Murphysboro Style Pork Steaks
Popular in BBQ restaurants in southern Illinois down through St. Louis, pork steaks are an excellent option for a quick BBQ when you don't have the time to smoke a pork butt or shoulder! This recipe is from pitmaster and World Champion BBQ Chef Ken Hess's experience dining at BBQ restaurants while getting advice from his fellow pitmasters. At Snow's BBQ in Lexington, Texas, pitmaster Tootsie makes an excellent pork steak, as does Mike Mills at 17th Street Barbecue in Murphysboro, Illinois. Ken's friend Randy Twyford, a pitmaster who runs pork steaks on his BBQ food truck once a week, gave him some pointers for this recipe as well. If you've never made BBQ with Kansas City red sauce, you're in for a real treat! Serve these mouth-watering pork steaks with your favorite BBQ side dishes—baked beans, grilled corn on the cob, roasted potatoes—you get the idea!
- Servings 6
- Dish Main
- Time 3 hours
- Skill Home Cooks
Ingredients
SWEET KC RED SAUCE (BOSS SAUCE) ingredients
North Carolina VINEGAR SAUCE ingredients
PORK RUB ingredients
GRILLED PORK STEAKS ingredients
Equipment
Parts
SWEET KC RED SAUCE (BOSS SAUCE)
In a large skillet or sauté pan, sauté the onions and garlic in the bacon fat until translucent.
Add the pork rub and sauté the spices.
Deglaze with the apple cider vinegar and let the mixture simmer until it is reduced by half.
Once the mixture has reduced, add the brown sugar, molasses, and ketchup, and bring to a simmer.
Simmer the mixture for 1 to 2 hours on low. Add fresh nutmeg halfway through the cooking process.
North Carolina VINEGAR SAUCE
In a large non-reactive stockpot, whisk all ingredients together thoroughly and simmer for 30 minutes.
PORK RUB
In a large mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together, mixing well. Store in an airtight container.
GRILLED PORK STEAKS
Rub the pork steaks with the pork rub. Allow the rub to sit on the steaks while you prepare your charcoal fire.
Prepare a direct charcoal fire, heating to 450 degrees F.
Place the steaks on the grill directly over the coals. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
After you flip the steaks a second time, baste with the North Carolina vinegar sauce. Allow setting slightly before flipping the steaks and basting the other side with the vinegar sauce.
After basting the steaks on each side with the vinegar sauce, switch to the sweet KC red sauce (Boss Sauce).
Brush a light coat of the sweet KC red sauce on the steaks. Allow this to set before flipping the steaks and applying the sauce on the other side.
The sauce will slightly char, which is what you want. Apply the sweet KC red sauce till the steaks reach 165 degrees F. Plate and enjoy with your favorite BBQ side dishes!
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