Smoking Tomahawk Steaks
I’ve recently taken the plunge and bought a new BBQ Smoker. It’s a Oklahoma Joe Highlander, truly a magnificent piece of hardware am I am very impressed by it. I’ll go into more detail in a later post discussing the pros and cons and the different mods I either have made or plan to make to it, but for now, I wanted to discuss the first cook I did.
Last Thursday, for my Birthday, I cooked some delicious Tomahawk steaks, and I’m excited to share my recipe with you. If you’re not familiar with Tomahawk steaks, they’re usually around 32 ounces and are a great choice for a special occasion or a treat for yourself.
Firstly, I dry-brined the steak for up to 4 hours, using around half a teaspoon of salt on each side of the steak. This step helps to season the meat, and the salt draws out some of the moisture, which makes for a more flavorful and tender steak. Since this cut is so large, it really does make sense to do this. I used salt flakes, but you can use rock salt or kosher salt if you prefer.
Next, I applied a very liberal coating of extra virgin olive oil to the steak, followed by a dry rub. You can use whatever blend of spices you like, but I recommend finding a recipe that complements the rich, beefy flavor of the steak. Last year, we took a family holiday to the USA, and I picked up the house seasoning from the Beef Palace, Huntington CA. We tried it a few times on the BBQ during the holiday and found it tasted awesome.
I got my OK Joe up to a temperature of around 110C and kept it there for the duration of the cook. Once the smoker was up to level and ready, I put the steak in the cooking chamber and monitored the internal temperature of the steak until it reached around 43C.
At this point, I removed the steak from the smoker and placed it directly over the coals to sear it for its final cook. I brought the steak up to 54C for medium-rare or 50C for slightly rarer. Remember, the steak will continue to cook for a few minutes after you take it off the grill, so make sure to take it off a few degrees before your desired level of doneness.
Finally, I let the steak rest for as long as I could handle it. Resting the meat allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful steak. After resting, I sliced the steak and served it with some salad and chips along with a large glass of red wine.
It was such an awesome thing to cook!