A Midwestern BBQ Staple - Pork Steaks

If you are not from the Midwest you are probably asking what exactly is a pork steak. Originally considered just a St. Louis thing it is now pretty prevalent throughout the Midwest due to its low price, ease of preparation, tenderness, great flavor and the vast multitude of prep options with them.

The pork steak is cut from a pork shoulder, pork shoulder butt, pork butt or Boston butt which are all the same thing. The reason a cut of meat taken from the shoulder of a pig is called a pork butt is that when meat was shipped back in the day of wooden ships this cut of meat was salted and packed into large barrels, known as butts, and bound for Boston. The shipping barrel was known as a butt and pork shoulders were shipped in them (often to Boston) and eventually adopted the container name as well as the destination city.

A pork steak can be prepared in a multitude of ways. It can be marinated, rubbed, brined prior to grilling. It can be rubbed, sauced, left naked, smoked, indirected or grilled directly during the grilling process. It can be made spicy or sweet or salty. One of my favorite ways of cooking these is indirect with nothing more than salt and black pepper. The most common method of grilling pork steaks is to slather them in your favorite BBQ sauce. Another beautiful thing about pork steaks is they hold up well for large groups in that they can be stacked up deep in a disposable aluminum pan, slathered in sauce and kept warm and tender for hours.

For this post it will be a tag team between my Dad and my Cousin. Dad will go over exactly how to get a pork steak in areas that carry pork shoulder/butts but don't have pork steaks and Tom will go over one of the many ways to cook pork steaks....

What’s a ‘Pork Steak’?

Outside of the Midwest region of the country (where pork steaks are an extremely popular grilling staple) they aren’t well known and retail grocers do not offer this particularly tasty cut of pork. My cousin, Carol, lives in Maryland and has used the information provided here to obtain pork steaks in her area where they are not normally available. You can obtain them most everywhere if your local purveyor handles ‘Whole Boston Butt’ or ‘Pork Butt Roast’ or any of the myriad of other names such as the 'Pork Shoulder Butt' shown below:

Pork steaks are also known as ‘Blade Steaks ‘ and simply put, Pork Steaks are merely a sliced Boston Pork Butt.

I visited a local Save-a-lot Food Store (known for value, quality, and low prices) where the head meat-cutter, Mike, agreed to assist in illustrating how Pork Steaks are cut:

This is what the Whole Butt looks like prior to Mike performing his craft with this tasty cut:

Mike trims the end and any excess fat to fit the steaks to the tray used to sell at retail :

The Boston Butt is sliced into steaks (usually ½” to 1 1/4” thickness) on the saw:

Mike does not slice the whole butt into pork steaks. He saves a portion of one end to sell as a small roast (the back of the pic below) and sells the small end pieces as 'Finger Ribs,' which Mike thinks are the tastiest part, (the front of the pic below). What's in the middle of the two are known as ‘Center Cut Pork Steaks.’ Some grocers slice the entire Butt and that’s referred to as ‘Whole Butt Sliced into Pork Steaks’ and usually offered at a lower retail price since the end pieces are included:

Finally we have view of what the end product looks like before wrapping, pricing, and offering for sale in the display case - small roast on the upper left, finger ribs on the upper right and center cut pork steaks down the middle:

Our thanks to Mike who is a very accomplished griller in his own right (and a pretty good Texas Hold ‘Em player) for helping out with the explanation of what exactly is a pork steak.

Hopefully you’ll be able to take this information to your local butcher (careful here, they usually prefer to be called meat-cutters!) and obtain Pork Steaks in your area. Watch your local ads for the roasts to be on sale to save a few dollars during these difficult economic times and approach your retailer then. I’ve had them many ways—thick-thin-marinated-glazed-simmered in sauce and so forth and they are always enjoyable.

**Editor's note - now Tom takes over with the cooking of the amazing pork steak**

For a very long time I did not realize that bar-b-que pork steaks were a regional treat. That is until I moved a few states away and the butcher had no idea what I was trying to purchase. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of enjoying a pork steak slow cooked on the grill and slathered in BBQ Sauce, I hope that you will try this and enjoy!

This is a dish I have spent many years trying to perfect. My father-in-law was the master of bar-b-que pork steaks and he set the bar very high. I have cooked these many times and my wife finally told me these are as good as her dad used to make.

A pork steak is just a whole pork butt sliced into steaks (bone in). I typically ask the butcher to slice the pork butt approximately 1 1/4" thick (they shrink a little when fully cooked).

The first step is to use our standard rub consisting of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, raw sugar and ground red pepper. Click here to see the exact measurements. Rub generously onto the steaks and place into ziploc bags and refrigerate three hours to overnight.

