Tomahawk Steak Recipe with French Sauce

My Tomahawk steak recipe is how my mom made her delicious steak. It is a juicy, caramelized crust served with a green sauce inspired by the famous Le Relais de l’Entrecôte in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, France.

Jump to Recipe

Now, be forewarned that this is about the best flavor in a sauce for steak that I have ever tasted. I could drink it from the jar. But first, what is a tomahawk steak?

What is a Tomahawk Steak

Tomahawk steaks are very expensive and definitely for special occasions, for a dinner party, but beyond delicious. A tomahawk steak comes from the rib section of the cow, specifically the longissimus dorsi muscle, which is the same area used for ribeye steaks. 

It’s basically a ribeye steak with a long rib bone giving it the signature “tomahawk” handle, and it has excellent marbling, making it the king of steaks.

The name comes from its resemblance to a Tomahawk axe, which has a long rib-bone that acts like the axe’s handle, and the meaty rib-eye portion resembles the blade with the long bone. 

It gained popularity along with the “tomahawk” label fairly recently, due to upscale New York steakhouses around 2008. The French name of côte de bœuf style steaks must have been too long, so they renamed them tomahawk steak.

Now for the Green Sauce

The Le Relais de l’Entrecôte in Saint-Germain, Paris, France, is famous for its green sauce, served on top of the best steaks and fries, and you will never forget that meal. I had the pleasure of eating here, and let me tell you, busy busy busy!

Paul Gineste purchased this restaurant in 1959 and is now run by one of his daughters. which specializes in a one-dish wonder of steak-frites, along with a walnut salad. The atmosphere of an old French bistro style, with servers all in uniform, takes you back in time. Now they do serve dessert, but it's basically a variety of deluxe ice cream dishes.

Mom is the one who taught me the best way to cook an entire steak is to start on high heat in a cast-iron pan with butter! So let's get started on this tomahawk ribeye that is dipped in this delicious green sauce!

What You’ll Need for Steak

• 1 tomahawk steak (2–2½ inches thick)
• Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
• 1–2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon butter

Step-by-Step Directions 

1. Bring the Steak to Room Temperature

• Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
• Pat dry thoroughly (very important for a good crust).
• Poke with a knife and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.

2. Preheat Oven & Pan

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Place a cast-iron pan on the stove over high heat until very hot.

3. Sear the Steak

• Add oil to the pan.
• Lay the steak down away from you.
• Sear 2–3 minutes on one side and then reverse sear method until a deep brown crust forms on all sides
• Use tongs to sear the edges and fat cap (about 30 seconds).

4. Butter Baste

• Reduce the heat to medium.
• Add butter
• Tilt the pan and spoon the melted butter over the steak for 1–2 minutes.

5. Finish in the Oven

• Transfer the entire pan to the oven
• Cook until the desired internal temperature

Doneness	Remove at
Rare	120°F
Medium-Rare	125–130°F
Medium	135–140°F

(Cook times vary for Tomahawk steaks depending on the thick cuts but usually take 10–15 minutes.)

6. Rest (Do Not Skip!)

• Remove steak and rest 10–15 minutes loosely tented with aluminum foil.
• Temp will rise another 5–10°F.

Pro Tips

• Use a digital meat thermometer, which ruins expensive steaks.
• If your steak is extra thick (3+ inches), reverse-sear works even better.
• Finish with flaky sea salt or a drizzle of compound butter.

French Green Sauce for the Perfect Steak

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon tarragon, chopped
• 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 4 basil leaves, chopped
• 5 walnuts, chopped
• 5 capers, chopped
• 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 ½ cup beef broth, or more if needed
• Salt, to taste

1. Prepare the Base

• In a pan, melt ¼ of the butter over low heat.
• Add the chopped shallot and cook gently, making sure the onions become translucent without browning. The butter should sizzle gently, not fry. Keep the heat low.

3. Add Fresh Herbs and Nuts

• Add to the melted butter, stir in tarragon, parsley, basil, walnuts, capers, and ground black pepper, and beef broth, on medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Then pour the mixture into a blender, and mix it into a smooth consistency

4. Prepare the Emulsion

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, mustard, or lemon juice.

5. Heat and Thicken the Sauce

• Pour the mixture into a blender, add the egg slowly, and mix on low speed. Repeat until finished with the egg.
• Return the pan to the stove and heat the saucepan over low to medium heat, stirring constantly to allow the sauce to thicken.

6. Cool and Combine

• Remove from heat.
• Whisk until fully combined, resulting in a smooth, thick sauce.

7. Season & Serve

• Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt as needed.
• The French Green Sauce is ready to serve with this great steak and fries!

What to do with Leftover Steak

Suppose you have any leftovers from this perfect tomahawk steak. There are a few things that I do.

I will cut it thin on a cutting board and place it in an airtight container for freshness. Then I use it in my tortillas or add it to a Pho soup. I remove bone-in ribeye steak and in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When I have a lot of beef bones, I will make a stock.

What to Serve with Tomahawk Steak

Now that this has become my new favorite steak, one thing is for sure it does not disappoint in taste. It makes you feel like you're at a fancy steakhouse. So to finish creating that atmosphere, one thing is for sure: full-bodied red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon. My favorite wine of all time is still Hahn wines. 

Grilling VS Cast-Iron

Now there are plenty of grill masters out there, but I am not one of them but my husband is the best. He will rub a little olive oil on it with salt and grill a tomahawk steak. At first, he will do a high-heat sear. and then a low temperature in the Big Green Egg.

As for me, I prefer the cast-iron because, for one, I can cook it and don't need to wait for him. For me, I love both; the trick for meat is not to over-season it, to lose the taste. I highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer for the best results.

More Meat Recipes to Enjoy

I hope you enjoyed this simple, foolproof way to cook a tomahawk steak in a cast-iron pan, which is a steak secret from mom. It has a great crust and juicy center.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Elisabeth Cascalheira (@lizzylovesfoods)

My best tomahawk steak recipe for that restaurant-quality steak has a little blend of American and French cuisine to blend both cultures. I hope you enjoyed our journey today in exploring America and French food. Until next time, my beautiful friends, as my quest for the perfect bite continues!