Tomahawk Steak, Father’s Day, and the Ethical Butcher

I have a complicated relationship with the Tomahawk steak. Allow me to explain.

For a long time, I have wanted to write about that “manly” steak. The one that looks great in photos, inspires a sense of primal adventure, and, yes, also tastes great: the Tomahawk steak.

My own theory is that the Tomahawk was originally marketed by those big American steakhouses, places built around decadence, excess, and showmanship.

It is also a clever money-making practice.

Now, let’s examine it more closely. A Tomahawk, around 2½–3 inches thick, is basically a very large ribeye. But here’s the rub: that long bone it sits on is, well, a bone. In an average ribeye of any thickness, the bone may account for around 7% of the steak. In the Tomahawk, the bone can be 20% or more. And you are now paying a hefty ribeye price for that bone.

I try to be an ethical cook and butcher. That's why I usually respond with a friendly counterproposal when customers ask for a Tomahawk. 

“Get a nice thick ribeye,” I suggest. Or sometimes I will recommend what I call an Elegant Tomahawk, with a little extra bone but not the full Tomahawk treatment.

Having said that, there is one occasion every year when I set my ethics aside and keep my mouth shut on the topic. That day is Father’s Day.

It's that testosterone-laden holiday of big steaks on the grill, the Tomahawk among them. Maybe that's how some guys feel most comfortable giving and receiving love. Who am I to interfere? Food has always been about more than practicality. It is also about joy, symbolism, and service.

The Tomahawk may not be the most sensible steak in the case. Yet every now and then, sensible is not the point.

Homestead Meats is Evanston’s locally sourced butcher shop, handcrafting unique fresh meats, deli meats, sausages, and other charcuterie. All fresh meats and eggs are sourced from family-owned Midwestern farms that raise their livestock in open pastures, without hormones or GMO feed.