Ready to go on the grill the next day:

Grill is ready:
I cooked these on the Big Green Egg, but you can do this on any grill. I like to start with the coals medium-hot to quickly sear the steaks:

Then close off the air flow to the grill so that the temp drops to a medium-low heat (approximately 250 degrees). Then continue to grill the pork steaks, turning occasionally for approximately ninety minutes:

**Editor's note - cooking time will vary from grill to grill as well as based on the thickness of the pork steak. These are pretty thick. Most of the time pork steaks are cut an inch thick or less and need much less cooking time. The good news is practicing on pork steaks to perfect them does not cost a lot**

During the last 20 minutes of cooking, brush bar-b-que sauce onto the steaks (10 minutes on each side):

So far, I have not been too impressed with bottled bar-b-que sauce. We usually purchase the bottled kind and doctor it up a bit. Here is my recommendation.

KC Masterpiece Bar-B-Que Sauce
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/2 fresh jalapeño pepper finely chopped (ribs & seeds removed)
1 stalk celery finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 dark beers (one for the sauce and one for the cook)

Saute the onion, jalapeño and celery until tender and slightly caramelized. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute or two. Add the brown sugar and stir until incorporated, then slowly stir in the beer. Cook over low heat for thirty minutes.

Along side the pork steaks we did some crostinis:
1 loaf french bread in 1" slices
olive oil
minced garlic
muenster cheese, grated (or your favorite cheese, creamy cheeses that melt well work best)

Turn the bread in the olive oil so there is a light coating on both sides. Spread minced garlic on one side of the bread. Grill until golden brown on both sides, then top with grated cheese and continue grilling until melted. These are a great appetizer or served along with the meal.

**Editor's note - for step by step instructions on cooking crostinis click here. Also, the basic process outlined here and in the link is an original recipe of the grillin fool. There are many variations but the concept is an original of mine and one of my favorite things to do on the grill and is always a crowd pleaser**

And here is the final product plated and ready to eat:

**Editor's note - Awesome job Tom. Can't wait to have these at the next big family function. Maybe my house on Mother's day?**



Click here for the rest of the process

Roast Beef on the Grill?

Been to the grocery store lately? Have you seen the astronomical cost of lunch meat these days? What used to be $5/pound is now $9/pound. Roast beef is just plain ridiculous these days. What if you could make your own roast beef for under $3/pound? It's really not all that hard. Think I'm kidding? My cousin Tom did it and will show you how you can do it too. Click below to find out just how incredibly easy it is...


Last weekend I cooked a 15 pound top round roast. The rub is pretty standard in my kitchen with slight variations based on what is in the pantry.

The Rub
2 Tbs onion powder
2 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs kosher salt
2 Tbs ground pepper
1 tsp red pepper
1 Tbs raw sugar

I massaged the rub into the roast and placed it back into the refrigerator overnight.

The next day get the grill going:

I set up the BGE for indirect cooking and this can also be done on a standard grill. On the BGE this means filling coals to the top of the fire ring, then the place setter goes on top of the fire ring. **Editor's note - for those of us mortals that do not have the amazing egg, the fire ring acts as a heat shield so that the meat can be placed directly over the coals without cooking the meat directly** To accomplish on a standard grill build the fire as usual, then place the coals around the perimeter of the grill with a drip pan in the center. You will need to add coals and monitor the temperature when using a standard grill.

**Editor's note - for beginners, it might be easier to maintain consistent temps by putting coals on one side of the grill. Placing them around the edge will be get better heat distribution but will require more maintenance than putting the coals to just one side. In a smaller grill like a Weber it would be prudent to use a heat shield. To do so place the meat in a double layer of high sided disposable aluminum pans with holes poked in the bottom through both pans to allow the fat to drain. If the grill is a wider, rectangular grill the aluminum pan/heat shield may not be necessary**

Place the roast, fat side up on the grill and cook at 225 to 250 degrees for five hours or until internal temperate of roast is 150 for medium rare.

Let the roast rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then slice and enjoy.


Cooking time and resting time should be reduced with a smaller roast.

**Editor's note - I told you it was easy. The biggest cut of meat to date on the site yet the shortest write up.


Click here for the rest of the process

A Taste of Jamaica ~ Jerk Chicken, Rice and Beans, Braised Kale with a Jamaican Rum Dessert

This is the first contribution from the newest Grillin Fool, Tom. Tom has been getting a boatload of use out of the mother of all grills - The Big Green Egg - and it seemed only fitting that he join the Grillin Fools family. So click below to see how this island adventure can be captured no matter where you are...


For the first time in more than a decade my wife and I did not take our annual February vacation in the Caribbean. So to help overcome the winter blues we decided to create a meal with the flavors of our favorite destination ~ Negril, Jamaica. Jerk Chicken with all the trimmings including rice & beans alongside some braised kale. And of course some good Appleton Jamaican Rum.

The first step is the marinade for the chicken. This is best marinated overnight, but if you are not the type to plan ahead no worries mon. This will still be good if you marinate for at least three hours.

