Pork Steak Question


 
Darrell O

Darrell O

TVWBB Fan
I talked my butcher in Rhode Island into cutting me some pork steaks. It wasn't too hard to convince him. I've seen several different techniques, but not much on specifics. Some say direct, others indirect, and Dr. Barbecue says smoke them in his new book. I'm ready for any technique, but what temp should I pull them off at? Do you cook them like a pork butt since the steak is just a sliced pork butt. I imagine pulling the steaks at 145 will not make me a winner with the wife and kids.

How do you like to cook them?

Many thanks for any tips.

Oak
 
For pork steaks, it depends on the thickness. If you get thin ones, like pork chop thickness, you can do them hot and fast and they will be delightful. If they are thick, like mini-roasts, they do well with longer cooks, like 3-ish hours at 300 or so. They are very difficult to screw up, which is nice. If you do a search in the photo gallery forum, Jim Lampe has cooked a box car full of them, and would be the resident expert on pork steak, so you can get lots of techniques from his posts.

They are a staple at our house, super cheap and just as tasty.
 
I usually have them on there a couple of hours low heat, indirect after a quick sear on both sides.

You really can't mess them up......I had some on there once , went in tomwatch a movie...actually forgot about them and they were Still awesome.
 
I did some 1 incher's earlier this week planned for 2 hours, fell asleep and went 2.5 hours. They still came out great.

Skip temperature and cook until tender. Heat too high, burnt before finished.
 
We like them thin. About 1/2". Direct grilling until it starts pulling away from the bone, nice red color with chared, crispy edges. Add some sweet sauce while on the grill. I like to get about 3 coats on each side. Be careful not to burn the sauce.

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I sear mine then put them in a foil covered foil pan with BBQ sauce and cook indirect for about 2 hours. My family likes fall off the bone tender and that's what this produces. No knives needed.

I'm doing some for Sunday dinner and I am going to put Chris Lilly Butt rub on them in the morning and see if that amps up the flavor even more.

FWIW I've grew up in the St. Louis area and I've cooked pork steaks for 50 years and just about any way imaginable. The above is what I've settled on and I will probably just keep fiddling with it but never change the basic concept.

However you choose to do it enjoy the cook and the steaks.
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My family likes fall off the bone tender and that's what this produces.
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That's how I like them too. The wife doesn't. So guess what..........I cook them the way she likes them. Hot, crisp and sauced. Eat them right off of the grill. I'm glad to grill/eat them either way.
 
There are multiple ways this can be done and still come out good. I like to use a rib/pulled pork rub, cook direct for about 5-10 minutes to get it browned, then move to indirect for a coupleish hours (depends on thickness) until tender. Add a little smoke wood. Slice it up thin, and it is deeeeelish. You can add any kind of sauce at the table, or none.

I think to do it "St. Louis style" you have to let it braise in sauce. I've not tried that yet, but mean to.
 
Thanks for the tips guys. I've made a new friend with pork steaks. I'm so tired of brining pork loins and always eating lean pork with no flavor. The butt has enough fat to provide flavor and moisture. I dry rubbed 3 steaks with my typical BBQ rub and 2 with just salt, pepper, and garlic. I setup the kettle with the Smokenator and cooked around 235 for three hours. I used two chunks of beech wood, which works nice with pork. After 3 hours, I placed the steaks in foil pans and put some Dinasour BBQ sauce on the 3 pork steaks. I foiled the steaks the last hour and pulled off at hour 4. They turned out great and my kids loved them. The wife enjoyed her unsauced steak as well. The BBQ sauced steaks reminded me of eating ribs without the bone getting in the way. Yes, the folks down in St Louis sure did come up with a great technique. I am eternally grateful.

Regards,
Oak
 
What I love about pork steaks is that you can cook them several different ways and they turn out great. Congrats on a good cook.
 
Darrell, I'm glad they turned out great! Like Lew, I'm (sorta) from St. Louis (born there, but moved at a young age) and my dad taught me his technique... grill them for around 45 minutes until they're golden brown, sauce 'em, then put them in a covered sauced-up pan - dad put them in the oven at that point at 275 degrees for another 45 minutes. Lew's method of putting them covered on the grill accomplishes the same thing.

The best thing about pork... it's all good!
 
Originally posted by Chris in Louisiana:
I've never seen a pork steak in an area store.

You say it is sliced pork butt, so I guess I could carve my own. May have to try it.
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It has a large bone running through it. It needs to be cut with a saw.

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The bone ? Just get out the old hack saw and get a new blade for it.Steaks galore in just a few minutes...then back to the honey-do list !
 
Darrel for achange you might try this with pork steak.We have been doing this for years and it's a poormans ribeye or whatever steak you like.Have butcher to cut a pork butt into steaks 1 inch thick.....I have bought butts and cut them myself.Rub both sides with Dales or Moores steak marinade salt and pepper and refrig for about a hour or over night.Cook on med to high heat like a steak turning regular.... not over cook. Do not add bbq sauce ....eat it like a beef steak.
 
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