TomaPork Steak: The Complete Guide

Written by: Joseph Bramall

Covers: What it is · The Farm · Value vs Beef · How to Cook · BBQ · What to Serve · FAQs

What Is TomaPork Steak?

TomaPork is our signature cut - a bone-in pork steak that takes its inspiration from the beef tomahawk but is built entirely around what makes British pork exceptional. It is cut from the loin and belly of our award-winning Duroc x Landrace pigs at Mount Pleasant Farm, Great Houghton, with the bone left in for flavour, presentation, and the kind of visual impact that makes it impossible to ignore on a plate or a grill.

Looking to try it yourself? We sell the TomaPork Steak from Mount Pleasant Farm - shop it here.

We named it TomaPork because no existing cut name did justice to what it is. A standard pork chop is a thin, boneless or short-boned cut taken quickly from commodity pigs. TomaPork is something different: a thick, bone-in steak from a heritage cross-breed raised on grain grown on the same farm, from a farmer we know by name, from pigs that won a Great Taste Award. It deserves its own identity.

“The pork steak for people who think they don’t like pork. Once you’ve eaten meat this good, the word ‘pork’ stops meaning what it used to.”

- Eat Great Meat Butchery, Yorkshire

At approximately 400g bone-in, TomaPork is a single-portion steak - substantial, satisfying, and designed to be cooked and eaten whole. The bone runs through the cut, conducting heat into the meat from below during cooking and acting as a natural handle on the grill. The fat cap, left intact, renders during cooking into something extraordinary - nothing like the watery fat on cheap pork.

Mount Pleasant Farm: Where TomaPork Comes From

Every TomaPork steak comes from a single farm. That’s not a marketing line - it’s how we buy. Steve Richardson raises our pigs at Mount Pleasant Farm, Great Houghton, and the grain they eat is grown on the same land. There are no food miles between field and pig.

Why does the farm matter? Because pork flavour is almost entirely determined by breed, feed, and how the pig was raised. A commodity pork chop from an unknown farm, fed on standard rations, will taste like a commodity pork chop. TomaPork tastes like nothing else because it comes from nothing like a commodity operation.

TomaPork vs Beef Steak: The Value Case

Beef prices in the UK rose by over 32% in 2025 - the largest single-protein increase in a decade. A fillet steak now costs upwards of £60 per kilogram. A quality ribeye runs to £40–50 per kilogram. Meanwhile, the AHDB reported in January 2026 that consumer demand for British pork is at an eight-year high, driven in large part by the beef-to-pork migration happening across every income bracket.

TomaPork sits in an extraordinary position in that market.

This isn’t a budget pitch. TomaPork is not cheap pork masquerading as something better. It is premium, traceable, award-winning pork from a specific farm - priced the way pork should be priced when it hasn’t been inflated by 32% like beef. The value is real.

How to Cook TomaPork Steak

TomaPork at ~400g bone-in is a single-portion steak that cooks beautifully in a pan with an oven finish - no reverse sear required, no specialist equipment, no ninety-minute commitment. It is, in cooking terms, more straightforward than a beef tomahawk while delivering a result that’s at least as satisfying.

What You’ll Need

• TomaPork steak (approx 400g, bone-in)

• Flaked sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

• Rapeseed oil (or other high-smoke-point oil)

• Unsalted butter, 2 garlic cloves, fresh sage or thyme

• A heavy ovenproof pan - cast iron is ideal

• Meat thermometer (strongly recommended)

• Oven preheated to 180°C fan

The Method

Step 1: Rest, dry, and score the fat

Remove TomaPork from the fridge 30–45 minutes before cooking. Pat completely dry with kitchen paper - pork surfaces hold more moisture than beef, and a wet surface steams instead of searing. Score the fat cap lightly with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. This helps the fat render evenly and creates a more appealing presentation.

Butcher’s note: Scoring the fat allows it to render out faster and more evenly. Without scoring, the fat edge can buckle as it contracts during cooking.

