Two enormous tomahawk rib eyes turn a familiar steak debate into a practical side-by-side test: pronounced grill marks and herb-butter cooking versus a more uniform sear and direct butter baste. The comparison has an appealingly simple premise, and recreating Malcolm Reed’s approach before putting it against the host’s preferred method gives the cooking demonstration a competitive structure without losing sight of the food itself.
The recreation is detailed enough to be useful. Salt, pepper and garlic seasoning, a brief rest, two-zone charcoal cooking, the initial sear, and a pan of butter with thyme, rosemary and garlic are all shown as meaningful parts of the process. The host also explains where he deliberately departs from the demonstrated method, including tying the tomahawk with butcher’s twine and substituting equipment he already owns. That transparency matters because this is not literally an identical equipment-for-equipment replication.
Grill marks become the central point of disagreement, and the demonstration does a good job of making that argument visible rather than merely asserting it. The host produces the requested marks despite openly preferring a more evenly browned exterior, then notes that some of them become less prominent as the steak continues cooking. His competing steak is deliberately given a more consistent golden-brown surface before being finished with a different butter mixture, setting up a clear contrast in technique.
The tasting provides more substance than a simple declaration of victory. Three tasters separately score crust, flavor and juiciness, and they do not always agree. The first steak receives respectable crust and flavor scores, while opinions on its juiciness range considerably; the second earns stronger reactions for crust and flavor but surprisingly lower juiciness scores. Those disagreements make the comparison feel more credible because the result is not presented as unanimous across every category.
There are limitations to treating the outcome as proof that one method is superior. The steaks are prepared with different seasonings, crust techniques and finishing methods, so the tasting changes several variables simultaneously. The host’s version also appears to have a noticeably different flavor profile, with tasters mentioning stronger pepper, spice and char. That makes the experiment entertaining and informative as a preference test, but much less controlled as an answer to whether grill marks themselves improve or diminish a steak.
The presentation stays energetic and visually focused, with useful attention given to searing, internal temperature, slicing and the finished interiors. The lengthy coffee sponsorship, however, lands directly between the first steak assessment and preparation of the challenger, interrupting the comparison at precisely the point where momentum is building. There is also an unanswered question introduced early about whether paying substantially more for the tomahawk bone is worthwhile; despite raising it explicitly, the video never meaningfully tests or resolves that issue.
Pros
- Recreates the competing steak method in enough detail to make the cooking process useful and easy to follow.
- Clearly identifies equipment and technique changes rather than pretending the recreation is perfectly identical.
- Three tasters independently score crust, flavor and juiciness, allowing genuine disagreement to remain visible.
- The contrasting searing methods create a clear and visually understandable comparison.
Cons
- Multiple variables change between the two steaks, preventing the tasting from isolating the effect of grill marks themselves.
- The question of whether the expensive tomahawk bone is worthwhile is introduced but never actually investigated.
- The extended sponsorship significantly interrupts the momentum of the central comparison.
A strong cooking demonstration and lively blind comparison make the steak showdown enjoyable even though it falls short of a tightly controlled experiment. The differing seasonings and finishing techniques muddy the verdict on grill marks, but the visible cooking process and divided tasting scores still provide useful material for viewers deciding which approach they prefer.
