St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (2024)

Published August 5, 2022.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This delicious grilled St. Louis Pork Steak recipe is reverse seared and then basted with homemade BBQ sauce and charred to perfection. If you’ve never had these before, you will be blown away at how delicious they are.

These pork steaks are tasty and will be your new favorite tailgate or BBQ recipe. Try serving these up with my vinegar coleslaw or with my gooey butter cake as dessert.

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (1)

Pork Steak

Pork steaks are an absolute St. Louis BBQ staple. They are thin-cut pork butt or shoulder steaks grilled until done and basted with a tomato-vinegar BBQ sauce. The most common cooking method would be to quickly char them on both sides and then slow cook them for a few hours in BBQ sauce.

While you can cook these using any procedure you’d like, I believe reverse searing them makes them the most tender and juicy without the risk of overcooking. Check out my video below to see how I made them.

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Pork Steaks – I use ½” to 1” thick pork steaks, which are cut from the pork butt or shoulder.
  • Seasonings – A combination of onion granules, garlic granules, dry oregano, salt, and pepper make for very tasty pork steaks.
  • BBQ Sauce – Whatever your favorite BBQ sauce is can be used.
St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (2)

How to Make Reverse-Seared Pork Steaks

Use these easy-to-follow procedures and images to make this delicious Pork Steaks recipe:

Start seasoning both sides of the pork steaks with onion granules, garlic granules, dry oregano, salt, and pepper.

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (3)

Next, heat one side of the grill to medium heat so that the grill stays at a steady 225°.

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (4)

Add the seasoned steaks to the other side of the grill where there is no direct heat underneath and cook for 90-120 minutes or until they reach 160° to 163° internally.

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (5)

Remove the pork steaks and turn the entire grill to high heat (550° to 600° F).

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (6)

Once the grill is hot, add the steaks and sear for 2 to 3 minutes or until grill marks are formed.

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (7)

Turn the steaks over, immediately baste them with BBQ sauce and sear for a further 1 to 2 minutes.

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (8)

Remove the pork steaks and let them sit for 5 minutes before saucing and serving.

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (9)

Pork Steak BBQ Sauce

If you are in St. Louis, Maull’s BBQ will be most used on pork steaks. If you aren’t a fan of Maull’s, then you can absolutely use your favorite BBQ sauce recipe, whether homemade or store-bought. I decided to make my version of Maull’s, so here is what I put in it:

  • Add the tomato puree, white distilled vinegar, corn syrup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, lemon juice, orange juice, soy sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper, onion granules, and garlic granules to a medium-size saucepot.
St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (10)
  • Whisk together the sauce and bring it to a boil over high heat.
St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (11)
  • Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Store, or use it up.
St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (12)

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten immediately; However, you can keep these in a grill-proof pan with an extra 1 cup of BBQ sauce at low temperatures of 200° to 225° F for up to 1 hour before serving. They can start to turn tough if you let them sit for too long.

How to Store: Cover and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired number of pork steaks to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350° F for 8-12 minutes or until hot.

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (13)

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (14)

Chef Notes + Tips

  • Feel free to use your favorite BBQ Sauce on these pork steaks.
  • This recipe will work on a gas grill, smoker, or charcoal grill.

More BBQ Recipes

  • St. Louis Style Ribs
  • Smoked Pork Shoulder
  • Grilled BBQ Chicken
  • Smoked Chicken Recipe
  • Vinegar-Based BBQ Sauce

Be sure to follow me onFacebook,YouTube,Instagram,andPinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this, then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below.

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (15)

Video

St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (16)

Print

5 from 2 votes

This delicious grilled St. Louis Pork Steak recipe is reverse seared and then basted with homemade BBQ sauce and charred to perfection.

