Has anyone smoked a pork steak?

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mythmaster

Master of the Pit
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Mar 24, 2010
1,256
34
Guthrie, OK
Searched around, couldn't find any mention of it.

I went to get some wood chips tonight so I can season the MES tomorrow, and I picked up a couple of pork steaks (about 1# ea) and some boneless, skinless chicken breasts all spur-of-the-moment like. I figured I could start with some small stuff this week so I can get a feel for how the smoker works before I do the ham for Easter. (I was gonna do a Prime Rib today, but plans changed).

So, I'm guessing that the pork steaks won't take very long, and I should smoke them pretty much the same as I would pork chops -- maybe at 225* with hickory until they hit around 160*. I didn't bother trying to make a rub -- I just put some Kick'n Chicken on them and stuck them in the fridge. I'm thinking that they might be pretty good if I throw some sauce on them during the last 20-30 minutes, maybe some Sweet Baby Ray's -- I won't brew up anything custom for something this small.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions, I'd appreciate it.
 
I would shoot for 145' to 150'. I would use them naked without the sauce and use as you go on the side.
 
I guess I should foil them for a half hour or so after I pull them so the temp can rise some? I've always read that pork should get to 160*.

Also, I think that these things will produce more juice than chops. Should I put them on the rack with a drip pan or in a tray?
 
I did them a few times, just have to make sure (like Ron said) to shoot for a little lower temp as they will overcook easily.
 
I've done them several times; they're one of my family's favorites.

Steaks are smoked for 2.5 hours at 225. Then pull them out and apply a *thick* coating of your favorite sauce; My favorite is a "hickory and brown sugar" flavored sauce. Put them back in the smoker and cook for another hour to finish them off and thicken/carmelize the sauce on the meat.

The meat is done not by temperature, but by the consistency of the fat. When it is rendered to the point of being "melty" you've got it.

I did these in my MES:
 
I'm not sure if they are the same but I've done pork steaks a lot, but they are just pork shoulders that have been sliced into steaks about 1"-1.5" thick. The place I get them just calls them pork steaks but they looked like pork shoulder slices so I asked once and sure enough thats what there were. So I make them into pulled pork. I put a rub on them smoke for about 3 hours then put into a foil pan and cover with foil and put it back in the smoker for another 2 or 3 hours and take it out and pull just like you would a whole shoulder. I love them cause you get some great pulled pork in about half the time as a whole shoulder and you get a lot more surface area of meat for rub and smoke, but be carefull cause you can over do it on the rub and smoke so when I do them this way I just use cherry so the smoke is not too over powering.
 
Thanks, everyone! I think that I over did it with the rub -- it's the first time I've used it, seems pretty strong, the whole fridge smells of it -- maybe the sauce will tame it some.

I'll try to get some pics when I put them on.
 
I don't know where the camera is so no pics, but I did them like Fore Check, and they came out looking just like the ones in his Qview. I did have too much Kick'n Chicken on them, but otherwise they were perfect! Aside from the extra heat, they were tender, juicy and had a great hickory flavor.

This was the first time using my MES, and it took me a while to get the smoke flowing properly -- with soaked chips there was no smoke, and with dry ones there was fire. I ended up using half and half and had some pretty good TBS.

Thanks again -- you guys are the best!
 
I'm glad it turned out well - long live the yummy!
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Just some FYI regarding pork and internal temp...

Dated May 2010 That could be pork’s new slogan after the United States Department of Agriculture  on Tuesday said it was lowering its safe cooking temperature to

145 degrees, from the longtime standard of 160. The new recommendation is in line with what many cookbook authors and chefs have been saying for years.

Trichinosis is caused by microscopic live worms called trichinae. The parasites live and reproduce in the intestines and their larvae can make their way into the

bloodstream and travel to the muscles causing pain, fever, muscle deterioration and even death. Nowadays, the threat of trichinosis is rare  

due to public awareness and strict government guidelines on the raising of pork

According to Americas Test Kitchen cooking pork to a Internal Temp of 137 kills the Parasite and is safe after that temp.
They strive for 140 deg and let it sit where the IT will climb to about 145, clearly within the safe limits of eating pork. Should you

have people are fear any pink in pork cooking to 150 will usually eliminate any pink. However recommend brining your pork to keep it

from drying out should you feel more comfortable with a higher temp.

Bill
 
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