Dirty-Seared Tomahawk Elote Tacos

Dirty-Seared Tomahawk Elote Tacos

Lee - Smoke & Sear
Servings: 4 Total Time: 14 hrs 30 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Family Friendly Family Friendly Party Pleaser Party Pleaser
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Reverse-seared Tomahawk steak, dirty-seared over coals, paired with smoky grilled elote—all wrapped up in a taco that screams BBQ perfection

This recipe was inspired by the absolute legend, James from @grillnation. I met him out in Nashville a few months ago, and we’ve been in touch ever since. The guy’s a BBQ genius—up there with the greats. When he dropped his Elote Taco recipe, I knew I had to give it a whirl. Of course, I tweaked it a bit to match my style (and because mayo and I are not mates).

The result? A primal, smoky, and downright filthy-good taco. We’re talking reverse-seared Tomahawk steak, dirty-seared straight on the coals, paired with buttery, cheesy grilled elote (sans mayo) and all tucked into warm tortillas. It’s BBQ bliss with a street-food twist. Let’s get into it.

Dirty-Seared Tomahawk Elote Tacos

Beef
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Prep Time 12 hrs Cook Time 2 hrs Rest Time 30 mins Total Time 14 hrs 30 mins
Difficulty: Intermediate Cooking Temp: 110  C Servings: 4 Estimated Cost: £ 45 Calories: Approximately 750 per serving Best Season: Summer
Author: Lee - Smoke & Sear Cooking Method: , Cuisine: Courses: Recipe Keys: Family Friendly Family Friendly Party Pleaser Party Pleaser

Ingredients

For the Tomahawk:

For the Elote (No Mayo):

For Assembly:

Instructions

  1. Dry Brine the Tomahawk

    • Generously coat the Tomahawk with kosher salt on all sides.
    • Place it uncovered in the fridge for at least 4 hours (overnight is best) to let the salt work its magic—enhancing flavour and setting up for that killer crust.

  2. Reverse Sear on the Kamado Joe

    • Fire up the Kamado Joe for indirect heat at 110-120°C.
    • Add the oak wood chunks for that deep, smoky flavour.
    • Place the Tomahawk on the indirect side, and insert the Ninja ProChef thermometer to monitor the internal temp.
    • Smoke until the steak hits 49°C (120°F) internally—this’ll take about 90 minutes.

  3. Grilled Elote (No Mayo) in the Ninja Woodfire

    • While the steak is smoking, grill your corn in the Ninja Woodfire over medium-high heat.
    • Rotate until the kernels are charred and golden (around 10-12 minutes).
    • Let the corn cool slightly before cutting off the kernels.
    • In a bowl, mix the corn with sour cream, melted butter, coriander, feta, lime juice & zest, and smoked paprika. Toss until it’s all coated and glorious.

  4. Dirty Sear – Straight on the Coals

    • Once the steak hits 49°C, pull it off and rest for 10 minutes.
    • Remove the grates from the Kamado Joe and rake the coals into an even, fiery layer.
    • Place the Tomahawk directly onto the hot coals. Sear for 30-45 seconds per side, flipping until it reaches 53°C (127°F) internal temp.
    • Rest the steak again for 10 minutes—the carryover heat will bring it to a perfect 54°C (130°F) for medium-rare.

  5. Warm the Tortillas

    Fire up the Ninja Woodfire again and warm the tortillas (~10 seconds per side) until soft and pliable.

  6. Assemble the Tacos

    • Slice the Tomahawk thinly against the grain—get those juicy, pink slices on show.
    • Load up each tortilla with beefy goodness.
    • Top with a generous heap of the elote mix.
    • Hit it with a squeeze of lime, and serve with extra wedges on the side.

Equipment

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Note

Not a fan of dirty searing? You can finish the steak on a cast-iron pan or over high heat on the grill grates, but trust me, the direct-on-coal sear gives it primal vibes you just can't beat.

Elote Variations: Want heat? Throw in some diced jalapeños or a pinch of chilli flakes into the elote mix.

Leftovers? Unlikely—but if you’ve got any steak left, it makes killer steak and eggs the next morning.

Keywords: Tomahawk steak tacos, dirty sear, reverse sear, grilled elote, BBQ tacos, Kamado Joe tomahawk, Ninja Woodfire recipes, no mayo elote, beef tacos, woodfire grilling
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Tag #SmokeSearRecipes if you made this recipe. Follow @smoke.sear on Instagram for more BBQ tips and recipes.