Step 2: Season confidently

Season both flat sides and the fat cap generously with flaked sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Do this immediately before cooking. Pork benefits from bolder seasoning than you might expect - it can carry it.

Step 3: Render the fat first - this step makes a difference

Heat your ovenproof pan over a medium-high heat. Add a thin film of rapeseed oil. Using tongs, stand the TomaPork upright on its fat edge and hold it there for 3–4 minutes until the fat is golden, rendered, and beginning to crisp. You’ll hear it sizzling and see it colour - this is exactly right.

Butcher’s note: Rendering the fat before searing the flat sides means the fat isn’t competing with the meat crust for pan temperature. You get a properly rendered fat cap and a clean sear on the meat - separately, in sequence.

Step 4: Sear both sides

Lay the steak flat and increase the heat to high. Sear for 2–3 minutes per side without moving it - let the crust develop fully before turning. The steak will release naturally when it’s ready. You’re looking for a deep golden-brown crust, not just colour.

Step 5: Finish in the oven

Transfer the pan to your preheated oven at 180°C fan. Cook for 6–10 minutes, checking the internal temperature from 6 minutes. You’re targeting 63°C at the thickest point, away from the bone. Cooking time varies depending on the exact thickness of your steak - use the thermometer, not the clock.

Butcher’s note: The meat immediately next to the bone cooks slightly slower than the rest. Aim your thermometer probe at the thickest section of meat, not the spot closest to the bone.

Step 6: Baste with butter and sage

Remove the pan from the oven when you’re 2–3°C below your target temperature. Place on the hob over medium heat and add a knob of butter, 2 crushed garlic cloves, and several sprigs of fresh sage or thyme. Baste continuously with the foaming butter for 60–90 seconds. Sage is the classic partner for high-quality pork - it elevates the fat’s flavour in a way that thyme or rosemary doesn’t quite match.

Step 7: Rest - always rest

Transfer to a warm plate and rest for a minimum of 5 minutes. Pork contracts more significantly than beef during cooking, and resting allows the muscle fibres to relax and reabsorb the juices. Internal temperature will continue to rise 2–3°C during the rest - account for this when pulling from the heat.

Internal Temperature Guide

Unlike beef, pork has a minimum safe temperature. The guidance below applies to whole pork cuts - not minced or stuffed pork, which should always reach 75°C throughout.

TomaPork on the BBQ

TomaPork on the BBQ is one of the simplest and most rewarding things you can cook over coals. The bone protects the meat from direct flame, the fat cap renders and drips onto the coals producing aromatic smoke, and the 400g portion size means cooking time is manageable without the extended indirect phase needed for a beef tomahawk.

• Set up a two-zone fire: all your coals on one side. You need a medium-high direct zone for searing and a cooler indirect area to finish.

• Render the fat cap first - even on the BBQ: stand the steak on its fat edge over direct heat for 3–4 minutes. This step makes the same difference on a BBQ as in a pan.

• Sear over direct heat: 2–3 minutes per side over the hot zone. Get your grill marks. Let the crust form before moving.

• Finish on indirect heat: move to the cooler zone with the lid down and cook until 63°C internal. This usually takes 6–10 minutes more depending on coal temperature.

• Rest off the heat: 5 minutes minimum. Same rules as the pan method.

What to Serve With TomaPork

TomaPork’s flavour profile is richer and sweeter than beef - the Duroc fat has a distinctive character that’s best complemented by ingredients with some sharpness or bitterness. Think contrast, not competition.

• Apple: The classic pork pairing, and with good reason. A simple apple sauce or a few slices of sharp eating apple pan-fried in the same butter you used to baste are both perfect. A calvados reduction, if you want to go further, is extraordinary.

• Mustard mash: Creamy mashed potato with a generous amount of wholegrain mustard stirred through. The mustard cuts the fat’s richness without fighting it.

• Roasted fennel: Fennel’s mild anise character works with the sweetness of good pork in the same way that apple does. Quarter a fennel bulb, toss with oil and salt, roast at 200°C for 25–30 minutes.

