Paired with fresh chimichurri, this amazing juicy, tender tomahawk steak is reverse-seared and the porcini crust adds full of umami! This tomahawk cut makes an impressive presentation on your dinner table for your next get together. All this, for a fraction of the price you would pay at the restaurant. Additionally, this low-carb recipe is perfect for any of your guest (or yourself) who is on a carb watch! Looking for a low-carb side dish to go with this recipe? You can try my delicious crispy oven roasted brussel sprouts with Parmigiano Reggiano!
TOMAHAWK STEAK
The tomahawk is essentially a thick ribeye steak with the bone still attached to the meat. The bone is trimmed clean for 5 to 7 inches, which makes it ressemble a tomahawk axe. I love to cook with tomahawk steaks because of its marbling which makes the meat so tender and buttery. Moreover, the bone-in keeps the steak extra juicy. This recipe calls for a 3 lbs tomahawk. Don’t forget that the bone weighs about 1 to 1.5 lb so I find a 3 lbs is ideal for 4 to 6 servings.
REVERSE-SEARING METHOD
The reverse-searing method is a technique where meat is slowly cooked in the oven before searing it. Once the steak is out of the oven, it definitely doesn’t look appetizing. However, once seared, it forms a delicious crust with the porcini rub. It is recommended for cut of steaks that are at least 1.5 inch thick because it helps for even cooking. Evenly cooked steaks = delicious juice drippings!
Moreover, all the moisture of the meat is sealed by reverse-searing that creates that mouth-watering golden crust. This is done through the Maillard reaction. It is a chemical reaction between an amino acid, a sugar and high heat above that gives flavor to your meats. I am not going to get into the scientific details of the Maillard reaction but for all the curious people out there you can read more about it HERE! But for those of you who only need to know the summarized explanation: no Maillard (no searing) = no meat flavors. 🙂
Do I have to rest the steak? Yes and this is non-negotiable unless you want to eat dry cooked meats! Resting any cooked meats for about 10 minutes will help the juices to redistribute and therefore, making your steak even more tender.
PORCINI RUB
Have you been to a famous steakhouse where you wondered how come their steaks are so tasty? How do they make and cook their meat to be so delicious? Steaks with porcini rub have been a long kept secret from these famous steakhouses. Not only it requires a handful of ingredients, but it adds so much flavors to your steak! Porcini mushrooms are meaty, woodsy and nutty. They are known to contain high amounts of natural glutamate, a substance that enhances natural flavors of foods. Porcini mushrooms are considered to be umami rich foods and they pair perfectly well with steaks, which are also considered umami rich. This reverse-seared porcini-crusted tomahawk steak with chimichurri will be a flavor bomb in your mouth!
You have two options to make the rub: with dried porcini mushrooms or porcini powder. This recipe calls for the latter, but if you are using whole dried porcini mushrooms, you can use 1 cup of dried porcini and ground it in a blender. You can usually find porcini powder in the spice section at your grocery store. Whole dried porcini mushrooms are usually found in the refrigerated fresh vegetable section.
CHIMICHURRI
Chimichurri is probably Argentina and Uruguay’s most popular condiment and with reason! This olive oil based condiment is traditionally made with fresh herbs such as parsley and oregano leaves. Mixed with red wine vinegar, garlic and +/- hot red peppers, chimichurri adds so much freshness to any meats! I love chimichurri for its versatility. In this recipe, I am showing you my way of making the chimichurri to serve with the reverse-seared tomahawk steak with its porcini crust! It may not be authentic to its roots, but this version with a twist is just as good! Alternatively, you can use a blender to make your chimichurri as opposed to a food processor.
STEAK COOKING TEMPERATURES
A meat thermometer is a great kitchen tool investment. In fact, I’d say it’s pretty high up there among my top 5 kitchen tools to own! I use it almost on a daily basis. There is no need to fuss wondering whether the meats are done cooking because it provides an objective data. This chart from Best beef recipes shows the temperatures to which the steaks should be cooked depending on your preference. You can also refer to the picture if you are not using a meat thermometer. Usually, it is recommended for steaks that are cooked in the oven to remove it 5 degrees less than the desired doneness as your steak will continue to cook once it’s out of the oven.
Additionally, for reverse-seared steaks, I recommend to take them out of the oven at 10 degrees less than the desired cooking temperature. The searing will add 5 degrees and the steak will continue to cook during the resting time. This will add another 5 degrees. For the tomahawk steak I cooked, I took it out of the oven at 130°F because I wanted to be in between medium-rare and medium.
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Mixing bowl
- Food processor or blender
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 3 lb Tomahawk steak
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Salt & pepper
For the dry spice rub
- 3 Tbsp porcini powder
- 2 tsp garlic
- Pinch of cayenne
For the chimichurri sauce:
- 1 bunch parsley leaves (about 2 cups)
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves (about 1 cup)
- 2 Tbsp oregano leaves
- ¼ cup red onion grossly diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- Juice of a lime
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Optional: 1 bird’s eye chili or chili pepper flakes
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a small mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the spice rub and mix.
- Pat dry the tomahawk steak and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the porcini spice rub and coat all sides of the steak.
- On a baking tray lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper, bake the steak until the internal temperature reaches 10°F less than desired cooking temperature. For a 3 lb medium-rare cooked steak and 1.5 inch thick, it took about 30 minutes. (Use meat thermometer for accuracy).
- Meanwhile, make the chimichurri sauce by adding all the ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. Pulse slowly and drizzle half of the olive oil (¼ cup) until the chimichurri sauce is well mixed. Pour chimichurri sauce into a bowl, pour the remaining olive oil and mix.
- Once the steak is done baking in the oven, heat a skillet with butter on medium-high heat. Sear for about two minutes on each side; the porcini rub will form a nice crust. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes.
- To serve: cut the steak into slices and pour chimichurri sauce on top.
