When it comes to deliciousness, you can’t beat pork! And you haven’t experienced true deliciousness until you’ve tasted a dry rub roasted tomahawk pork chop!
This post has been sponsored by the National Pork Board
Tomahawk pork chops used to be a novelty cut of pork, that is until people started to experience the amazing flavor that was packed into these beauties.
As the saying goes, the closer the bone, the sweeter the meat. And gnawing on that pork chop bone was an experience I highly recommend. It was without a doubt the best piece of pork I ever tasted!
This is not your typical cut of pork, in fact, my rack was twice as large as what I’m showing. Whenever I buy racks of pork, I usually cut them in half. Freezing one half for another recipe. If you’re feeding 6-8 people, then by all means cook the whole rack.
What ingredients do I need to make tomahawk pork chops?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Dry Rub Roasted Tomahawk Pork Chops. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How do I make a dry rub?
Making the dry rub is the hardest part of making the rack of tomahawk chops. In other words, it couldn’t be any easier to make this dish. The seasonings I used to make my dry rub are simple and few.
Feel free to add your own special touch to the seasoning mix. Other spices you could add are listed below. If you want to take the easy route to season the pork, try Montreal Steak Seasoning, it’s one of my favorite blends.
- Smoked Paprika / Sweet Paprika
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Brown Sugar
Where do I apply the dry rub?
Rub the seasoning mix into both sides of the pork, working the rub into the meat so the flavors can permeate throughout the roast.
After seasoning the pork, double wrap it in plastic wrap. Place the rack on a sheet pan or baking dish and refrigerate for 24-48 hours. This will give the seasonings time to work their magic.
How do I roast tomahawk pork chops?
Unwrap the rack of tomahawk pork chops and place them in a baking dish. I like to add onion, carrots. garlic and celery, to the dish with a cup of water before adding pork.
I do this with any roasted meat. It helps flavor the drippings and keeps the roast off the bottom of the pan, which allows the heat to flow more completely around the pork.
I start the roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 for 1.5 hours to 2 hours depending upon the weight of the roast and your desired temperature.
I like to cook my pork to an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees. That will give you a tender moist chop. I would strongly suggest using a probe thermometer so the pork doesn’t overcook.
The worst crime you can commit in the food world is overcooking pork!
Chef Dennis Tip
**I love a crispy brown exterior on my pork roast, so I gave the pork an additional 10 minutes under the broiler to finish off the roast. You can eliminate this step if you like.
After removing the pork from the oven, place it on a platter or cutting board and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the fibers of the meat. If you skip the resting period, you’ll lose most of the flavorful juices when the meat is cut.
Slicing the rack of Tomahawk Pork Chops can be a little tricky. Follow the bone down the length of the chop, carefully using a sharp chef’s knife to cut the meat. You won’t have to cut through bone.
Use the drippings in the baking dish as a natural au jus. If there are not enough juices in the pan, add some water or stock and heat the pan on the stove, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the delicious bits stuck to the pan.
Let the juice cook down just a little and reduce so the au jus is more flavorful. Strain out the vegetables you had in the au jus and serve with your pork.
What else can I make with Tomahawk Pork Chops?
Tomahawk chops can be treated like any other pork chop if you cut them into individual chops. Just think of them as the King of Pork Chops. These are some other ideas for cooking Individual tomahawk chops.
- Grilled with your favorite BBQ sauce
- Dry Rubbed and Grilled
- Seasoned with your favorite cajun spices and blackened
- Broiled like a steak
Adding your favorite topping or sauce is a great way to change up how you serve these chops. Pork is incredibly versatile and can easily be adapted to many different styles and flavors.
Serve these delicious Tomahawk Pork Chops along with your favorite sides. For me that means mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe. But dinner should be about eating the foods that you love, so serve up your family favorites with this amazing piece of pork!
Visit pork.org for more pork cooking ideas and inspiration!
Recipe FAQ’s
Tomahawk pork chops is the cut that comes from the rib of the animal, or what is referred to as the bone-in ribeye. It’s a very tender cut because of the position it’s located on the animal.