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the Pork Steaks:

  • 8 ½ ” to 1” thick cut pork steaks
  • 4 teaspoons onion granules
  • 4 teaspoons garlic granules
  • 4 teaspoons dry oregano
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups BBQ sauce

For the Optional Homemade BBQ Sauce

  • 28 ounce can of tomato puree
  • 2/3 cup white distilled vinegar
  • ¼ cup light or dark corn syrup
  • ¼ packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark molasses
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 4-6 dashes of hot sauce
  • 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion granules
  • 2 teaspoons garlic granules
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste

Instructions

  • For the Pork Steaks: Preheat one side of your grill to medium heat so that the entire grill is heated to 225° F when the lid is closed.

  • Season both sides of the pork steaks with onion granules, garlic granules, dry oregano, salt and pepper.

  • Add the seasoned pork steaks to the other side of the grill where there is no direct heat underneath and cook for 90-120 minutes or until they reach 160° to 163° internally.

  • Remove the pork steaks and turn the entire grill to high heat (550° to 600° F).

  • Once the grill is hot, add the steaks back on and sear for 2 to 3 minutes or until grill marks are formed.

  • Turn the steaks over, immediately baste them with BBQ sauce and sear for a further 1 to 2 minutes.

  • Remove the pork steaks and let them sit for 5 minutes before saucing and serving.

  • BBQ Sauce: While the steaks are cooking at 225°, is when you make the optional homemade BBQ sauce.

  • Add all the ingredients to a medium-size saucepot.

  • Whisk together the sauce and bring it to a boil over high heat.

  • Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Store, or use it up.

Notes

Make-Ahead: Pork steaks are meant to be eaten immediately; However, you can keep these in a grill-proof pan with an extra 1 cup of BBQ sauce at low temperatures of 200° to 225° F for up to 1 hour before serving. They can start to turn tough if you let them sit for too long.

How to Store: Cover and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired number of pork steaks to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350° F for 8-12 minutes or until hot.

Feel free to use your favorite BBQ Sauce on these pork steaks.

This recipe will work on a gas grill, smoker, or charcoal grill.

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1628mgPotassium: 742mgFiber: 3gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 729IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 3mg

Course: BBQ, Main

Cuisine: American

Author: Chef Billy Parisi

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5 comments

    • Pamela Ward
    • St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (17)

    The pork steaks were so tender. Everyone loved them. I followed the freezing directions for another great meal in the near future. Thanks Chef!

    • Reply
    • Michelle humphreys
    • St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (18)

    Hi. I am from St. Louis and loved your pork steak video. Outstanding job. Pork steaks are my husbands favorite meat. Thanks. Go Mizzou. My niece plays soccer there and we love going there. Take care

    • Reply
    • St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (19)

        Go Tigers!

        • Reply
      • Pete

      Hi love your recipes. Do the steaks stay on 1 side for the entire 90-120 cook or are they turned at some point? Thanks

      • Reply
      • St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (20)

          Yup! A smoker would also be awesome, or as I stated in the video, the oven.

          • Reply
      St. Louis Pork Steak Recipe (2024)

      FAQs

      What is a pork steak St Louis thing? ›

      Pork steaks are an absolute St. Louis BBQ staple. They are thin-cut pork butt or shoulder steaks grilled until done and basted with a tomato-vinegar BBQ sauce. The most common cooking method would be to quickly char them on both sides and then slow cook them for a few hours in BBQ sauce.

      How do you keep pork steaks from getting tough? ›

      Try a Marinade or Brine. A marinade or brine can introduce more moisture or lots of flavor into your meat before you cook it. A marinade is a sauce that introduces extra flavor to your pork, depending on the aromatics or herbs you choose to include. A brine pulls more moisture into the meat, which keeps your pork juicy ...

      Should pork steaks be cooked fast or slow? ›

      You can slow cook pork steaks in the oven to make them tender. Cooking pork steak slowly at a low temperature allows the collagen in the tissues to melt away, making the meat easier to eat.

      How long do you cook a pork steak for? ›

      Take the steak straight out of the pan without flipping over and place on a plate to rest for two minutes. That allows the juices to settle and it will be lovely and tender. That's how simple it is: 6 minutes on one side, 2 minutes on the other and 2 minutes to rest = the 10 minute pork steak!

