A beef slab with chimichurri to serve six
This recipe is reprinted with permission from Steak House by Eric Wareheim. Click here to read our full review of Steak House.
Oddly enough, this recipe comes not from a steak house but from a barbecue joint called Jon G’s, a Texas-style barbecue spot in Peachland, North Carolina. It’s a dish that Eric Wareheim and his co-author, Gabe Ulla, and photographer, Marcus Nilsson, enjoyed while touring America’s classic old-school steakhouses—and a couple new-school ones—for their cookbook Steak House.
In the book’s very first chapter, “The Journey, Part I: The South,” Wareheim recounts how they came upon the tomahawk feast:
I decided to bring them down to Charlotte to experience Beef ‘N Bottle, the birthplace of my steak house journey. I was excited to eat there, of course, but I wanted to speak to the icons on the team whom I’d met only briefly on my first visit. We also managed to squeeze in next-level barbecue with my friends at Jon G’s, which included a smoked tomahawk….
Wareheim generously shared the recipe for smoked tomahawk with chimichurri here.
Smoked Tomahawk
Makes:
Takes:
Ingredients
- 46 ounces tomahawk steak
- 4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 2 pats
- Flaky sea salt, preferably Maldon for garnish
- Chimichurri Sauce for serving
These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page
Method
- Preheat a smoker to between 225° and 250°F for indirect cooking, using well- seasoned white oak. The wood should be burning in the flame, not smoldering. Let the steaks sit for about 45 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Season the steak with the kosher salt and pepper on both sides, rubbing it evenly into the meat. Place the steak over the cool side of the grill and smoke the steak for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, flipping it halfway through, until the temperature reaches 120°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the steak from the smoker and let it rest on a carving board until cooled to 105°F.
- While the steak is cooling, prepare a charcoal grill for direct high-heat grilling.
- Once cooled to temperature, place the steak on the grill grate with the flame nearly touching the meat. Flip the steak often, every 1 to 2 minutes, until deeply, beautifully golden brown all over and the internal temperature reaches 125°F on an instant-read thermometer for rare.
- Transfer the steak to the carving board, place the butter pats on the steak, and tent with foil for about 5 minutes. Uncover, slice the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve with chimichurri on the side.
Nutrition per Serving
Click here to read our full review of Steak House by Eric Wareheim.
“Steak House” Text copyright © 2025 by Eric Wareheim. Photographs copyright © 2025 by Marcus Nilsson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, A division of Penguin Random House LLC.
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