CUT DOSSIER · 03
Wagyu Tomahawk
An entrance unto itself
A long bone, commanding presence, and not a trace of modesty. It reaches the table before the story does—and promptly becomes the story.
01
THE ANATOMY
Origin
A tomahawk is a rib steak cut from the fore rib with the full rib bone left attached. The exposed bone is French-trimmed to create its distinctive presentation.
02
THE STORY
Name and history
How it got its name
The long, cleaned rib bone makes the steak resemble a tomahawk axe. That visual resemblance, rather than a separate anatomical cut, gave the presentation its market name.
How it reached the modern table
Butchers have long sold bone-in rib steaks. Contemporary steakhouses amplified the visual effect by keeping a long section of rib bone and cleaning it through French trimming, turning a familiar cut into a dramatic shared centerpiece.
03
THE SIGNATURE
Marbling
Because the meat is ribeye, it carries the same characteristic intramuscular fat. Wagyu marbling increases richness; the long bone adds theatre, but it does not create a different muscle.
04
THE MOMENT
Best for
Indirect grilling or low oven heat followed by a hard sear. Its thickness rewards temperature control, a proper rest, and carving into slices for the table.
READ FURTHER
Sources
- AHDB — Tomahawk SteakTrade cutting specification for the fore rib, exposed bone, cap removal, and French trim.
- Beef Checkoff — Tomahawk SteakCut description identifying the tomahawk as a long-bone, Frenched rib steak from the rib primal.