As this point I left the drum open so the the butter will drip down and cause a little flare-up with the coals. Flip it over after a few minutes and baste the other side. Start basting the steak with the melted butter when it hits the 120☏ mark. Once the steak has cooked about 20 minutes (around 100☏ internal) flip it over for even cooking. Season the butter with a little Steak Rub and let it get happy. About 10 minutes in I placed a small aluminum pan in the smoker with a melted stick of butter. Place the steak on the cooking grate and close the lid and monitor the temperature. Also be careful not to stick the probe into a fat pocket.
The last thing you want to do is over cook it. Insert a probe thermometer into the center of the tomahawk for monitoring internal temperature. Once it’s up to temp and the seasoning has melted into the meat it’s time to start smoking. Royal Oak Lump charcoal and Hickory wood chunks provide the heat and smoke flavor. I fired up my Gateway drum for this cook but you can use any smoker. Once seasoned let it rest for 20 minutes. Really you could use any seasonings you like on this steak. I hit the outside with a little Hot Bbq Rub followed by a good coating of my Steak Rub. You can use olive oil or a little water as a binder but I’ve been experimenting with the beef concentrate and I like the results.
The concentrate creates a glue on the outside of the steak which helps the seasonings “stick” and it gives the tomahawk a fortified-beefy flavor. To kick off this beef party I apply a little beef broth concentrate to the outside of the steak. Now this steak is more than enough for one man, so you may want to find someone to share it with or you could tackle the whole thing if you think you can handle it (I know I can!!) They’re cut off the loin and a long section of the rib bone is left attached to each steak.
This giant steak loves getting smoked! I started with a 3lb 2” Thick prime tomahawk ribeye steak from my buddy Kevin down at The Butcher Shoppe. Print Recipe Smoked Tomahawk Ribeye Recipe.