If heaven was on earth, it would be in the form of a 30oz. dry aged tomahawk ribeye like the one found online at master meat purveyors Chicago Steak Company (you can purchase yours here). 

Now when it comes to preparing a 6 week dry aged premium Angus ribeye, it all starts with the seasoning.  While a bit of Kosher salt and cracked black pepper would do just fine, I decided to really accentuate that big beefy taste with a toasted fennel and chile rub.

For the actual grilling portion of our program, I am a firm believer in using a reverse sear with bigger cuts such as this, starting the meat over indirect heat so it can slowly come to temperature while soaking up that deep smokey flavor from the grill.  Once the grill nears the target temperature, simply move it over direct heat to give it a quick sear.  For the piece de resistance, I finished the steak off with a flavorful roasted garlic and horseradish compound butter. 

REVERSE SEARED TOMAHAWK RIBEYE WITH TOASTED FENNEL AND CHILI RUB AND ROASTED GARLIC-HORSERADISH BUTTER

Ingredients

1 head of garlic, top 1/3 removed

1.5 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 tbsp. fennel seeds

2 tsp. black peppercorns

1 tsp. coriander seeds

1/2 tbsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder

1 (30oz.) Chicago Steak Co. tomahawk ribeye

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp. jarred prepared horseradish

Instructions

Prepare grill for 2-zone grilling (learn how here), placing pre-heated charcoal briquets on one half of the grill's charcoal grate to create a hot and a cool cooking zone.  Replace the main cooking grate and adjust bottom vents to bring the grill temperature to approximately 350 degrees.  Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with 1/2 tbsp. olive oil.  Wrap the foil around the garlic and place the packet on the cool side of the grill as far from the charcoal as possible.  Cover the grill and allow the garlic to roast for approximately 20 minutes until the cloves are tender.  Remove the garlic from the grill and mash 2-3 large cloves in a small bowl.  Add the butter and horseradish to the bowl and blend well.  

Place a small skillet on the grill and add the fennel, peppercorns, and coriander.  Allow the spices to toast, stirring frequently until fragrant.  Remove the spices and place in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and pulse until fine.  Combine the ground spices with the salt and chili powder in a small bowl and blend well.  Rub the steaks with the remaining olive oil then season well with the dry rub mixture.

Add 2-3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal side of the grill.  Once the wood begins to smoke, set the steak on the cool side of the grill.  Cover the grill and allow the steak to smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 115 degrees (we recommend investing in a quality instant read thermometer such as the Thermapen).  

Open the grill's bottom vents fully and allow it to heat with the lid removed for 2-3 minutes until the grill temperature exceeds 500 degrees.  

Move the steak to the hot side of the grill and sear the steak on both sides until it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees for medium-rare.

Remove the steak from the grill, plate, and top with the roasted garlic and horseradish butter. Allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes then serve.

 Full disclosure:  The steak was provided by Chicago Steak Company for recipe development purposes.  No additional compensation was received.