Oven-proof, heavy-based frying pan large enough for the steak (ideally a cast iron skillet) or BBQ
Shallow baking tray, if your pan isn’t oven-proof (unnecessary if cooking steak on the BBQ)
Ingredients
Tomahawk steakapprox. 1kg
Salt and black pepper
Vegetable / rapeseed oilor any cooking oil that can withstand a high heat
70gButter
Woody herbs such as thyme or rosemarya small bunch
2-4clovesGarlicto taste
For the shallot and red wine sauce
2-3Shallots
2clovesGarlicminced
Cooking oil
Salt and black pepper
2 stalksThyme leaves picked
1tbspSugar
500mlRed wine
750mlBeef stock
50gButter
Double creamto taste (approx. 25ml)
Instructions
Before you start cooking, remove the steak from the fridge, season both sides with salt and leave for 30 minutes - an hour, to bring the steak up to room temperature. If the steak has a long strip of fat, make small incisions to help it render.
Heat the pan or BBQ until screaming hot, then brush or rub both sides of the steak with a little oil.
Once hot, place the steak in the pan (dropping the meat away from you, to prevent any fat splash-back) or on to a hot area of the BBQ.
Cook over a medium-high heat for around five minutes, leaving the steak completely undisturbed to build up good caramelisation, which ultimately creates that gorgeous crust you get in steakhouses.
Once a good crust has formed, turn the steak and decrease the heat to low or move to a cooler part of the BBQ, for indirect cooking.
If cooking on the hob, add 50g of the butter, herbs and garlic to the pan and constantly baste for a minute or two.
If cooking indoors, move the pan to the oven (or place the steak on a pre-heated baking tray with the butter and herbs) and cook for around 5-10 minutes. If cooking on the BBQ, continue to cook over indirect heat for 10 minutes. Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the beef, close to the bone. 130F is an ideal temperature for this cut (medium rare). Remove from the oven/BBQ, or continue cooking for a more well-done steak (temperatures above).
Rest the beef on a warm plate for 15 minutes, with the butter and herbs. Also melt the rest of the butter and pour onto the steak.
Once rested, serve whole or remove the bone and carve into finger-sized slices, cutting across the grain of the meat. Finish with a good pinch of salt and a generous amount of cracked black pepper.
To make the shallot and red wine sauce
Finely dice the shallots and add to a sauce pan with a little oil, over a medium-low heat. Add a pinch of salt and sweat the shallots until translucent, being sure not to colour the shallots.
Add two cloves of minced garlic and the thyme leaves, slightly increase the heat and cook for another minute, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning.
Add a tablespoon of sugar to the pan and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves and becomes slightly syrupy.
Add the wine to the pan and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced by at least half and the alcohol smell has gone. Slowly pour 750ml beef stock into the pan, season with cracked black pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 25-40 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. (If the sauce is still too thin when you’re ready to serve, increase the heat to high and try to avoid stirring, but keep an eye on it so the shallots don’t scorch).
Once the desired consistency is reached, add the butter and stir until melted. Taste for seasoning (add more salt, pepper, or sugar if necessary), remove from the heat, and stir in a drizzle of the cream.