Wagyu Australian Beef Tomahawk

Australian Wagyu Tomahawk - Reverse Sear, Oven or Barbecue

±1.1kg to ±2kg, bone-in. Serves 2 to 5 depending on size. Defrost 18–28 hours.

1. Defrost
Move the pack from freezer to fridge. Leave it in the vacuum pack, on a tray. Allow 18 hours for the 1.1kg and up to 28 hours for the 2kg. Plan for it. Cook within 48 hours of defrosting. Do not refreeze.

2. Salt it the night before (optional, and worth it)
Unwrap and pat dry. Salt generously on all sides. Leave uncovered on a rack in the fridge overnight. The surface dries out, and a dry surface is what gives you a crust. If you skip this, salt and dry the steak an hour before cooking.

3. Temper
Out of the fridge one hour before cooking. A steak this thick straight from cold will not cook evenly.

Method A - Oven and pan

4. Heat the oven to 110°C. Set the steak on a rack over a tray.

5. Cook until the centre reaches 48°C. Allow 50 to 70 minutes for the 1.1kg, longer for the larger weights. Probe the thickest part of the eye, away from the bone. The bone insulates and will read cold.

6. Rest 10 minutes. This is not the final rest. It lets the surface dry before it meets the heat.

7. Heat a heavy pan or griddle as hot as it will go. Add a neutral oil with a high smoke point. Sear 60 to 90 seconds a side, then hold the steak on its fat edge with tongs until that edge is bronzed.

Method B - Barbecue

4. Set the barbecue for two zones. Coals banked to one side, or half the burners lit. Aim for 110 to 120°C on the cool side with the lid down.

5. Cook on the cool side, lid closed, until the centre reaches 48°C. Allow 45 to 60 minutes for the 1.1kg. A chunk of oak or beech suits this cut well.

6. Rest 10 minutes while you open the vents and bring the hot side up to full heat.

7. Sear directly over the coals, 60 to 90 seconds a side, then render the fat edge. Expect flare-ups. Four hundred days of grain finishing means this steak drips. Keep the cool side clear and move it across the moment the flames rise.

8. Check and rest
Pull at 52°C for medium rare. Rest 10 to 15 minutes on a board. Do not cover it tightly.

9. Carve
Run a knife down the bone to release the eye in one piece. Cut the cap away from the eye, then slice both across their own grain at 1cm. Return the slices along the bone to serve, with flaked salt and the board juices.

Optional: melt a flavoured butter over the carved slices rather than cooking the steak in it.

Delivered frozen
Keep frozen at -18°C until needed. Use by the date on the pack.
Defrost in the fridge, in its packaging, on a plate. Allow 18-28 hours depending on size. The pack will release liquid as it thaws.
Never defrost at room temperature or in a microwave.
Once defrosted, keep at 0-4°C and cook within 2 days.
Do not refreeze once thawed.