Beef goes by a lot of fancy names. Coulotte is sirloin from a cow’s thigh. Filet mignon is a small piece of tenderloin. Chateaubriand is its larger neighbor, butchered for two people. But “tomahawk” is the most straightforward moniker in the steak world.
You’ll know it when you see it. The chop comes not only bone-in, but bone protruding. An almost foot-long rib that connects to the two-inch thick slab of marbled meat makes it look like the battle-ax it is named for. Its massive size is also responsible for another label—“cowboy steak”—although Fred Flintstone could easily have lent his name to this plateful.
At heart, a tomahawk is a rib eye specially cut from the rib cage with all the moistness and flavor that comes with marbling. The meat is tender,…
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Cigar Aficionado (Digital) - 1 Issue, September/October 2023