What Cut Of Meat Is A Tomahawk?

A tomahawk steak is a bone-in ribeye from the beef rib primal with a long frenched rib bone left on the steak.

Tomahawk steak looks dramatic on a plate, yet it is simply a ribeye with a long bone left on and trimmed clean. If you know which part of the cow that bone and eye of meat come from, choosing, cooking, and carving a tomahawk stops feeling mysterious. This guide walks through the cut itself, how it compares to other steaks, and what that means for flavor, texture, and cooking method.

If you arrived here wondering, ‘what cut of meat is a tomahawk?’, the direct answer is that it is a bone-in ribeye from the beef rib primal. To understand the cut, it helps to see where it sits on the animal and which muscles give it that ribeye bite. Once you know that, you can shop and cook with a lot more confidence, instead of treating the tomahawk as a mystery showpiece at the butcher counter.

So let’s start with the direct answer to the question and then work outward from there.

In butcher terms, a tomahawk steak is a bone-in ribeye cut from the beef rib primal, usually from ribs six through twelve on the steer. It contains the same eye of ribeye you see in a regular ribeye steak, along with the ribeye cap and smaller surrounding muscles, all attached to an extended rib bone. The long, frenched bone is what gives the steak its tomahawk axe look, yet the meat itself is the same tender, well-marbled ribeye that comes from the rib section.

So when you ask what cut of meat is a tomahawk?, you are actually asking about a specific way of presenting a ribeye, not a different muscle group. That is why many labels also call it a bone-in ribeye steak or a rib steak, and why some butchers list it under the broad ribeye category on their case tags. The point is simple: tomahawk describes the bone length and trimming style, while ribeye describes the cut of meat.

If you strip that long bone away and leave only a couple of inches attached, the same steak often gets sold as a cowboy steak instead of a tomahawk.

Tomahawk Steak Compared To Other Beef Cuts

This comparison table shows where the tomahawk fits among other popular steaks and roasts.

Steak Cut	Where It’s From	What Stands Out
Tomahawk steak	Beef rib primal, long frenched rib bone attached	Bone-in ribeye with dramatic long bone and thick steak.
Bone-in ribeye	Beef rib primal with shorter bone left on	Same muscles as tomahawk but with less bone and simpler look.
Cowboy steak	Beef rib primal, bone trimmed to a shorter handle	Thick ribeye with a stubby bone, easier to fit in pans and ovens.
Prime rib roast	Beef rib primal, several ribs left together as a roast	Large roast that you slice into steaks after cooking for a crowd.
Back ribs	Beef rib primal, bones left after boneless ribeye steaks are cut	Great for low-and-slow barbecue with plenty of connective tissue to break down.
Porterhouse steak	Short loin primal, includes both strip and tenderloin separated by a T-shaped bone	Feeds two people with two textures in one steak, not a rib cut.
Short ribs	Chuck or plate primal, meat between shorter rib bones	Well suited braised or smoked for hours until the collagen melts.

From this table you can see that the tomahawk lives in the same neighborhood as other rib cuts, and it often gets compared to porterhouse or T-bone because of the bone drama. For eating quality you can treat it just like a thick ribeye, while reminding yourself that a chunk of the price and weight sits in that long bone.

Tomahawk Steak Cut Of Meat On The Cow

A tomahawk steak comes from the beef rib primal, which sits between the chuck in the front shoulder area and the short loin farther back toward the middle of the back. In many charts the rib primal is shown as ribs six through twelve, directly under the backbone, with a generous cap of fat and tender meat. Industry descriptions, such as the USDA item for the beef rib primal, define it as the part of the forequarter that holds ribs six to twelve once the chuck and plate are removed.

Within this section the eye of ribeye, called the longissimus dorsi, does most of the work in the tomahawk steak. Around it sit the ribeye cap, known as the spinalis dorsi, and a smaller muscle called the complexus, all wrapped in intramuscular fat that melts during cooking. Because these muscles do not move as much as shoulder or leg muscles, they stay tender and take well to quick, high-heat cooking on a grill or in a hot pan.

That location on the rib primal also explains the price tag on many tomahawk steaks, since the same section produces ribeye, prime rib roast, and other cuts that already carry a higher menu price.

Bone Length And Presentation

What makes the tomahawk stand out from a regular bone-in ribeye is the way the rib bone is trimmed. The butcher leaves five inches or more of bone attached, scrapes the surface clean of meat and fat, and shapes it so that the steak looks like a single-handed axe. That extra bone does not add much to eating quality on the plate, yet it delivers theater at the table and on social media photos.

