Grilled Bison Tomahawk Steak

Cooking a steak on a grill can feel intimidating — especially if it’s a pricier cut designed to feed a lot of people. Looking at a bison tomahawk steak from Frontière Natural Meats, you might think it’d be too difficult or time consuming to cook. And yet, grilling a steak — even a tomahawk! — is an approachable and fun way to cook for friends and family.

The tomahawk steak is burly, all right, but it’s essentially just a bone-in rib-eye. The protruding rib bone and the thick cut do slightly resemble an ax in shape, and some like to call it a cowboy cut for its rugged look and hefty size (up to 28 ounces!).

Yet, this cut of meat doesn’t take a lasso and spurs to cook correctly. It just takes a bit of salt, pepper and patience. Two people can easily share one bison tomahawk between them, and it could even feed a group of four.

We cooked two, because why not? We also decided to cook them the traditional way with a high-heat sear at the start, then a low and slow finish, flipping the meat every five minutes and resting it at the end. A “reverse sear” method is another common way to cook this type of steak, and we’re all for it.

Ready to get throw your tomahawk on the grill? Learn more about how to cook a tomahawk steak here, or get started with our recipe below.

Grilled Bison Tomahawk Steak

Serves 4-8

Ingredients:

2 Frontière Natural Meats Bison Tomahawk Steaks (24-28 oz each)
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Avocado oil (or other high-heat oil for coating grill grates)

Method:

If frozen, thaw the steaks for a day or two in the refrigerator.

At least two hours and up to 24 hours before cooking, season steak liberally with kosher salt and pepper on all sides. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

When ready to cook, remove steaks from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Begin heating your grill to high. To oil the grates, use metal tongs to grip a cloth or paper towel. Dip the towel in avocado oil (or other high-heat oil such as safflower or canola), and rub down the grill grates. Once the grill is hot, place the steaks on the grates, and sear for 1 minute with the lid closed. Flip and repeat on all four sides.

Then, turn off the heat on half the burners and position the meat over the area with no flame. Close the lid closed and allow to cook over indirect heat for 5 minutes. Flip and rotate the steaks and repeat. Proceed to cook the tomahawks over indirect heat, flipping and rotating every 5 minutes, for about 30 minutes total or until the steaks reach an internal temperature of 130 degrees (for medium rare).

Remove the steaks from the grill, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes. Carve and enjoy with sides of your choice.