a tomahawk rib-eye steak is on the bone, and rib-eye is not. While you can cook both meat cuts on the grill, the tomahawk rib-eye requires reverse grill searing, and a normal rib-eye tastes better when cooked in the oven.

Tomahawk steaks will take longer to cook than rib-eyes because the bone serves as an insulator. They taste the same in terms of flavour, but because tomahawk steaks cook more slowly than rib-eyes, they may be juicer (if left 1-2 minutes longer on the grill).

Ultimate Tomahawk Steak

Whether you’re sharing it with a loved one or serving it up to your family, this steak is destined to impress.

Ingredients:

1 3 1/2 lb tomahawk rib-eye steak

1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

2 ½ teaspoons black pepper

Method:

Let steak stand at room temperature 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. Preheat grill to medium-high 400°F to 450°F. Sprinkle steak evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat grill grates with oil or grilling spray.

Place steak on hot grates, and grill, undisturbed, until it releases easily from the grates, about 4 minutes. Flip, and repeat on the other side. Continue grilling, turning occasionally, until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of steak registers 125°F, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 15 minutes. Run a knife along the inside edge of the bone to remove the steak from bone in 1 piece; slice against the grain.

Recipe from: www.myrecipes.com