BGE Reverse-Sear Tomahawk Steak

Food

BGE Reverse-Sear Tomahawk Steak

Two kilos of theatre — from gentle smoke to screaming heat

Prep 20 min
Cook 90 min
Servings 2
Equipment bge
The tomahawk steak is, by any honest reckoning, absurd. It is a ribeye with 30 to 40 centimetres of rib bone still attached — a handle nature didn't intend and engineering improved upon — and it exists almost entirely as an act of theatre. This is not a criticism. Theatre has its place, and when that place is a dining table at ten on a Saturday night, the tomahawk is exactly correct. What makes the reverse-sear method genuinely superior — not just fashionable — is physics. A steak this thick, taken from cold grill to screaming sear in the conventional order, will have a grey band of overcooked meat under the crust for the first centimetre on each side. The reverse sear eliminates the problem entirely. You bring the interior to temperature first, slowly, at 107°C, so the whole cut is a uniform blush of medium-rare from edge to edge. Then, and only then, do you go to 400°C-plus for the crust — ninety seconds per side, the Maillard reaction running hard, the fat crackling, the bark forming. The Big Green Egg handles this transition better than almost any other cooker. Its ceramic walls hold low heat with uncanny steadiness. Then open the vents fully, add a chimney of lit charcoal if needed, and it climbs to temperatures that would embarrass a pizza oven. One rule: dry-brine overnight. Salt draws moisture to the surface, then back in. The crust it produces is a different order of thing.

Scale Recipe

1 10 20

Instructions

0/7 complete

Dry brine the night before

Pat the steak completely dry. Season all surfaces — including the bone and the edges — with the fine sea salt. Place on a wire rack set over a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 12–24 hours.

The surface will look slightly tacky by morning. This is correct.

Make the herb butter

Beat the softened butter until light. Fold in the thyme, rosemary, chives, garlic, lemon zest and flaky salt. Roll into a cylinder in cling film and refrigerate. Remove 30 minutes before serving so it can soften.

Set up the BGE for low indirect heat

Remove the steak from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Set up the Big Green Egg for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor in place. Stabilise at 107°C (225°F). Add one or two small chunks of cherry or oak wood for a gentle smoke note — not hickory, which would overpower the beef.

Smoke to temperature

Place the steak bone-side down on the grill grate. Close the lid and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 46°C (115°F) for medium-rare. This will take 45–75 minutes depending on the thickness.

Do not open the lid more than necessary. Each opening loses 10 minutes of cooking time.

Re-configure for the sear

Remove the steak and tent loosely with foil. Remove the convEGGtor and open all vents fully. Add a chimney of pre-lit lump charcoal if needed to reach maximum temperature — 370°C (700°F) minimum at the grate. Allow 15 minutes for the grill to reach full heat.

Sear

Pat the steak surface dry one more time. Brush lightly with neutral oil. Place directly over the coals. Sear 90 seconds per side, rotating 45° halfway through each side to achieve crosshatch marks. Sear the fat cap by holding the steak on its edge with tongs. Total sear time: 6–8 minutes.

Stand close. This is not a step to walk away from.

Rest and serve

Transfer to a board and rest for 10–15 minutes. Place two generous rounds of herb butter on the meat during the rest — they will melt into the crust. Slice against the grain, perpendicular to the bone, in 1.5cm slices. Present on the board with the bone.
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