      What part of pork is used for pork steak? ›

      Pork steak is a cut of pork taken from the pork shoulder. This cut is also sometimes referred to as Boston butt or pork blade steaks. Pork butt, despite the name, doesn't actually come from the hind leg but refers to the more inexpensive cut taken from the part of the pig located above its shoulder blade.

      Why are pork steaks so cheap? ›

      Pork steaks are usually more affordable than pork chops due to the higher fat content while pork chops are usually more expensive because the cuts are leaner and have more meat than fat. The price gets even higher for premium cuts like center-cut or boneless chops.

      How do you tenderize pork steaks quickly? ›

      Baking Soda Brine
      1. Mix up a solution with baking soda and water. Weigh your pork cut (or cuts)—for every 12 oz (0.34 kg) of weight, stir 1 tsp (6 g) of baking soda into 12 c (120 mL) of water. ...
      2. Submerge the pork for 15 minutes before rinsing it off. Use clean water to rinse the remaining solution from the meat.

      What's the best thing to tenderize pork? ›

      A brine is essentially just salt and water. It helps prevent moisture loss during cooking, and the salt also helps tenderize the meat from the inside out. If you want an extra juicy piece of pork, brine it before cooking. You can make an effective brine just with salt and water, but additional seasonings do help.

      Does pork get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

      Unlike the more lean tenderloin and chops, pork shoulder is an incredibly forgiving cut of meat. It becomes more tender as it cooks and benefits from a lengthy cook time, so even if it stays on the heat a few minutes too long, you won't suddenly end up with something dry or rubbery.

      Is it best to fry or grill pork steaks? ›

      The quickest way to cook pork chops is to pan-fry or griddle them. As the chops can be quite large, this method is best when serving one or two people. If you're cooking for more you might want to try roasting or grilling.

      Why are my pork steaks chewy? ›

      Undercooked pork carries the risk of food-borne illness, and overcooked pork can be dried-out, tough, and chewy. Cook your chop until it's around 135 degrees, and then transfer it to a cutting board—the residual heat will bring it to the USDA's recommended 145 degrees.

      Do you rinse pork steaks before cooking? ›

      Washing beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination. Some consumers think they are removing bacteria and making their meat or poultry safe.

      How do you keep pork steak from drying out? ›

      For juicy, flavorful pork chops, try brining the chops before grilling or broiling — two high-heat cooking methods that can quickly dry out lean pork chops. Brines are essentially salty, sugary water solutions; they'll keep the meat moist, while adding flavor.

      What's the difference between pork chops and pork steaks? ›

      Though steaks and chops may be used interchangeably in some recipes, these two cuts bring different things to the table. The former is inherently fatty and succulent because it's taken from the shoulder. Meanwhile, the latter tends to be leaner with a milder flavor profile, since it comes from the pig's loin.

      What is pork St Louis? ›

      St. Louis-style spare ribs are the meatier ribs cut from the belly of thehog after the belly is removed. They are usually trimmed down by cutting away the hard breastbone and chewy cartilage, otherwise known as connective tissue. St. Louis-style ribs are flatter than baby back ribs, which makes them easier to brown.

      Why is it called pork steak? ›

      Answer: Pork blade steaks or simply pork steaks are credited to a Florissant resident, Winfred Steinbruegge. In 1956 in honor of the birth of a son he asked a neighborhood butcher to cut a pork butt into steaks that he could grill. Pork butt is meat from the pig's shoulder, hence the name blade steak.

      What part of the animal is pork steak? ›

      A pork steak, also called Boston butt or pork blade steak, is a steak cut from the shoulder of the pig. Pork steaks are mentioned as far back as 1739, though without details about how they were cut or how they were cooked.

      Did Schnucks invent the pork steak? ›

      On a page dedicated to “How the pork steak was born,” Don and Ed, members of the Schnuck family, are named the pork steak's inventors — two culinary innovators who in the 1950s “wanted to offer a cut of meat for grilling that was inexpensive enough to fit every family's budget.” Both claims are wrong.

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