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Lee Bishop - Smoke & Sear

smoke.sear

1,065 24,066

24,000+ on Instagram.
11,000+ on Facebook.
66,000 website users this year.
130,000 page views.

And somehow, the Ninja Woodfire UK Facebook group has now passed 27,000 members, while the UK BBQ Community on WhatsApp has gone past 450 members.

That’s honestly mad.

Smoke & Sear has always just been me cooking outside, filming what I’m doing, sharing the wins, the mistakes, the gear, the fire, the smoke and all the no-bollocks bits in between.

But this year feels like things are starting to properly move.

The big goals are simple.

Keep pushing @fourge.bbq with three good mates and see how far we can take a proper UK BBQ business built around flavour, fire and graft.

Keep supporting the UK BBQ community, helping it grow, connecting more people, and doing what I can to push it forward.

And hopefully find a couple of brands to work with properly long-term. Real content, proper use, honest feedback, recipes, and maybe even stepping into demos a bit more.

To everyone who follows, comments, shares, reads the website, joins the groups, tries a recipe, buys from FOURGE, or just sticks around for the madness — genuinely, thank you.

It’s all a bit ridiculous.

But we’re only getting started 🔥

#SmokeAndSear #FOURGE #UKBBQ #BBQCommunity #OutdoorCooking

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24,000+ on Instagram. 11,000+ on Facebook. 66,000 website users this year. 130,000 page views. And somehow, the Ninja Woodfire UK Facebook group has now passed 27,000 members, while the UK BBQ Community on WhatsApp has gone past 450 members. That’s honestly mad. Smoke & Sear has always just been me cooking outside, filming what I’m doing, sharing the wins, the mistakes, the gear, the fire, the smoke and all the no-bollocks bits in between. But this year feels like things are starting to properly move. The big goals are simple. Keep pushing @fourge.bbq with three good mates and see how far we can take a proper UK BBQ business built around flavour, fire and graft. Keep supporting the UK BBQ community, helping it grow, connecting more people, and doing what I can to push it forward. And hopefully find a couple of brands to work with properly long-term. Real content, proper use, honest feedback, recipes, and maybe even stepping into demos a bit more. To everyone who follows, comments, shares, reads the website, joins the groups, tries a recipe, buys from FOURGE, or just sticks around for the madness — genuinely, thank you. It’s all a bit ridiculous. But we’re only getting started 🔥 #SmokeAndSear #FOURGE #UKBBQ #BBQCommunity #OutdoorCooking

Bit of a special one today ❤️🔥

Olivia and Oakley wanted to take over the Kamado Joe and make their own cooking video . . . so we made smoked & tallow-confit beef cheeks together.

And honestly, this is what it’s all about for me.

Getting kids outside. Around fire. Around food. Learning patience, confidence and where proper food actually comes from.

There is absolutely NO chance I’d have eaten beef cheeks at their age 😅

But when kids get involved in cooking outdoors, they become curious. They want to try things. Learn things. Experience things.

And somewhere between the smoke, the laughs and the chaos . . . core memories get made ❤️

88 15
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Bit of a special one today ❤️🔥 Olivia and Oakley wanted to take over the Kamado Joe and make their own cooking video . . . so we made smoked & tallow-confit beef cheeks together. And honestly, this is what it’s all about for me. Getting kids outside. Around fire. Around food. Learning patience, confidence and where proper food actually comes from. There is absolutely NO chance I’d have eaten beef cheeks at their age 😅 But when kids get involved in cooking outdoors, they become curious. They want to try things. Learn things. Experience things. And somewhere between the smoke, the laughs and the chaos . . . core memories get made ❤️

First proper hike completed ✅

Big shoutout to @lads_project25 for a cracking day out in the Peak District.

This was my first real hike and my first ever visit to the Peak District — and what a place to start.

📍 Higger Tor, Burbage Edge & Padley Gorge Circular
🥾 7.2 miles
⛰️ 1,378ft elevation gain
⏱️ 4 hours 6 minutes
🐾 One very happy, very tired Labrador

12 lads turned up, most of us strangers at the start, but it didn’t feel like that for long. Non-stop chats, proper laughs, some deep conversations, a bit of scrambling, a few boggy moments, and views that made every climb worth it.

Groups like Lads Project matter.

