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Tomahawk Steak on Gas Grill Guide: Upgrading with Lion Charcoal Trays
Why Cook a Tomahawk Steak on Gas Grill Stations with Charcoal Trays?
Cooking a massive, thick-cut steak requires absolute precision, but purists often feel they have to choose between convenience and flavor. When you prepare a tomahawk steak on gas grill systems built by Lion, you no longer have to compromise. By utilizing an innovative hybrid setup, you can tap into the rapid ignition and precise temperature regulation of premium gas burners while introducing the irreplaceable aroma of real wood lump charcoal or briquettes.
This unique approach solves the biggest challenge of cooking heavy, bone-in steaks. A generic barbecue setup often struggles to maintain a uniform thermal envelope, leading to an overcooked exterior and a cold, raw center. Dropping premium heavy-duty charcoal trays right above your fuel lines allows you to effortlessly bridge the gap, giving you a highly controlled searing environment that completely redefines traditional backyard cooking.
How to Grill a Lion Grill Tomahawk Steak, Step by Step
Executing a flawless Lion grill tomahawk steak setup requires a careful, deliberate transition between low indirect heat and raw, intense direct energy. This specialized technique keeps the deep interior from overcooking while your choice of premium charcoal chunks smolders underneath the heavy-gauge commercial grates, ensuring an incredibly tender result across the entire surface.
What You Will Need
- 1 Premium Tomahawk Steak (2.5 to 3 lbs)
- 2-3 Cups Premium Charcoal or Wood Chunks
- 2 tbsp Coarse Sea Salt (or Favorite Rub)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Coarse Black Pepper
- 1 High-Quality Digital Probe Thermometer
- Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil Sheets
The Cooking Steps
Take your time with the initial phases. Rushing the low-temperature soak will ruin the moisture retention properties of this magnificent cut.
- 1 Season and dry brine. Heavily dust your meat with coarse salt all over the entire exterior. Place the cut uncovered on an elevated wire rack in your refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours. This process draws out surface moisture, helping your tomahawk steak on gas grill setup establish a deep, dark outer bark.
- 2 Ignite your solid charcoal base. Lift up your main cooking grates on one side of your station and drop in your optional heavy-gauge charcoal tray accessory. Place a layer of lump charcoal chunks into the tray, close the lid, and turn on the gas burners right underneath it to quickly ignite the coals. Once the coals are hot and covered in grey ash, turn off the burners to let the raw charcoal provide your cooking atmosphere.
- 3 Set up the cool zone. Ensure the opposite side of your cooking chamber remains unlit, setting up a distinct indirect zone. The ambient temperature inside the hood should lock in right around 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay your meat down over the cool side, pointing the long bone directly toward the hot coals to shield the delicate meat profile.
- 4 Bake low and slow. Shut the heavy dual-layer welded hood and monitor your progress closely with a probe thermometer. Let the steak absorb the authentic smoky environment until the internal center hits 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. This slow, low-heat phase generally takes anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes.
- 5 Drape and preheat the sear. Pull the meat off the grates, put it on a warm platter, and loosely tent a piece of foil over it. Turn on all your remaining heavy-duty gas burners to high. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes until your main stainless cooking grates are glowing hot and register over 550 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 6 Blister the outer crust. Slap your steak down directly over the intense heat source. Sear the beef for 1 to 2 minutes per side, flipping carefully to lock in a rich caramelization. Take the steak off the heat as soon as the center hits 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit for a chef-grade medium-rare finish.
- 7 Rest and carve. Let the finished steak rest completely undisturbed on your counter for 10 minutes before slicing. This prevents all the delicious juices from spilling out onto your board, ensuring an exceptionally succulent result from your hard work.
Pro Tips for Mastering a Charcoal Tray Grill Setup
Transitioning from standard gas setups to an advanced hybrid cooking environment is highly rewarding, but handling a large cut of meat requires a basic understanding of airflow and fuel management. Unlike lightweight retail units that let wind easily strip away internal cooking heat, an elite charcoal tray grill configuration lets you lock down heavy-duty insulation to maximize your charcoal burn rate.
- Select the right fuel source: For a quick, intense crust development on heavy cuts, opt for 100% natural hardwood lump charcoal instead of standard compressed briquettes. Hardwood lump generates significantly higher temperatures, cleaner smoke, and far less residual ash buildup. To understand how these fuel designs impact combustion and airflow inside your cook box, review this detailed expert guide on lump charcoal vs briquettes.
- Manage the moisture barrier: Never skip the dry-brining stage in the refrigerator. Drawing out surface moisture before your meat hits the stainless cooking grates is what allows the dry charcoal heat to immediately start crisping up the exterior fat cap rather than steaming it.
- Keep the lid closed: Your heavy-duty dual-layer hood acts like a thermal vault. Every time you open it to check your progress during the indirect phase, you shed massive amounts of ambient wood smoke and drop internal temperatures drastically. Trust your digital probe readouts and keep the lid sealed tight.
Maximizing Flavor with the Large Cooking Area and Ceramic Tube Trays
Pictured: Installed heavy-duty commercial stainless steel cooking grates (ceramic tube trays sit hidden directly below).
Understanding how to cook tomahawk steak cuts like a professional chef comes down to pure thermal engineering. Preparing a heavy tomahawk steak on gas grill equipment engineered by Lion means you are working with an expansive, commercial-grade ecosystem designed for absolute temperature control. Instead of crowding your food, you have the physical space to separate your high-heat charcoal searing zone from your low-heat roasting zone.
Mastering a legendary Lion grill tomahawk steak relies heavily on utilizing thick, heavy-gauge steel that traps heat under the hood. When it comes to grilling a tomahawk steak properly, eliminating radical temperature fluctuations during the indirect phase is vital. This structural insulation ensures a perfectly uniform internal cook before you slide the beef directly over your roaring charcoal tray grill for a world-class crust.
Forged from ultra-thick, solid stainless steel, these commercial-grade rods lock in immense thermal energy to provide deep, even sear lines across your entire cut.
These specialized high-heat radiant trays sit below the cooking grid, dispersing intense, uniform heat across the large cooking area while eliminating erratic flare-ups.
Elevate Your Backyard Cooking with Premium Hybrid Versatility
At the end of the day, conquering a massive tomahawk steak on gas grill equipment isn't just about feeding an audience—it's about mastering the art of backyard luxury. By transforming your standard setup with an engineered charcoal tray grill insertion, you get the absolute best of both worlds. You gain the effortless, push-button ignition of premium commercial burners alongside the deep, authentic, wood-fired flavor profiles that only real hardwood lump charcoal can provide.
Investing in a high-end Lion grill tomahawk steak experience means choosing a system built to adapt to your culinary ambitions. Whether you are performing a delicate low-temperature indirect bake or blasting the meat with raw infrared energy to establish a world-class steakhouse crust, your equipment is fully optimized to deliver flawless consistency every single time you fire it up.
Lion gas grills are manufactured using 16-gauge 304 commercial grade stainless steel. They also feature a dual-layer welded hood, five Lion Quick Lite valves, and commercial-grade burners that deliver an impressive 75,000 total BTUs of cooking power.
Plus, every grill comes with a premium accessory package included at no extra cost! This complete upgrade kit features a gourmet rotisserie kit, a durable canvas cover, a heavy-duty smoker box, a brass brush for easy cleanup, and a handy multi-tool bottle opener.
Ready to take your outdoor cooking to the next level? Shop our premium grills and accessories today!