Why Tomahawk Steaks Cost More Than Other Ribeyes

Once you know which cut of meat sits under that big bone, the next question is why the tomahawk often costs more per pound than a regular ribeye. Part of the answer is simple weight, since the long bone can add half a pound or more that you pay for but do not eat. You also pay for the labor that goes into frenching and shaping that bone, which takes more time and skill than cutting a standard ribeye or boneless steak. Restaurants then mark up the tomahawk further because it fills a plate, sparks conversation, and often gets ordered as a shared centerpiece.

If you only care about flavor and tenderness per dollar, a thick bone-in ribeye or even a boneless ribeye from the same section gives you the same eating experience for less money. If you care about presentation for a special dinner, the extra spend on the tomahawk can feel worth it, especially when you carve it at the table.

How To Choose A Tomahawk Steak

Once you know the cut, the next step is picking a tomahawk that suits your grill, budget, and guests.

Thickness And Bone Length

Look for a steak that is at least two inches thick so that you can sear the outside without overcooking the center. Shorter, thinner tomahawks cook fast and can turn grey inside before you build much crust, especially over high heat. Bone length is mostly about show, so pick the length that fits on your grill grates and in your oven or smoker.

Marbling And Grade

Tomahawk steaks benefit from generous marbling, since fat woven through the muscle keeps the meat juicy during a long cook. Look for visible white streaks through the eye and cap of the ribeye, not just a thick layer of external fat. Higher graded beef, such as USDA Choice or USDA Prime, usually carries more intramuscular fat in this cut than lower grades.

Dry Aged Or Wet Aged

Some butchers sell dry aged tomahawk steaks, where the whole rib section hangs under controlled conditions before cutting. Dry aging concentrates flavor and tenderizes the meat, yet it also trims off outer layers, which raises the final price. Wet aged tomahawks, sealed in vacuum bags, keep more weight on the bone and on the steak, and they still deliver rich beef flavor when cooked carefully.

Quick shopping checklist:

Steak at least two inches thick.
Bone length that fits your grill and oven.
Even marbling through the eye of the steak.
Color that is bright cherry red, not brown or dull.

Many butchers and beef groups publish charts that show exactly where this steak comes from; the tomahawk steak cut guide from Beef It’s What’s For Dinner is a helpful visual if you like to see the rib primal on a carcass map.

Cooking A Tomahawk Steak

Once you understand which cut you are working with, you can tailor your cooking method to suit the thick steak and long bone.

Reverse Sear On Grill Or In Oven

Reverse sear works well for tomahawk steak because it gives the thick meat time to warm through before you blast it with high heat. Set your grill or oven for a low temperature, around 250 to 275 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook the steak away from direct flame until the internal temperature is about ten to fifteen degrees below your target doneness. Then move it over roaring heat or into a blazing hot cast-iron pan for a quick sear on each side, including the fat cap. Let the steak rest on a board for at least ten minutes so juices redistribute before you slice along the bone.

Grilling Direct Over Coals

If you like a more direct fire flavor, you can cook a tomahawk mainly over coals, but you still want some control over flare-ups. Start the steak over the hot coals to build color, then move it to a cooler zone to finish slowly so the inside does not lag far behind the crust. Use a probe thermometer near the center of the steak instead of guessing, since thick ribeye takes longer than you might expect. Federal food safety guidance, such as the safe minimum internal temperature chart on FoodSafety.gov, recommends cooking whole beef steaks to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and letting them rest for three minutes.

Tomahawk Steak Doneness And Temperatures

Use this quick chart as a guide to pull your tomahawk at the right time for your preferred balance of color and tenderness.

Doneness	Target Internal Temp	Texture And Color
Rare	120–125°F	Cool red center, tender feel.
Medium-rare	130–135°F	Warm red center, soft and juicy.
Medium	140–145°F	Warm pink center, firmer bite.
Medium-well	150–155°F	Slight blush of pink, firm throughout.
Well-done	160°F+	No pink, dense texture and less moisture.

Many steak fans enjoy medium-rare for ribeye, yet you should balance your taste with the safety advice above, especially if you are cooking for guests with higher risk factors.

When To Choose A Tomahawk Steak

Tomahawk steak shines when you want both ribeye flavor and table drama, such as a birthday, holiday, or small celebration where sharing one large steak feels fun and memorable for everyone.