No judgement. No pressure. Just good lads getting outside, keeping active, sharing stories, having a laugh, and supporting each other in a way that feels natural.

If you’re a bloke who’s been thinking about doing something like this, reach out to @lads_project25 and get involved.

Fresh air, good people, and a reminder that sometimes the best conversations happen while walking side by side.

I’ll definitely be joining them again soon.

#LadsProject #PeakDistrict #MensMentalHealth #HikingUK #MensCommunity

60 9
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First proper hike completed ✅ Big shoutout to @lads_project25 for a cracking day out in the Peak District. This was my first real hike and my first ever visit to the Peak District — and what a place to start. 📍 Higger Tor, Burbage Edge & Padley Gorge Circular 🥾 7.2 miles ⛰️ 1,378ft elevation gain ⏱️ 4 hours 6 minutes 🐾 One very happy, very tired Labrador 12 lads turned up, most of us strangers at the start, but it didn’t feel like that for long. Non-stop chats, proper laughs, some deep conversations, a bit of scrambling, a few boggy moments, and views that made every climb worth it. Groups like Lads Project matter. No judgement. No pressure. Just good lads getting outside, keeping active, sharing stories, having a laugh, and supporting each other in a way that feels natural. If you’re a bloke who’s been thinking about doing something like this, reach out to @lads_project25 and get involved. Fresh air, good people, and a reminder that sometimes the best conversations happen while walking side by side. I’ll definitely be joining them again soon. #LadsProject #PeakDistrict #MensMentalHealth #HikingUK #MensCommunity

TEMPER Smoked Pulled Lamb Flatbreads 🔥

2.6kg bone-in lamb shoulder from @thecateringbutcher , hit with TEMPER from @fourge.bbq , smoked low and slow, then pulled into fresh flatbreads with garlic yoghurt, pickled onions, herbs and charred lemon.

Bit more of an involved cook this one, but absolutely worth it.

I also used the @typhur_uk Sync Gold Dual for temps throughout the cook and, to be fair, the Sub-1G connection was solid. No problem getting through the lamb, wrapped in foil, inside the Kamado Joe, through a few walls, while I cracked on writing the full recipe for the website like the BBQ geek I apparently am.

Full recipe is here:

https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/temper-smoked-pulled-lamb-flatbreads/

Enjoy!

103 25
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TEMPER Smoked Pulled Lamb Flatbreads 🔥 2.6kg bone-in lamb shoulder from @thecateringbutcher , hit with TEMPER from @fourge.bbq , smoked low and slow, then pulled into fresh flatbreads with garlic yoghurt, pickled onions, herbs and charred lemon. Bit more of an involved cook this one, but absolutely worth it. I also used the @typhur_uk Sync Gold Dual for temps throughout the cook and, to be fair, the Sub-1G connection was solid. No problem getting through the lamb, wrapped in foil, inside the Kamado Joe, through a few walls, while I cracked on writing the full recipe for the website like the BBQ geek I apparently am. Full recipe is here: https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/temper-smoked-pulled-lamb-flatbreads/ Enjoy!

DRAGON, edge of the sky.

Flt Lt Tom Nation, the 2026 RAF Typhoon Display Pilot, putting the Typhoon through its paces over Coningsby.

Tom’s name is now on the jet, the black flying suit is on, the helmet has been unveiled, and the 2026 display season is starting to feel very real.

The aircraft, the pilot, the team behind it — all coming together for what looks like it’s going to be an unbelievable season.

Fast, precise, aggressive, controlled . . . and absolutely breathtaking to watch.

@raf_typhoondisplayteam
@eurofighter.typhoon

#RAFTyphoon #TyphoonDisplayTeam #EurofighterTyphoon #RAFConingsby

125 6
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DRAGON, edge of the sky. Flt Lt Tom Nation, the 2026 RAF Typhoon Display Pilot, putting the Typhoon through its paces over Coningsby. Tom’s name is now on the jet, the black flying suit is on, the helmet has been unveiled, and the 2026 display season is starting to feel very real. The aircraft, the pilot, the team behind it — all coming together for what looks like it’s going to be an unbelievable season. Fast, precise, aggressive, controlled . . . and absolutely breathtaking to watch. @raf_typhoondisplayteam @eurofighter.typhoon #RAFTyphoon #TyphoonDisplayTeam #EurofighterTyphoon #RAFConingsby