The Best Barbecued Pork Steaks
These Barbecued Pork Steaks are marinated, rubbed in spices and slow roasted on the grill. Simply the most tender and flavorful pork steak recipe you will find!
One of our favorite things to put on the grill is Barbecued Pork Steaks. They are so loved by everyone in our family. Especially my son, who requests this grilled pork steaks recipe or my awesome marinated pork chops on a weekly basis!
“This recipe was excellent. I liked the beer and apple juice. I mixed them together and marinated with them instead of using it for basting. I basted with the barbecue sauce. This is my second time making it!”
Jeanie, reader comment
What are Pork Steaks?
Pork steaks (pork shoulder steaks) were popular in Central Missouri where I grew up. Which makes sense, because they originated in St. Louis! Along with some other delicious foods, like toasted ravioli and ooey gooey butter cake.
Even though BBQ pork steaks originated in Missouri, they’ve grown to be popular throughout the Midwest in recent years.
Pork shoulder steaks are from the pork shoulder roast. This can also sometimes be labeled as a pork butt or Boston butt roast. I like my pork steaks cut a bit thin, about 3/4 inch thick. But, you can ask for them to be cut up to about 1 inch thickness.
Sometimes, you will see this cut referred to as a “pork blade steak.” If your butcher does not have pork shoulder steaks, have no fear! They can cut them for you. Just ask the meat counter at your local grocery store, or your favorite butcher!
Pork shoulder steaks are generally an inexpensive cut and they pack a TON of flavor! This is why we love to barbecue them!
If you love this pork recipe, try some of my others on Blackberry Babe! Easy BBQ Pork Meatballs | BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos | Mexican Cochinita Pibil (Roasted Yucatan Style Pork) | Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops | Lemon Pepper Pork Chops | Smoked Pulled Pork (Beer and Apple Basted)
How to Marinate Pork Steaks
When I barbecue pork shoulder steaks, I channel my Dad and my husband’s Papa Don for the marinade. It’s super simple, with only one ingredient!
So, what’s the ingredient?
BEER!
I know, I know. I’m SO Missouri right now.
But seriously, marinating pork in beer tenderizes it perfectly! You don’t need fancy craft beer for this. Any light lager or pilsner will do.
“I made these tonight but not on the grill. Got rained out 😞 Made them in a grill skillet and they still turned out amazing. Will definitely make them again on the grill though. So glad I found this recipe. 5 stars all the way!!!”
Bill, reader comment
How to Season Pork Steaks
Pork shoulder steaks are a flavorful cut of meat on their own. They’re bone-in and full of rich pork shoulder meat. For that reason, they can be delicious on their own with just a bit of salt and pepper!
But, I like to add a simple pork rub to form an INCREDIBLE crust on the pork while it grills!
Once marinated, pat the pork steaks dry with a paper towel. This will prepare a nice, dry surface for your seasonings to adhere to. And, it will help you get a nice sear on the grill!
My favorite dry rub recipe to season pork shoulder steaks is with a combination of these four spices:
- Brown Sugar
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
I have recommended ratios for these spices in the recipe below, but please know that if you’re feeling lazy, you can just put a liberal shake of each over the the sides of the pork steaks, and it’ll be amazing!
How to Grill Pork Steaks
I believe that the best way to grill pork steaks is nice and slow, over low heat.
We use a charcoal grill, so I typically prepare the coals and spread them out evenly once lit. Then, I let them mellow out for 15-20 minutes so the fire is not scorching hot.
I grill pork steaks with the spice rub only, first. Then, I baste with barbecue sauce for the remaining cook time. This gives the pork a sticky sweet, beautifully charred crust!
As an optional step, you can baste the pork steaks in a solution of ½ beer and ½ apple juice while grilling. If you marinate the pork steaks, this should not be necessary.
Pork Steaks Temperature
For safety, you need to get the pork steaks to minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant-read thermometer. I prefer to cook them past this temperature.
Keep in mind that pork shoulder starts to pull apart and is extremely tender at 195 degrees Fahrenheit. I believe that somewhere between 145 and 195 degrees Fahrenheit is the right temperature for tender pork steaks, preferably on the higher side of that range.
Again, lean on your instant read thermometer to help you decide when to pull the pork from the grill.
“Absolutely the best and I’m not a big pork fan. At least I wasn’t. Try this!”- Molten
Serving Suggestions
Serve these Barbecue Pork Steaks with grilled corn on the cob, creamy mac and cheese and a simple green salad for the perfect No Oven Summer supper!
Leftover Pork Steaks
Save leftover pork steaks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in an aluminum foil covered dish in the oven, or in a hot skillet.
This pork recipe does not reheat very well in the microwave. It seems to make them tough! If you do reheat in the microwave, I recommend adjusting the microwave power to 3 or 4 and reheating gently.
“Seriously the best pork steak on the planet.” – Nana
The Best Barbecued Pork Steaks
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork shoulder steak 5-6 steaks
- 24 ounces light beer
- 8 ounces sweet barbecue sauce
For the spice rub:
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For optional basting liquid:
- 8 ounces light beer
- 8 ounces apple juice
Instructions
- Cover pork shoulder steak in light beer and marinate for a minimum of one hour, up to overnight.
