Reverse Seared Tomahawk Steak with Cowboy Butter & Bourbon Infused Salt

Reverse Seared Tomahawk Steak with Cowboy Butter & Bourbon Infused Salt

Servings: 2 Total Time: 25 hrs 45 mins Difficulty: Intermediate Party Pleaser Party Pleaser Show Stopper Show Stopper Smoke & Sear Fav. Smoke & Sear Fav.
The Ultimate BBQ Steak Experience

Get ready to impress with this mouth-watering Reverse Seared Tomahawk Steak recipe! We’re talking about a massive cut of beef, cooked to perfection on the Kamado Joe Classic 3. This juicy steak is taken to the next level with a decadent cowboy butter and a sprinkle of bourbon-infused salt. Perfect for a weekend BBQ, this recipe will make you the hero of any backyard gathering.

Reverse Seared Tomahawk Steak with Cowboy Butter & Bourbon Infused Salt

Prep Time 24 hrs Cook Time 1.5 hr Rest Time 15 mins Total Time 25 hrs 45 mins
Difficulty: Intermediate Cooking Temp: 120  C Servings: 2 Estimated Cost: £ 40 Calories: Approximately 950 per serving Best Season: Summer

Steak:

Cowboy Butter:

Bourbon Infused Salt:

Instructions

  1. Dry Brining

    • Prep the Steak: Remove the tomahawk steak from its packaging and pat dry with kitchen towel.
    • Season: Generously season all sides with quality salt.
    • Refrigerate: Place the steak in the fridge for 24 hours to allow the salt to penetrate and season the meat evenly.
  2. Smoking

    1. Set Up Smoker: Preheat your Kamado Joe Classic 3 to 120°C (250°F) for indirect cooking. Add a block of bourbon-infused oak wood for smoke.
    2. Monitor Temp: Insert a temperature probe into the steak and close the lid.
    3. Smoke the Steak: Cook until the steak reaches the desired internal temperature (see table below).
    Steak Doneness Temp to Remove from Smoking (°C/°F) Temp to Remove from Searing (°C/°F) Final Internal Temp (°C/°F)
    Rare 45°C / 113°F 49°C / 120°F 51°C / 125°F
    Medium Rare 49°C / 120°F 53°C / 127°F 54°C / 130°F
    Medium 55°C / 131°F 58°C / 136°F 60°C / 140°F
    Medium Well 60°C / 140°F 63°C / 145°F 65°C / 150°F
    Well Done 65°C / 149°F 71°C / 160°F 74°C / 165°F
  3. Cowboy Butter

    • Soften Butter: Let the butter soften at room temperature.
    • Mix Ingredients: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
    • Shape and Chill: Place the mixture on cling film, shape into a cylinder, and refrigerate until hardened.
  4. Bourbon Infused Salt

    • Reduce Bourbon: Simmer bourbon over low heat until it becomes syrupy.
    • Combine with Salt: Mix the syrupy bourbon with coarse salt.
    • Dehydrate: Spread the mixture on a tray and dehydrate in a Ninja Foodi MAX Pro Health Grill or oven on the lowest setting for 1.5 hours.
  5. Searing

    • Prep Grill: Increase grill heat to around 290°C (550°F) by opening all vents.
    • Remove Probe: Take out the temperature probe before searing.
    • Sear Steak: Hold the bone with heatproof gloves and sear the steak directly over the fire for about a minute on each side, including the edges.
    • Monitor Temp: Use a Thermapen ONE to check internal temperatures. Remove the steak once it reaches the second temperature target for desired doneness.
  6. Resting and Serving

    • Add Cowboy Butter: Place a slice of cowboy butter on top of the steak as it rests.
    • Rest: Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes, allowing the butter to melt and flavours to infuse.
    • Slice and Serve: Cut the steak off the bone, slice against the grain, and sprinkle with bourbon-infused salt before serving.

Equipment

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy a product using these links, we get a commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps keep the BBQ magic alive, and we thank you in advance!

Note

  • Extra Flavour: For an extra smoky flavour, use bourbon-infused oak wood chunks during the smoking stage.
  • Holding Temperature: You can hold the steak in a low oven if you need to delay serving.
Keywords: Reverse seared steak, tomahawk steak, cowboy butter, bourbon salt, Kamado Joe, BBQ recipes
You’ll have seen @fourge.bbq pop up yesterday.

