Grilled Tomahawk Steaks

Celebrated my father in law’s 60th birthday party in a magical place called Lake Chelan in Washington.  The lake is 50.5 miles long and one of the deepest lakes in the United States.  The community is small and the majority of people who populate it our tourists due to the abundance of beauty and outdoor activities in the summer. 

We rented  a home overlooking the lake and I knew we needed a dinner that complimented our surroundings.  So I ordered a large slab of Certified Angus Tomahawk Beef that I carved into perfect 3-4 inch thick, well marbled steaks. 

These steaks have amazing flavor, BBQ well, but being brutally honest it is the size and the presentation that makes your dinner guests say “Whooa!”  I recommend serving these types of steaks on large platters and let the guests cut what they want to eat.  It makes dinner interactive and fun for your meat eaters. 

This time around I seasoned the steaks and then vacuum sealed them for 2 days to really marinade them.  Here is what I used, but I don’t feel I can tell you how much of it to use as it is a personal preference and the size of the steaks vary. 

Both Sides of the Steak:

Kosher Salt
Coarse Black Pepper
*Thick steaks love heavy salt and black pepper.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

First Side of the Steak:

Ancho Chili Powder
Worcestershire Sauce 

Second Side of the Steak:

Fresh Minced Garlic
Fresh chopped Italian Parsley
Fresh chopped Thyme 

After I put these seasonings on the steaks I used a Jaccard Steak Tenderizer to tenderize and even the steak out along with really pressing the seasoning into the meat.  I love this tool and anyone who enjoys a good steak should have one at home.  You can get it on Amazon for $20 and it is well worth it.

Tip!  Because of the sheer size of this type of steak, I cook them in the oven using a roasting pan at 350 until they are 90 degrees inside.  THEN I finished them on a hot grill outside until they are about 130 degrees.  Cooking them in the oven will prevent you from scorching the steak outside trying to get the middle of the steak cooked to the temperature you prefer.  130 degrees, then letting the steak rest for 15 minutes gives me a nice medium-rare.  I always reserve any liquid from the roasting pan used in the oven to the liquids the steaks sweat while resting and baste the steaks with it before service.  There is a ton of flavor there that most people throw away, don’t do it. 

Needless to say, the steaks were a hit, the cabernet in my hand made the entire experience spot on, and Chef Fuzio made some more memories.

Cheers,

 Chef Fuzio