Yes, you do. Letting the pork rest before slicing allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the fibers of the meat. If you skip the resting period, you’ll lose most of the flavorful juices when the meat is cut.
Yes, it does. The dry rub acts as a brine because of the salt used. The natural moisture content of the meat creates a concentrated brine that is naturally absorbed back into the meat before cooking
You certainly can. I like to reheat them in the pan juices that came from roasting or in stock. Place the chops in a saute pan with the liquid, cover and allow them to reheat over medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
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Roasted Dry Rub Rack of Tomahawk Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4-5 rib rack of tomahawk pork chops
- 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1½ tbsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic finely minced
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp rosemary finely minced
- 1 tbsp mustard powder
Instructions
- Combine all the seasonings to make the dry rub. Mix well.
- Rub the seasoning mix into both sides of the pork, working the rub into the meat so the flavors can permeate throughout the roast.
- After seasoning the pork, double wrap it in plastic wrap. Place the rack on a sheet pan or baking dish and refrigerate for 24-48 hours. This will give the seasonings time to work their magic.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F
- Unwrap the rack of tomahawk pork chops and place in a baking dish. I like to add onion, carrots. garlic and celery to the dish with a cup of water before adding pork.
- Roast the pork at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 for 1.5 hours to 2 hours depending upon the weight of the roast and your desired temperature.*Roast the pork to an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees. That will give you a tender moist chop. I would strongly suggest using a probe thermometer so the pork doesn’t overcook.
- If you like a crispy brown exterior on the pork, turn the heat up to broil for 10-15 minutes or until you've achieved the desired results.*You can reduce the cooking time at 325 degrees to adjust for the time under the broiler, if you like your pork a little on the pink side.
- After removing the pork from the oven, allow it to rest for 15 before slicing. This allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the fibers of the meat.
- Use the drippings in the baking dish as a natural au jus. If there are not enough juices in the pan, add some water or stock and heat the pan on the stove, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the delicious bits stuck to the pan. Strain out any vegetables and serve with the pork.
- To slice the Tomahawk Chops, use a sharp chef's knife to cut through the meat, following the bone as a guide down the length of the chop. *You won’t have to cut through bone.
- Serve the pork with your favorite sides and enjoy!
Notes
- Smoked Paprika / Sweet Paprika
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Brown Sugar
Naiby
Your dry rub brought these chops to a new level. I really enjoyed the mix of the spices here.
Tammy
Such a flavorful recipe! Wrapping it a day or two ahead is key to a flavorful roast. Your pork chops came out wonderful…I always kick of New Years with pork for good luck!
Marisa Franca
First of all let me say it wasn’t just the males in the house that found the tomahawk chops amazing, it was the girls too. The meat was so tender and flavorful that I was hoping for some left over but no such luck. I’m anxious to try that dry rub on other meats to see if it’ll do it’s magic on them too. Thank you for such a great recipe. It’s certainly a keeper.
Tristin
I’ve got to find these Tomahawk pork chops to make this recipe, my kids would love eating these!
Jessica
Pork is my favorite and this recipe did not disappoint! I loved the simplicity of the spice rub although I did add some smoked paprika as mentioned. I will be making this again in the near future.
Veronika
This recipe looks so delicious! Saved the recipe and cannot wait to try it!
Lauren Michael Harris
I have never seen Tomahawk pork chops before! My husband is a big fan of the steak version, so now I have to find them. We used this rub on thick cut chops and it was so good! Can’t wait to make them again!
janelynn
When my mother would cook pork when we were growing up, we’d lick dem bones so clean there wasn’t even any grease left behind.
Kayla DiMaggio
These tomahawk porkchops were the perfect main dish for a holiday party that we recently had! They were such a hit and turned out perfect!
Liz
We love pork at our house, and this was the first time making a tomahawk. It came out perfectly! thank you!
Marta
I haven’t met a pork chop I didn’t like, but these tomahawks were life-changing. The addition of the mustard powder was a great move. I’ll definitely be making these more often.
Jeannie
I made this for my family and it was a crowd pleaser
Lisa
Wow, those pork chops were amazing! I can’t wait until you make them again!!
Larry
Looks delicious Chef