Reverse-Seared Tomahawk Ribeye: Hey Grill Hey’s Recipe

Sizzling tomahawk steak grilling over flame for a delicious barbecue experience.

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This recipe is taken from Susie Bulloch’s “Perfect Reverse Seared Tomahawk Steak” on Hey Grill, Hey. It is a slow-smoke-then-sear method for one big bone-in ribeye. We are reporting her published recipe, not our own test results. Celsius conversions are ours, and where her page contradicts itself or the USDA guidance, both figures are shown.

A tomahawk is a bone-in ribeye with the rib bone left almost fully attached. Bulloch says the long bone adds nothing in flavor but makes for a striking presentation. If you want the general logic of cooking a thick cut at low heat first and searing last, this site has a separate reverse-sear technique article; this page sticks to her recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 tomahawk steak, about 3 pounds (roughly 1.4 kg)
  • 2 tablespoons of her Beef Rub, or 2 teaspoons each of salt, pepper and garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pads
  • Hardwood for smoke. She used oak and says hickory or alder also work.

The recipe card lists two servings.

Choosing the Steak

Bulloch looks for bright red meat with no dark or brownish spots, and suggests checking it away from the meat-case lighting. If you buy from a butcher, she says her butcher cuts hers from the center of the rack, as thick as she likes. She also wants good marbling, and for ribeyes she picks a steak with a large spinalis muscle on top and a well-marbled eye in the center.

Method

  1. Take the chill off. Remove the steak from the fridge 1 to 2 hours before cooking so it comes to room temperature.
  2. Heat the grill or smoker to 225°F (about 107°C).
  3. Season. Coat all sides liberally with the rub or salt and pepper, and press it into the meat with your hand rather than sprinkling. She warns that tomahawks are notoriously thick and need plenty of seasoning.
  4. Smoke. Set the steak directly on the grates, close the lid, and cook until the internal temperature is within 10°F of your target doneness. Her recipe card says to cook to 115°F (46°C) for medium rare and reports about 1 hour.
  5. Heat the skillet. Take the steak off to a plate. Warm a cast-iron skillet (the recipe card says medium-high; the post text says high), add the butter and let it melt and bubble. If searing on the grill instead, brush each side with butter.
  6. Sear. Sear each side for about 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches the doneness you want.
  7. Rest 10 to 15 minutes, then slice.

Pull Temperatures

The recipe card’s final temperatures are 125°F (52°C) for rare, 135°F (57°C) for medium rare, 145°F (63°C) for medium, 155°F (68°C) for medium well and 160°F (71°C) for well done. She recommends medium rare. The post also carries a table of temperatures for taking the steak off the smoker: 115°F for rare, 125°F for medium rare, 135°F for medium, 145°F for medium well and 150°F for well done. That table says 125°F for medium rare, whereas the recipe card says 115°F. The post’s text says to pull the steak about 10°F short of your desired doneness, which fits the table (125°F out, 135°F final) but not the card’s 115°F. Because the two disagree, rely on your thermometer and check it during the sear.

Food Safety Note

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service advises cooking beef steaks to a minimum of 145°F (63°C), followed by a rest of at least three minutes. Bulloch’s medium-rare target of 135°F is below that, and only her medium (145°F) matches it. If you want to follow the USDA figure, finish the sear at 145°F and rest the steak for at least three minutes. Her 10 to 15 minute rest meets that timing.

Skillet or Grill for the Sear

For the sear, Bulloch offers two routes: a preheated 12-inch cast-iron skillet with melted butter, or the grill turned to high with butter brushed on the steak. The recipe card describes only the skillet.

Timing Notes

Bulloch gives roughly 1 hour of smoke and a total time of 1 hour 15 minutes, but tells readers to cook by thermometer, not clock, since every steak varies. A quick-read thermometer is, in her words, the most important tool for this method. She explains the appeal of reverse searing as an evenly cooked interior, as opposed to dry outer edges and a raw center.

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