Beef

Reverse Seared Tomahawk Steak — Dry Brined, Smoked, Seared Over Coals

Posted by Steve Miller on

I’d seen tomahawk steaks around several times but never felt the urge to buy one until this past weekend. I was looking for something to post that I hadn’t done before, and this was a good-looking piece of meat for only $32. I did a little research on how to prepare it and decided on the reverse sear method.

Reverse Sear Tomahawk Quick Reference

  • Dry brine: salted on a rack in the fridge, 8 hours (up to 24 with planning)
  • Smoker: 18″ Weber Smokey Mountain, charcoal with a little hickory, 225°F, water pan empty
  • Pull temp: 125°F internal, then rest 30 minutes
  • Sear: grate dropped right onto the coals, about 2 minutes total
  • Final rest: 10 minutes before slicing; came out medium rare

How I Dry Brined the Tomahawk

After a bit more research, I decided to dry brine the steak first. I salted it and placed it on an elevated rack in the refrigerator — the salt draws some moisture to the surface, which helps tenderize the steak in the process. This one went 8 hours, though with proper planning you could go as long as 24.

Tomahawk steak dry brine process

I then seasoned it with a Jack Daniels beef rub I had on hand.

Tomahawk steak seasoned with Jack Daniels beef rub

Smoking the Tomahawk at 225°F


I cooked this one on my 18″ Weber Smokey Mountain, running on charcoal with a small amount of hickory for smoke. My target smoker temp was 225°F, and I inserted a probe to track when the steak hit 125°F internal. The water pan stayed empty for this cook.

Tomahawk steak on an 18 inch Weber Smokey Mountain

Once it reached 125°F, I pulled it and let it rest 30 minutes. It had taken on some good color and a great aroma.

Tomahawk steak pulled from the smoker at 125 degrees

Reverse Searing Directly on the Coals


For the sear, I removed the middle section of the smoker and dropped the grate directly onto the charcoal. Once separated and with plenty of air getting to them, the coals came right back to life. I seared the steak about 2 minutes total, flipping a couple times for even cooking and to try for some decent grill marks.

Tomahawk steak searing directly over hot coals
Tomahawk steak searing, continued
Tomahawk steak flipped during the sear

After pulling it off, I let it rest another 10 minutes before slicing.

Tomahawk steak resting after the sear

The steak was a perfect medium rare, it was very tender and tasted great.

Sliced reverse seared tomahawk steak

For me, you have to have potatoes with a steak like this — I went with tater tots in the air fryer. It was an awesome meal. I had plenty of leftover steak the next day, which I sliced, sealed, and warmed back up sous vide at 129°F.

Reverse Seared Tomahawk and tater tots

Want to see this same reverse sear method on a more everyday cut? Check out my Reverse Seared Strip Steaks post. Reverse Seared Strip Steaks