I wanted to take a moment to explain what that means for me — and for Smoke & Sear.

Smoke & Sear didn’t start as a plan or a brand. It started when I invested in my first smoker and fell headfirst into outdoor cooking. Along the way, I discovered a growing, supportive BBQ community on Instagram — people sharing knowledge, encouraging each other, and genuinely wanting to see the UK BBQ scene grow.

I loved it.

From that point on, Smoke & Sear became my way of giving something back. Sharing what I was learning, being honest about the wins and the mistakes, testing gear, highlighting good people, and doing my small bit to help grow UK BBQ in a positive way.

That’s never changed.

Smoke & Sear is still me. Still community-first. Still about learning, sharing, and supporting where I can.

But being one person, there’s only so much reach you can have on your own.

Being part of @fourge.bbq opens that up.

FOURGE is a separate venture built with three mates — bigger in scope, broader in ambition, and built to do things I simply couldn’t do solo. Cooking at events, building products, creating experiences, and pushing UK BBQ forward in a different way.

What matters most to me is that the values stay the same.
Supporting the community. Sharing knowledge. Bringing people together over fire and food.

Smoke & Sear continues exactly as it is.

FOURGE is the next chapter alongside it.

I’m genuinely excited about what’s coming — and if you’ve ever backed what I’ve been building here, I’d love your support over at @fourge.bbq too.

Let’s see how far we can take this 🔥
Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year . . . 

2025 has been a huge personal challenge but with the kids by my side there is no obstacle we can’t overcome . . . and we’ve made sure we’ve had plenty of fun on the way.

I’ve been slacking off a little with the ‘U.K. BBQ scene’ lately and content creation . . . but behind the scenes I’ve been working on something honestly HUGE and within a month or two I’ll be able to share something that, well, is going to change the U.K BBQ game for sure!  I’m excited just thinking about it . . . 

I want to thank all those who’ve been checking in lately and the thousands and thousands of people who still rely on my Website and WhatsApp Community to help support their own BBQ journey . . . It still amazes me how many of you use what I’ve created.

2026 . . . Let’s do this!  It’s gonna be a wild ride!
Today marks one year since I relaunched the Smoke & Sear website — and honestly, I thought it wouldn’t survive.

With everyone jumping to AI for recipes and reviews, I genuinely expected my little BBQ site to fade away.

But you proved me wrong.

Massively wrong.

Here are 10 epic facts from the first 12 months:

🔥 Nearly 180,000 new people visited the site — enough to fill Wembley twice.

🔥 People from 100+ countries used the site this year.

🔥 The USA alone sent 51,000+ visitors.

🔥 Perfect Pulled Pork was read 32,947 times.

🔥 Ninja content smashed 100,000+ views across Woodfire & FlexFlame reviews.

🔥 Pages were loaded hundreds of thousands of times overall.

🔥 The UK BBQ Events 2025 page hit 7,200+ readers.

🔥 Brisket content pulled 13,000+ views… and I’ve only cooked TWO briskets in my entire life. 😂

🔥 Even the 404 page somehow got 8,406 views.

🔥 And my honest, unsponsored reviews were read over 92,000 times — real testing that people actually trust.

I can’t thank you enough for reading, cooking, sharing, messaging, and keeping this whole thing alive.

In a year where everyone said websites were dead . . . you showed me that real cooks, real stories, and real honesty still matter.

Here’s to year two — bigger, hotter, smokier, and even more ridiculous. 🔥❤️

www.smokeandsear.world

— Lee
Coffee-Infused Beef Short Ribs slathered in a bourbon & maple sauce that was so good I nearly licked the plate clean . . . twice.

Rich, sticky, smoky, sweet, boozy — proper grown-up BBQ that hits different.

🔥 The real star though? That sauce.

Here’s how you make it — trust me, you’ll wanna bookmark this one:

🧪 Bourbon & Maple BBQ Sauce

	•	160g Maple Syrup
	•	80g @woodfordreserve Bourbon
	•	60g Ketchup
	•	60g Brown Sugar
	•	4 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
	•	4 tsp @norfolk_smoke_pit ‘Brew & Briskets’ Rub

Chuck it all in a pan, simmer it down, and let the magic happen. It’s sticky, boozy BBQ gold.

📸 Would I make these again? Absolutely.

⏪ Did I cook these exact ribs 4 years ago to the day? You bet I did.