• Purple sprouting broccoli or cavolo nero: Bitter greens cut through the fat. Flash-fry in the butter left in the pan after cooking. Season hard and add a squeeze of lemon.

• Wine: Lighter reds work better with pork than the heavy tannic bottles suited to beef. A Pinot Noir - especially from Burgundy or a quality English producer - is the natural partner. A barrel-aged white Burgundy or Alsatian Pinot Gris also handles the fat beautifully.

Why TomaPork, and Why Now

The honest case for TomaPork isn’t just about the product - it’s about where the market is right now. With beef prices at a decade high and consumer demand for British pork at an eight-year high (AHDB, January 2026), there has never been a better moment to discover what premium British pork can actually taste like.

Most people’s experience of pork comes from supermarket cuts: commodity pigs, wet cured, sold in thin slices with no provenance information. That experience sets a very low ceiling for what pork can be. TomaPork - from a Great Taste Award-winning Duroc cross, raised on grain from the same farm, bone-in for flavour and presentation - sets an entirely different ceiling.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TomaPork steak?

TomaPork is a signature bone-in pork steak created by Eat Great Meat - a Yorkshire family butcher established in 1780. It is cut from the loin and belly of Great Taste Award-winning Duroc x Landrace pigs raised by Steve Richardson at Mount Pleasant Farm, Great Houghton, where feed grain is grown on-site. The steak weighs approximately 400g bone-in and is a single-portion steak.

What temperature should I cook TomaPork to?

Cook to an internal temperature of 63°C at the thickest point, followed by a 5-minute rest. At 63°C, whole pork cuts are safe to eat and will have a hint of pink - this is correct and desirable, not a sign of undercooking. Cooking to 75°C produces significantly drier, less flavourful meat. The 63°C standard is recommended by the UK Food Standards Agency for whole pork cuts.

What breed of pig does TomaPork come from?

TomaPork comes from Duroc x Landrace pigs at Mount Pleasant Farm, Great Houghton. The Duroc is one of the most highly regarded breeds in premium pork production - it carries exceptional intramuscular fat and produces a noticeably richer, more complex flavour than standard commercial breeds. The Great Taste Award won by this breed reflects that quality.

How is TomaPork different from a regular pork chop?

In almost every way. A standard supermarket pork chop is a thin cut from a commodity breed, often wet-processed, with no provenance information. TomaPork is a thick, bone-in steak from a named farm, a specific heritage cross-breed, raised on grain grown on-site. The eating experience is genuinely different - the fat is richer, the flavour more complex, and the texture more similar to a quality beef steak than anything most people associate with pork.

Can you cook TomaPork on a BBQ?

Yes - TomaPork is excellent on the BBQ. Render the fat cap first over direct heat for 3–4 minutes, then sear both sides, then finish on the indirect zone with the lid down until 63°C internal. Apple or cherry wood chips add a smoke that pairs beautifully with the Duroc fat. The bone is a natural handle for positioning on the grill.

Is it safe to eat pork with a hint of pink?

Yes - for whole cuts like TomaPork, the UK Food Standards Agency’s current guidance allows pork to be served at 63°C with a 5-minute rest. This produces a hint of pink at the centre and significantly better eating quality than the old 75°C guideline. This applies to whole muscle cuts, not to minced or stuffed pork products.

How much does TomaPork cost?

TomaPork starts from £7.50 for an approximately 400g bone-in steak - a Great Taste Award-winning cut from a named farm, named farmer, and named breed. Against a comparable beef steak at £18–£25 for a similar portion, TomaPork represents the clearest value in British butchery right now, particularly given that beef prices rose by over 32% in 2025.

Where can I buy TomaPork steak online?

TomaPork is exclusive to Eat Great Meat - it’s our cut, from our farm relationship, and you won’t find it anywhere else. Order online at eatgreatmeat.co.uk for nationwide delivery. We deliver fresh, not frozen.