Brace yourselves friends. This one is SO super simple and SO fabulous that you’re about to knock your entertaining capabilities through the roof.
Yesterday we had planned to toss some steaks on the smoker (get the Traeger- it’s worth every penny) when JT stumbled upon a gorgeous tomahawk chop ribeye at our local Buy N Large location. We’ve talked about getting one in the past, but I’ll admit, I was apprehensive of even trying to cook that monster for a number of reasons.
1: It’s a gigantic cut of meat
2. I hate kitchen failure, and if I screwed up something like that, literally no one would have anything to eat.
Anyway, I digress. I was feeling froggy and decided to give it a whirl. And it. was. amazing. Like, JT would ask me to marry him again kind of amazing. Like Gordon Ramsay wouldn’t even have anything bad to say kind of amazing. No idiot sandwich for this girl. So, without further ado- here’s the recipe and the steps.
Ingredients:
- One tomahawk chop ribeye steak (36-42 oz) Side note: these may also be called “Cowboy Chops/Steak”
- Four tablespoons unsalted butter (trust me on this- you WANT unsalted as there’s already going to be enough salt going on in this dish)
- Kosher salt- just buy the big box, you can always use it.
- fresh ground black pepper
- fresh thyme sprigs
- Three cloves or so of minced garlic- I buy the squeezy tube from the store. Yes, it’s cheating. No, I don’t care.
- Olive oil (about two tablespoons)
Supplies
- One skillet pan
- One cookie sheet
- One meat thermometer that will read at least 110 degrees F.
- Stovetop
- Oven
Now, I know you’ve made it this far, and have started thinking, “what the hell, Liz? No grill??” and Yes, to that I say, “NO GRILL!” Don’t worry, hell has not frozen over, and it will not do so either when you make this fabulous steak.
Step 1: Remove your steak from the packaging and pat it all over with paper towels to dry it off. The secret to a really good crust on a steak is the removal of the moisture which allows this process to occur.
Step 2: LIBERALLY apply kosher salt all over the surface of your steak, sides included. It’s going to feel like too much salt, but it’s not, I promise. The salt helps dry out the surface, plus gives it a super boost in terms of flavor production. See my picture here? Make it look like this!
Step 3: Pepper your steak on all sides to your liking. This doesn’t need to get crazy like the salt, but the pepper will definitely add flavor to this marbled beauty. Now, let your steak sit and start to come up to room temperature. 20-30 minutes is just fine. The concept of letting steaks come to room temp is hotly debated but the reason we’re having this one sit is to allow the salt to do its magic.
Step 4: Get your burner going on high heat- place your skillet on the burner and add your olive oil. You’re going to want to get it to the point it’s starting to smoke. Also, get your oven going on 375
Now here’s where it gets fun. Take your steak and place it in the skillet. DO NOT MOVE IT. The steak will release when it’s supposed to. After the first 1 minute, turn your heat down to med-high. Again, do not move the steak. Let it continue to cook for another 5 minutes. THEN flip it and do 4 minutes on the other side. No need to try and do the sides. DO NOT DITCH THE JUICES IN THE PAN. Keep it; you’ll be using it again in a few moments.
Step 5: Once you’ve done both sides of your steak, place it on a cookie sheet. I highly suggest sides on the pan or you’ll wind up with an oven full of juices. Wrap the bone portion of your steak with a wet paper towel and some foil over the top of that if you wish (makes for a fun presentation later when you have a beautiful steak and the white of the bone)
Roast the steak in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the middle of your steak reads 125 degrees. 125 will be medium rare, but it will continue to rise in temp when you pull it and let it rest.
Step 6: Meanwhile, back on the farm, while your steak is in the oven, you’ll need to start prepping your skillet from before. Add your garlic and start to sauteé on medium-low heat. You want to saute it, not make it shoot flaming hot bits of garlic all over your kitchen. Once your garlic starts to cook, add your butter and melt it down, making sure you mix all of the juices, garlic and butter together. Then, add your thyme sprigs. I used about 7, but feel free to add what you’d like.
When your steak has reached its internal temperature, pull it from the oven and put it straight back into the pan with your butter mix. Spoon this sauce over the top, ensuring you baste it well. Then, flip the steak and do the other side. You want those juices all over.
Step 7: Move your steak to a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil and rest it for 10 minutes. Don’t short the time on this step. The resting stage allows those juices to settle back into the meat giving you that juiciness that your guests will crave.
After your resting stage, you can present it with the bone on, or cut it up for easier dishing. I chose to do the latter and cut it diagonally like so:
We had our steak with asparagus and mashed potatoes along with a side of Brazilian cheese bread called Paõ de Queijo. I’ll add that recipe soon so keep your eyes peeled. They’re amazing but need to be eaten warm. These are served at a great Brazilian Steakhouse called Fogo De Chao and are really quite simple to make!
And that’s it! Simple, right? One steak (41 oz) cost us $29 and fed five people. I looked at some menus of steakhouses here in Rapid City, the one we go to in Cheyenne, and one we went to in Colorado Springs. The average consensus is that a steak of that size runs $85-$90 before you even get a side, drinks, or pay gratuity.
DIY is definitely the way to go to have an amazing at home meal where you can actually relax and not break the bank.
Now it’s your turn. I want to see your pictures when you make this for your families!