Buying guide · Same rib, with or without the bone
Tomahawk vs ribeye
A tomahawk is a ribeye: the same muscle from the same ribs, cut bone-in with 12–20 cm / 5–8 in of rib bone left on and scraped clean. The meat does not change. What changes is the bone, the thickness (usually 5–6 cm / 2–2¼ in) and the weight, 1–1.5 kg / 2.2–3.3 lb against 250–400 g / 9–14 oz for a boneless ribeye.
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| Tomahawk | Ribeye | |
|---|---|---|
| Primal | Rib (ribs 6–12), bone-in | Rib (ribs 6–12) |
| Muscles | Longissimus dorsi, spinalis dorsi, complexus — the ribeye | Longissimus dorsi (eye), spinalis dorsi (cap), complexus |
| Weight | 1–1.5 kg (2.2–3.3 lb), 5–6 cm / 2–2¼ in thick | 250–400 g / 9–14 oz boneless · 500 g / 18 oz–1 kg / 2.2 lb bone-in |
| Best cooked | Reverse sear, pulled at 52–55 °C / 126–131 °F | Medium-rare to medium, 54–57 °C / 129–135 °F |
| United States | Tomahawk · long-bone rib steak | Ribeye · Delmonico |
| United Kingdom | Tomahawk · long-bone rib | Rib-eye · fore rib (bone-in roast) |
| Argentina | Tomahawk · bife ancho con hueso largo | Ojo de bife · bife ancho (bone-in rib steak) |
| Steakhouses that list it | 68 | 171 |
At a glance
- Same meat
- Ribeye muscles from ribs 6–12: eye, cap and fat seam
- Tomahawk
- Bone-in, 12–20 cm / 5–8 in of frenched rib · 1–1.5 kg / 2.2–3.3 lb · 5–6 cm / 2–2¼ in thick
- Ribeye
- Usually boneless · 250–400 g / 9–14 oz (500 g / 18 oz–1 kg / 2.2 lb bone-in)
- Pull at
- Ribeye 54–57 °C / 129–135 °F · tomahawk 52–55 °C / 126–131 °F
- Serves
- Ribeye one · tomahawk of 1–1.2 kg / 2.2–2.6 lb two, or three with sides
Is a tomahawk the same as a ribeye?
Yes, as meat. Both are cut from the rib primal, ribs six to twelve, and both are the longissimus eye with the spinalis cap curled over it and a seam of fat between the two. The tomahawk is the bone-in version of the ribeye, cut one rib thick with the whole rib bone left attached.
The bone is frenched: the meat, fat and membrane between the ribs are scraped away so that clean bone stands out from the steak. In trade terms it is a variant of IMPS 1103, the bone-in rib steak; a boneless ribeye comes from the ribeye roll (IMPS 112A).
How do they compare side by side?
The table sets out what the bone changes. The muscle, the marbling and the fat seam are identical.
| Tomahawk | Ribeye | |
|---|---|---|
| Muscles | Longissimus, spinalis cap, complexus | Longissimus, spinalis cap, complexus |
| Bone | Full rib, frenched, 12–20 cm / 5–8 in or more | Usually none; bone-in it is a rib steak |
| Weight | 1–1.5 kg / 2.2–3.3 lb, bone included | 250–400 g / 9–14 oz boneless · 500 g / 18 oz–1 kg / 2.2 lb bone-in |
| Thickness | 5–6 cm / 2–2¼ in | 3–4 cm / 1¼–1½ in is the usual restaurant thickness |
| Serves | Two, or three with sides (1–1.2 kg / 2.2–2.6 lb) | One |
| Cost per gram of meat | Higher: sold by weight with the bone | Lower, at the same grade |
| Method | Reverse sear: slow first, sear last | High heat; two-stage if 3 cm / 1¼ in or thicker |
| Pull at (medium-rare) | 52–55 °C / 131 °F 126–131 °F | 54–57 °C / 135 °F 129–135 °F |
| Rest | 10–15 minutes, then carved off the bone | A few minutes |
What does the long bone change?
The bone adds weight and presentation, not flavor. Steakpedia has no measurement that separates the taste of the two, and the muscle is the same.
It does change the cooking. The bone conducts heat poorly and shields the meat next to it, which cooks more slowly than the outer edge, so the thermometer goes into the thickest part of the eye, away from the bone. Over an open fire the bone is often wrapped in foil to keep it from charring.
It also changes the price. Frenching takes butcher's time, and leaving the rib long means giving up the short ribs that the same bone would otherwise supply.
How is each one cooked?
