Cowboy Steak Delivery or Pickup

Also known as a tomahawk or bone-in rib-eye steak, the cowboy steak is a large steak that can easily feed two people. The cut comes from the roast at the top of the rib primal. You'll usually find them reaching 2 to 3 inches thick and weighing between 30 to 45 ounces. There's no definite reason behind the meat's name, although some people believe its name comes from when cowboys used to eat this cut of steak with their hands and use the bone as a handle.

Since the cowboy steak has a bone, the flavors within the bone transfer into the steak during the cooking process, all bones have two types of marrow: red and yellow. Red marrow produces red blood cells and is found in the animal's ribs, spines, and skulls. Yellow marrow usually comes from the leg bones and is largely fat. Cowboys used to call yellow marrow "prairie butter," as it gives the meat a smooth and buttery flavor once the steak is cooked.

When cooking a cowboy steak, the most important factor is how thick the cut of meat is. Extra thick cut cowboy steak takes longer to cook. In general, beef doesn't need a lot of assistance with flavoring, which is especially true with cowboy steak. The reason behind this is that this piece of meat has heavy marbling, so all you need to add is a generous amount of salt and pepper. One of the best ways to prepare the steak is on the grill, although you can pan-sear it on the stovetop or broil it in the oven.

Before you begin to grill your cowboy steak, make sure it's completely thawed and brought to room temperature. It's best to remove it from the refrigerator between 30 to 40 minutes before grilling. To prepare the steak on a grill, place the steak on the hottest part of the grill and sear both sides for one to two minutes. Move the steak to a cooler part of the grill and continue cooking until the desired doneness. Use the following guideline to determine how long to cook a 2-inch cowboy steak:

The preferred way of serving cowboy steak is medium-rare. Make sure you turn the steak about one minute before the halfway point. You want the steak's internal temperature to reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the steak from the grill about five minutes before serving, and cover it with foil. The meat's temperature will continue to rise 5 degrees during this time, so its final temperature should read 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

Allow the cowboy steak to rest so the meat can absorb all the juices,  keeping it flavorful and moist. Cutting the steak too early will cause these juices to pool on the plate instead of inside the meat.

While you're busy deciding who to share your cowboy steak with, let Instacart help you with your shopping. Just open your Instacart app, add cowboy steak to your cart, and after you check out, an Instacart shopper will get started on your order. Expect to have your steak arrive at your house in as little as 2 hours!