What internal temperature should a tomahawk steak reach?

Smoke it until the centre reaches 35°C (95°F), rest it for about 10 minutes, then sear it until it reaches about 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare. A meat thermometer is essential for a reverse sear, so check it throughout the cook.

Why rest the steak between smoking and searing?

The rest of about 10 minutes lets the surface of the steak dry out, which helps it form a better crust when it goes over the hot charcoal. Use that time to open the vents and bring Charlie up to 250°C (480°F).

Which wood should I use to smoke a tomahawk?

The recipe uses one small chunk of smoking wood placed on top of the lumpwood charcoal. Oak, cherry and hickory all work well, each giving a slightly different flavour, so try a few to find your favourite.

How much charcoal do I need for the smoke and the sear?

Start with half a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal for the 2 hour smoke at 110°C (230°F). For the sear, open the air vents and add a little more charcoal if needed to reach 250°C (480°F).

Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Beef

Tomahawk steak reverse seared and smoked in the Charlie Oven

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Smoked Tomahawk Steak with a Reverse Sear

Name: Smoked Tomahawk Steak with a Reverse Sear
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 4 to 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 x tomahawk steak; Maldon salt; Smoking wood chunk

A tomahawk steak deserves a little time. This reverse-sear method starts with gentle smoke in Charlie, then finishes with a hot sear for the crust. From our Steaks, Sides and Sauces Masterclass, it gives you a way to follow the centre with a probe before the final flourish.

Chris TaylorFire cook and author

Smoke

Prep5 minutes

Cook2 hours 10 minutes

Serves4 to 6

DifficultyMedium

Oven temperature110°C (230°F) to smoke, then 250°C (480°F) to sear

RackCharlie Oven Cooking Rack to smoke, then directly over the charcoal to sear

CharcoalHalf a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal, with a little more added for the sear

Ingredients

1 x tomahawk steak
Maldon salt
Smoking wood chunk

Equipment

Everything used in this recipe. Already have Charlie? Add the accessories in one go.

Charlie Charcoal Oven$6,400.00Choose your oven, Charlie Charcoal Oven
Charlie Oven Cooking Rack$300.00
Charlie Oven Tongs 55cm$46.00

Method

Setting up Charlie

Light half a football of charcoal and place a small chunk of smoking wood on top
Set up the Charlie Oven as a smoker and bring the temperature to 110°C (230°F)
Place the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack in position for smoking
After smoking, open the air vents and add a touch more charcoal to bring the oven up to 250°C (480°F) for searing

Set up your Charlie Oven as a smoker with a small chunk of wood on top of the charcoal. Bring the temperature up to 110°C (230°F).
Season the tomahawk steak well with Maldon salt.
Place the steak on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack and smoke for 2 hours until smoky and the internal temperature has reached 35°C (95°F).
Remove the steak from the Charlie Oven and leave it to rest for about 10 minutes.
Open the air vents, adding a touch more charcoal if necessary, and run the Charlie Oven up to 250°C (480°F).
Sear the steak directly over the charcoal until you have a rich crust and the internal temperature reaches about 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare.
Rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve.

Tips

Use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature throughout, as this is essential for a good reverse sear.
The resting period between smoking and searing allows the surface to dry out, which helps create a better crust.
Reverse searing gives you much more control over the final doneness compared to searing first.
Try different smoking woods like oak, cherry, or hickory for varying flavour profiles.

More recipes

The cook

Chris Taylor

Fire cook and author

Chris "Chops" Taylor worked as a home economist on MasterChef before turning to fire cooking, and has co-written Fire Feasts and Backyard Baking with DJ BBQ. He co-founded Whittle and Flame charcoal and has taught steak and fire cooking masterclasses on Charlie.

More recipes by Chris Taylor

Frequently asked questions

What internal temperature should a tomahawk steak reach?

Smoke it until the centre reaches 35°C (95°F), rest it for about 10 minutes, then sear it until it reaches about 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare. A meat thermometer is essential for a reverse sear, so check it throughout the cook.
Why rest the steak between smoking and searing?

The rest of about 10 minutes lets the surface of the steak dry out, which helps it form a better crust when it goes over the hot charcoal. Use that time to open the vents and bring Charlie up to 250°C (480°F).
Which wood should I use to smoke a tomahawk?

The recipe uses one small chunk of smoking wood placed on top of the lumpwood charcoal. Oak, cherry and hickory all work well, each giving a slightly different flavour, so try a few to find your favourite.
How much charcoal do I need for the smoke and the sear?

Start with half a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal for the 2 hour smoke at 110°C (230°F). For the sear, open the air vents and add a little more charcoal if needed to reach 250°C (480°F).