Sprache wechseln
Carving into a tomahawk straight off the coals doesn’t just make for an impressive centrepiece at the table. Done properly, this meal will remain firmly imbedded in the minds of all who savoured it.
Considering this is an expensive cut of meat, it’s worthwhile paying a little more attention to preparation and cooking. Often more than five centimetres thick, it’s all too easy to end up with a piece of meat overcooked on the outside, cold and raw in the centre.
To begin with, take the tomahawk out of the fridge around two hours before you want to start cooking so it can come up to room temperature. If the tomahawk was deep frozen, begin thawing it out slowly in the fridge at least two days before you need it.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 5 Min.
COOK TIME 50 Min.
EQUIPMENT Charcoal grill, meat thermometer, tinfoil
INGREDIENTS
Tomahawk steak, approx. 1 kg
Sea salt
Melted butter
Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and generously grind some sea salt over all its surfaces, patting it down with your hands. Personally, I prefer a simple and slightly salty crust to compliment the natural flavours, but feel free to use your favourite rub or spices as well.
Next, get a good portion of briquettes in the barbecue up to full heat. When they are grey and covered with an even coat of ash, you’re good to go. Now push them all to one side of the barbecue to create a two-zone cooking area and lay the tomahawk on the grate above the area free of coals. The idea here is to gently heat the meat and cook it until it is almost ready. Turn the meat over every four or five minutes and rotate its position so that all areas are treated to the heat evenly and watch out for hotspots.
This part of cooking can easily take up to 30 minutes depending on the temperature of your coals. Just don’t rush it. After about fifteen minutes, check the temperature with a thermo-meter. As a guide, when the meat is ready to be served the core temperature should be approx. rare 50°C (125°F) / medium 60°C (140°F) / well done +68°C (+155°F).
However, you want to stop the slow cook at 45°C / 55°C / 63°C, wrap the meat in foil and leave it to calm for about ten to fifteen minutes. In the meantime, bring the briquettes up to full heat and spread them across the grill in preparation for a full-on sear. You can lower the grate as well if you like.
Open the foil and brush melted butter on the surface of the meat. Place over the coals butter side down and sear for one minute. Brush the top side with butter, turn over, and sear for another minute. Finally, hold the tomahawk on its side to sear the fatty side of the meat too. Adjust the sear time to create the look of the meat that you want…but don’t overdo it.
Transfer the meat to a board and start carving (not too) thin slices. Enjoy!
Overland Chef: Mike Brailey
Photography: Tristan Brailey