Jerk Chicken - The Marinade
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 Scotch Bonnet Pepper (if you can't find this at your grocery use a fresh jalapeño)**
1 Tbs allspice
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dark rum
juice from one fresh lime
juice from one fresh orange

One chicken butterflied or chicken pieces

**Note well: For a spicy recipe keep some or all of the ribs and seeds from the scotch bonnet or jalapeño, otherwise remove all the ribs and seeds. Also, the spice combination might sound a little strange, but trust me when this hits the grill you won't believe how amazing it smells!

Combine all of the above ingredients (except for the chicken) in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Rub marinade into chicken pieces and place into ziploc bags. Marinate in refrigerator at least three hours (overnight is best).

The last time I made this I butterflied the chicken, but this time we had some leg and thigh quarters and that is what we used. Either the butterflied chicken or pieces will work, just use real bone-in chicken.

As Scott mentioned in a previous post - "I am the Egg-man" and like to cook on my Big Green Egg so that is how I cooked this chicken. However any grill can be used, you just want to cook it low and slow. I recommend approximately 300 - 325 degrees for approximately 60 to 90 minutes. I am a fan of natural charcoal, not the perfectly square pressed stuff you typically find in stores. **Editor's Note - Regular charcoal briquettes are perfectly fine for this recipe. Tom has become a fan of the natural or lump charcoal once he got a BGE that recommends against using standard charcoal briquettes in the BGE. Regular briquettes may actually lend themselves more to slow and low process like this as lump charcoal tends to burn faster and hotter than regular briquettes**

And I use the charcoal chimney to start my fire as I am not a fan of the taste of lighter fluid.

**Editor's note - most Jerk recipes have some sugar involved which burns rather easily so some blackening of the chicken is to be expected and in fact adds to the flavor. But if you are turned off by the blackening you can remove the brown sugar and replace it with Turbinado Sugar or Sugar in the Raw**

My lovely wife prepared the braised kale and the rice & peas - this is her spin on a Jamaican staple.

Rice & Peas
1 cup white rice (not the fast cooking kind)
1 can kidney beans, drained (fresh red peas are used on the island)
2 cloves garlic
1 uncut Scotch Bonnet Pepper (again use fresh jalapeño if you can't find Scotch Bonnet)
1/4 cup sliced leeks
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 sprigs fresh)

If you have not cooked with leeks before, give them a try. They are milder and smoother than onions. However, they come with a little sand / dirt embedded. So cut off the ends of the leek (discard the ends) and cut into thin slices. Pull the rings apart and place into a bowl of water and swoosh it around in order to remove any sand or grit from the leeks. Then remove the leeks and drain on paper towels.

The coconut milk is a little different too. We buy it in a can and it is somewhat solid when opened. Pour the coconut milk into a bowl and stir until the solids and watery portions are smooth before measuring out for this recipe. The coconut milk adds a nice creaminess to the recipe so I really encourage you to try it.

Crush garlic and add to boiling chicken broth. Add coconut milk, salt, pepper, thyme, leeks, beans, rice and uncut pepper to the chicken broth. Cover and reduce to a simmer for approximately 30 minutes (depending on the rice you use). Because the pepper is uncut, the rice will have the flavor of the pepper without being overly spicy.


Braised Kale
Okay, so this may not be a caribbean recipe. But we needed something green so went to this hearty, southern soul-food.

1 Tbs olive oil
2 slices bacon
1 pound kale
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup leeks
fresh nutmeg (just two swipes over the microplane)
salt & pepper to taste

Saute the bacon in olive oil until almost crisp, then add leeks and cook a few more minutes until they are tender:

While the bacon and leeks are cooking the kale needs to be prepped. The thick rib that runs through each leaf needs to be removed from the kale (fold the leaf and remove the rib by pulling it out or cut it out with a knife):

Then roll the kale and slice into ribbons. This is not difficult and the prep of the kale takes approximately 5 minutes:

Add the kale and chicken broth to the pot, cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Kale is a very hearty green and takes a while to become tender. The volume will reduce by more than half when fully cooked.


Now it's time to combine the three. Here we have the chicken fresh off the BGE:

The rice and beans in the pot ready for the plate:

And all three plated:
And what Jamaican meal would be complete without some Appleton Rum?


And a bonus. To complete the meal, how about a traditional Jamaican dessert **Editors Note - Pictures to be added soon**

Rum Raisin Ice Cream with Sauteed Bananas
2 Tbs raisins
3 Tbs rum**
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs brown sugar
1 banana sliced in half lengthwise
vanilla ice cream

Soak the raisins in rum for fifteen minutes.

Using a skillet over medium heat melt the butter, then stir in the brown sugar. When this is combined add the banana slices and cook until nicely caramelized (this takes approximately 3 - 4 minutes):

Add the raisins and rum and stir until combined:

Spoon hot mixture over vanilla ice cream, top with whipped cream and enjoy!

**Not a desert for children!


**Editor's note - glad to have you aboard Tom...as well as your lovely wife!!!

Click here for the rest of the process