- Prepare a grill (check the two cook options below to choose your temperature).
- Remove the pork shoulder steaks from the beer, then dry with a paper towel.
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper.
- Press the spice rub into the pork steaks, coating evenly on both sides. Allow to rest at room temperature.
- If you'd like to baste the pork steaks while they're grilling, combine the beer and apple juice in a small bowl.
- QUICK OPTION: Grill on a covered grill over medium-high heat for 12 minutes per side, basting occasionally with the optional basting liquid.
- PREFERRED OPTION: LOW AND SLOW: Grill on a covered grill over low-medium heat (or indirect heat on high) for 20-25 minutes per side, basting occasionally with optional basting liquid.
- To finish the pork steaks, grill for an additional 3-4 minutes per side over direct heat, brushing generously with barbecue sauce on each side of the pork steak.
- Transfer to a platter or cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with additional barbecue sauce, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This is a really good recipe. The only thing I add to this is horseradish to the mustard and smear that all over the meat, then I sprinkle the spices on and include smoked garlic powder and smoked cumin along with smoked paprika and onion powder and kosher salt and white pepper. Seriously good.
Rose, that sounds seriously delicious! I’m not a horseradish person but my husband loves it. I’m going to rub his with his horseradish mustard next time!
I make pork steaks all the time and my family loves them too. Where at in Missouri are you from. I am from Mexico MO. I had pork steaks all the time when I was growing up and still love them. I am going to try your resale next time I cook pork steaks on the grill. Thank you
Hi George! I grew up in Jefferson City so we’re close! I’m in KC now. Most of my extended family is in the Vienna area down near Rolla! I hope you enjoy this version. We love them!
This recipe sounds great. Can the pork steaks be left in the beer marinade for 2 days? Our plans got changed and I can’t decide if I should put them in the beer now or wait so that they would only soak one night.
Thanks
Hey Cathy! I’m so sorry I just saw this; we were traveling last week! My preference would be to take it out of the beer after 1 day, then you could pat dry, rub with the seasoning and keep refrigerated until you were ready to grill. Leaving it in the beer for two days shouldn’t hurt it necessarily, but you’ll definitely be able to taste that beer!
Marinating in plain beer made all the difference! The meat was super moist and flavorful. I used the dry rub recipe as well as a homemade bbq of tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, molasses, and the same blend of spices as the dry rub, thinned out with water. It was great! Besides the beer marinade, we threw some pork loin chops on the grill with the same dry rub and sauce and those were great too.
I agree the beer marinade makes a HUGE difference in how tender it turns out! So glad the rub was good on several cuts too. I think it’s great on pretty much any pork.
Can I make these a day before and reheat in the oven? If so, what oven temp and time do you suggest?
Hi Rodney! Yes, I think that would work. For reheating, try 350 degrees F in a casserole dish, and make sure to cover them tightly with aluminum foil! It should take in the 20-30 minute range to bring them back up to temp.
What if you don’t own a grill but want to try this. What would you suggest for oven cooking?
Hi Jezebelle!
I think you could try this in the oven! I would make sure the pork steaks are on a wire rack, lifted off your baking tray so they don’t hang out in the drippings. Try baking at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes. Take the pork steaks out and brush with barbecue sauce, then return to the oven on low broil for a few minutes to finish!
I would have never believed these pork steaks would have been so tender and delicious, I always made them in the oven with some sort of sauce or gravy and baked them for quite awhile until tender, decided to try your recipe marinaded in beer for about 6 hours dried them off and rubbed them with olive oil and used a brown sugar and bourbon dry rub and garlic powder grilled slow on low heat and basted with bar-a-que sauce mixed with honey, will definitely fix these again on the grill.
I leave out the brown sugar, it makes pork too sweet and also use a BBQ sauce that has more spice and less sugar. Sugar free apple juice. Use regular beer not light.
following recipe and adding using a bottle of original maulls bbq sauce cut with favorite beer, nice and thin, then used as the bbq basting sauce !!
I cant have beer what to use
Hi Jim! I’m glad you asked this question. I would do half chicken broth and half apple juice as a substitute.
I marinate mine in Italian Dressing for 2 hours and then the Bar B.
Thank sounds good! Hope you enjoyed them!
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Wow !! this recipe was awesome . I will definitely be making it again !
WOW, this was AMAZING! Will definitely make again & fairly often!
Theresa- Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Was delicious but too sweet for my liking. Next time I would use less brown sugar and more garlic and onion!
I made these tonight but not on the grill. Got rained out 😞 Made them in a grill skillet and they still turned out amazing. Will definitely make them again on the grill though. So glad I found this recipe. 5 stars all the way!!!
Bill, this is awesome. I’m so sorry you got rained out but you definitely made the best of it. Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
This recipe was excellent . I liked the beer and apple juice I mixed together and marinated them instead of using it for basting I did that with the barbecue sauce This is my second time making it
Jeanie, that is awesome news! I like that you’re switching up the recipe a bit. Adding the apple juice into the marinade is a great idea! Thanks for letting me know how the recipe worked for you!
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