St. Louis BBQ Pork Steaks

By Venzie

St. Louis BBQ Pork Steaks are little-known in other parts of America, but in St. Louis, they are so popular that pork steaks are on permanent sale in family packs at the supermarket. We found there was no substitute for pork steak, so the only option was to cut our own. We ordered five boneless Boston butts and cut them in half crosswise, then turned each piece on end to slice 1-inch-thick steaks. Inspired by a test kitchen recipe for brats and beer, we used a method of sear, simmer, sear again. This untraditional process gives the steaks a nice char, candylike edges, and succulent, slightly chewy interiors. To reproduce Maull’s barbecue sauce, the locally famous tomato-based glaze St. Louisans use on their steaks, tasters chose dark brown sugar over molasses and hot sauce over cayenne, and we added ketchup, cider vinegar, and garlic powder.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 2 cups beer (see note)
• 1/4 cup A.1. sauce
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 (5- to 6-pound) boneless pork shoulder roast, cut into steaks according to Butchering Boneless Pork Butt step-by-step
• Pepper

Details

Adapted from pinterest.com

Preparation

Step 1

Serves 6 to 8


MAKE SAUCE Whisk ketchup, beer, A.1., sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic powder, hot sauce, and liquid smoke in large bowl. Transfer to large disposable aluminum pan.

HEAT GRILL Heat all burners on high, covered, for 15 minutes. (For charcoal grill, light about 100 coals. When covered with fine gray ash, spread evenly over bottom of grill. Set cooking grate in place and heat covered, with lid vent open halfway, for 5 minutes.) Scrape and oil cooking grate.

SEAR AND SIMMER Season pork steaks with pepper and grill until well-browned, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to pan with sauce, cover with foil, and place pan on grill. Turn all burners to low and cook, covered, until steaks are tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 90 minutes.

FINAL SEAR Using potholders, remove pan from grill and turn all burners to high. (For charcoal grill, light about 50 coals. When covered with fine gray ash, remove grill grate and scatter evenly over spent coals.) Remove steaks from pan and grill until lightly charred around edges, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Skim fat from sauce and serve with steaks.

(Note:In step 3, check the sauce after it has been on the grill for about an hour. If it looks thick and dry, add water to adjust the consistency. You can use any light-bodied American-style beer.)