What Is a Tomahawk Steak? The Bone-In Ribeye Built to Steal the Show
| Table of Contents |
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| 1. What Cut of Meat Is a Tomahawk? |
| 2. What Part of the Cow Is it From? |
| 3. Why the Bone |
| 4. What Makes 44 Farms Tomahawk Worth It |
| 5. How To Cook a Tomahawk |
| 6. FAQs |
Pull a tomahawk off the grill and watch what happens. Conversation stops. Phones come out. Somebody says "no way." No other cut of beef turns heads quite like it, and once you understand what you are actually looking at, it makes perfect sense. Let's break down what a tomahawk steak is and why it has earned its spot as the centerpiece of the table.
So, to the first order of business, what is a tomahawk steak? It's a thick, bone-in ribeye with the entire rib bone left attached and cleaned off so it looks like the handle of a hatchet. That long, bare bone is where the name comes from. Underneath all the drama, you're getting the exact same eye of beef that makes a ribeye one of the most beloved steaks on the planet, just with a built-in handle and a whole lot more presence on the plate. The 44 Farms tomahawk ribeye steak is hand-cut to a full 32 ounces with a Frenched bone that runs about eight inches long. It's a serious piece of beef, and it's meant to be.
What Cut of Meat Is a Tomahawk Steak?
The answer is simpler than the steak looks: it's a ribeye. The tomahawk steak cut and a classic boneless ribeye come from the same muscle. The only real difference is that the tomahawk keeps the long rib bone attached instead of trimming it away. That means everything you love about a ribeye carries straight over. You get generous marbling, a rich and beefy bite, and fat that melts as it cooks and bastes the meat from the inside. The bone just comes along for the ride and makes the whole thing look like it belongs on a steakhouse menu.
What Part of the Cow Is a Tomahawk Steak From?
Here's where the flavor story starts with a tomahawk steak. The part of the cow it's from is the rib section, also called the rib primal, which sits along the upper back of the animal just beneath the backbone. It's the same prized area that gives us prime rib roasts and everyday ribeye steaks. The muscles in the rib section do very little work over the animal's life. Less work means more intramuscular fat, and that fat is exactly what creates the marbling that steak lovers chase. When you cook a cut from this part of the cow, that marbling renders down and gives you the buttery texture and deep beef flavor the rib is famous for.
Why the Bone in the Tomahawk
The bone is the whole reason a tomahawk looks the way it does, and getting it there takes real work. Butchers use a technique called Frenching, which means carefully scraping away the meat, fat, and membrane along the rib bone until it's completely clean. It's slow, hands-on knife work, and a big part of why a tomahawk carries a premium over the boneless ribeye hiding inside it. The payoff is that showpiece handle and a presentation that nothing else on the grill can match. One thing worth knowing: that giant bone is mostly about the show.
What Makes the 44 Farms Tomahawk Worth It
A tomahawk is only as good as the beef it is cut from, and this is where 44 Farms earns its reputation. Everything about our tomahawk ribeye is built around one goal: giving you a steakhouse experience in your own backyard. Here is what sets it apart.
Black Angus Marbling
Our tomahawk is cut from premium Texas Black Angus cattle raised with no added hormones or antibiotics, ever. That careful breeding shows up as consistent, generous marbling in every steak, which is what delivers the juicy, tender bite ribeye lovers expect.
A 28-Day Wet Age
Each tomahawk ribeye is wet-aged for 28 days before it ships. Aging gives the natural enzymes in the beef time to work, which deepens the flavor and improves tenderness, so the steak eats as good as it looks.
Cut and Shipped for the Occasion
Every tomahawk is hand-cut to 32 ounces with that signature eight-inch Frenched bone, then shipped fast so it arrives ready for the grill. It's the kind of cut you build a celebration around, whether it be a birthday dinner, a holiday spread, or a Saturday you just decided deserved a great steak.
How To Cook a Tomahawk Steak
Because it's thick and bone-in, a tomahawk rewards a little patience. The method most pitmasters swear by is the reverse sear: cook it low and slow until the internal temperature sits about five degrees short of your target, then finish it over high heat to build a deep, caramelized crust.
If you want to dial in your doneness, our guide to steak temperatures walks through every target temp. We put together a full walkthrough so you can nail it the first time: How to Cook a Tomahawk Ribeye Steak. And when you're ready to fire one up, you can order the 44 Farms USDA Choice Tomahawk Ribeye and have it delivered to your door.
Put a Showstopper on Your Grill
The tomahawk ribeye is the cut you bring out when the meal needs to be an event. If you want restaurant-quality beef with a presentation to match, the 44 Farms USDA Choice Tomahawk Ribeye delivers premium Black Angus flavor and a bone that does all the talking. Order yours today and turn dinner into something people remember.
Shop All Bone-in SteaksFrequently Asked Questions About Tomahawk Steaks
Why are tomahawk steaks so expensive?
Two things drive the price. First, Frenching is slow, skilled knife work that takes far more time than trimming a boneless steak. Second, only a limited number of these cuts come from each animal, so supply stays tight. You're also paying for the weight and the sheer presentation of that long bone.
How many people does a tomahawk steak feed?
A single 32-ounce tomahawk comfortably feeds two when you slice it off the bone and share, or it can be one massive plate for a serious steak lover with a big appetite. Hosting a dinner? Plan on one tomahawk for every two guests, then round things out with sides.
Does the bone make a tomahawk taste better?
This one surprises people. The bone doesn't add flavor to the meat. Steaks cook hot and fast, so there's not enough time for anything in the bone to migrate into the beef. What the bone does do is act as an insulator, slightly slowing how fast the meat nearest to it cooks, which can help that section stay juicy.
What is the difference between a tomahawk and a cowboy steak?
Both the tomahawk and cowboy steak are bone-in ribeyes from the rib section, so the meat itself is nearly identical. The difference is the bone. A cowboy steak has a short, trimmed bone of only a couple of inches, while a tomahawk keeps the full rib bone (about eight inches on ours) Frenched clean for that hatchet-handle look.
Can you cook a tomahawk on a regular grill?
Yes, though the long bone is worth planning around. Measure your grill and your oven before you cook, because that handle can keep a lid from closing or stop the steak from fitting a standard skillet. A kettle grill, a gas grill, and a home oven all handle a reverse sear well as long as the steak fits with room to spare.