A boneless ribeye of 3 cm / 1¼ in or less goes straight onto a very hot grill or pan and is taken off at 54–57 °C / 129–135 °F. Its fat begins to soften around 50–55 °C / 122–131 °F, which is why it is usually taken a little further than a leaner steak.
At 5 cm / 2 in or more, a tomahawk cannot be cooked that way: the outside would burn before the center warms. The usual method is a reverse sear: a slow start in a low oven, over indirect coals or in a water bath, until the core reaches about 45–48 °C / 113–118 °F, then a hard sear. It is pulled at 52–55 °C / 126–131 °F for medium-rare and rested 10–15 minutes. Doneness targets are in Steak temperatures.
Which names mean which steak?
Tomahawk usually means the full rib, 12–20 cm / 5–8 in of clean bone. A shorter frenched bone of about 5–10 cm / 2–4 in is usually sold in the United States as a cowboy steak, compared in Cowboy steak vs ribeye. A bone-in ribeye with a short, unfrenched bone is a rib steak; in France it is a côte de bœuf, in Spain a chuletón and in Argentina a bife ancho con hueso.
In Australia and New Zealand the boneless ribeye is sold as scotch fillet (cube roll), and “rib eye” there often means the bone-in steak.
When does each one make sense?
A tomahawk suits a table of two or three that wants one large steak to carve and share, and a grill or oven with room for a thick piece. A ribeye suits one diner per steak, each with their own doneness, and a pan or grill that cooks in minutes.
Per person, the ribeye is the cheaper way to buy the same meat, because the bone of a tomahawk is paid for by weight. The tomahawk is bought for the carving and the table, not for a different taste.
What should be checked at the butcher's counter?
Judge the eye, not the bone: marbling, a well-formed cap and an even thickness across the steak. A clean, pale bone shows careful frenching. The grade and any aging of the rib decide the eating quality, not the length of the bone.
For the bone-in steak, ask how thick it is cut and how many people it is meant to feed. For the boneless one, ask which end of the rib it came from: chuck-end steaks have more cap and fat, loin-end steaks a larger, leaner eye.
Keep reading
- Cut · Rib, the marbled steakRibeyeEye, cap and fat seam from the rib — the marbled steak used to grade the carcass.
- Buying guide · Short bone vs no boneCowboy steak vs ribeyeA bone-in ribeye with a short, cleaned bone against the boneless steak: same meat, different cooking and cost.
- Buying guide · One muscle, with and without the ribBone-in vs boneless ribeyeThe same ribeye with and without the rib bone: weight, cooking next to the bone, yield and price per gram.
- Cut · Plate, chuck & ribShort ribsThe lower ends of the ribs: asado de tira across the bones, English cut between them, galbi in thin strips.
Frequently asked questions
Is a tomahawk steak just a ribeye?
Yes. It is a bone-in ribeye with the long rib bone left on and cleaned. The meat, marbling and cooking principles are the same; only the bone, the thickness and the weight change.
Tomahawk vs cowboy steak: what is the difference?
Both are frenched bone-in ribeyes. The tomahawk keeps the full rib, 12–20 cm / 5–8 in or more; the cowboy steak keeps a shorter bone, about 5–10 cm / 2–4 in. The comparison is in Cowboy steak vs ribeye.
Is a tomahawk better than a ribeye?
Not in taste, because the meat is the same. The tomahawk is thicker and is carved and shared, which suits some tables; the boneless ribeye is cheaper per gram of meat and quicker to cook.
How many people does a tomahawk feed?
A tomahawk of 1–1.2 kg / 2.2–2.6 lb feeds two, or three with sides, because a good part of its weight is bone.
Why is a tomahawk more expensive than a ribeye?
It is sold by weight with the bone, frenching takes butcher's time, and a long rib means giving up the short ribs. Per gram of meat it costs more than a boneless ribeye of the same grade.
Sources
5
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications: Fresh Beef Series 100. Washington, DC, 2014. www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/IMPS_100_Fresh_Beef%5B1%5D.pdf
- AUS-MEAT Limited. Handbook of Australian Meat, 7th ed. (International Red Meat Manual). Brisbane, 2005. www.ausmeat.com.au
- Instituto de Promoción de la Carne Vacuna Argentina (IPCVA). Cortes de carne vacuna argentina — nomenclatura y usos. Buenos Aires. www.ipcva.com.ar
- McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.
- Huerta-Leidenz, Nelson. International Nomenclature Guide of Beef Cuts for the U.S.A. and Other Countries Targeted by the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Denver: U.S. Meat Export Federation, 2013. www.usa-beef.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1064.GUIDE_beef-cuts_ingl%C3%A9s_09oct13.pdf