Smoked Pork Steaks
On June 08, 2022 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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Big and hearty, these smoked pork steaks are simple to make and only require a few ingredients. They’re an affordable and delicious dinner option to serve to family and friends alike.
What Are Pork Steaks?
Pork steaks are a cut of pork taken from the shoulder of the pig. This cut is also known as a Boston butt or pork blade steak. Taken from the same cut as pork shoulder (used for pulled pork), this cut of meat requires a long cook time to tenderize the meat.
Smoking a pork steak is one way to infuse the meat with awesome flavor while cooking the meat to a juicy and tender finish.
Smoked Pork Steaks
Pork steaks are a BBQ staple and it’s taken me years to develop a recipe that I loved because it took me years to have a great pork steak from a true master of the craft.
While filming an episode of Project Smoke with Steven Raichlin in St. Louis, I was finally able to have a pork steak worthy of recreating at Beast and Butcher STL from Dave Sandusky. His pork steak was delightfully smoky, the seasoning was simple, the sauce was sweet and rich, and the pork itself just fell apart. The magic that really set his steak apart was the way he seared it right before serving it over a bed of hot coals.
That exterior caramelization and texture made for the most delightful smoked pork steak I’ve ever had. My recipe should give you a close approximation at home, but if you’re ever in the St. Louis area, you need to check him out!
Ingredients for Smoked Pork Steaks
This recipe only requires 5 ingredients, two of which you can pick up from my Store! The other two (mustard and butter) you should already have in your fridge. It doesn’t get much easier than this.
- 4 pork steaks
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup Hey Grill Hey Rib Rub (or Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub). You can make this from scratch using my recipe for Best Rub for Ribs or purchase it pre-made from the Hey Grill Hey Store.
- 1/2 cup Hey Grill Hey Everything BBQ Sauce. You can also purchase Everything BBQ Sauce from my store, but you can also use this recipe for my Kansas City BBQ Sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce here.
- 1/4 cup butter
How to Smoke Pork Steaks
Here’s how to smoke pork steaks. The process is pretty straightforward and only requires a bit of your time.
- Prep. Wipe the pork steaks with a paper towel then slather with yellow mustard and season on all sides with Rib Rub or Sweet Rub.
- Smoke. With your smoker preheated to 275 degrees F, place the seasoned pork steaks directly on the grill grates. Close the lid, and smoke for 2 hours.
- Braise. Remove the pork steaks from the smoker. Place them in an aluminum pan and cover with Everything Sauce and butter. Return it to the smoker and continue to smoke until the internal temperature of the steaks reaches 195-200 degrees F.
- Sear. This is an optional step, but I find it really finishes these pork steaks. Increase the temp of your grill to 450 degrees, or turn on your charcoal or gas grill to the same temp. Place the steaks on the hot grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, basting with the pan drippings until some char and caramelization appear on the steaks.
- Rest and enjoy. Remove the steaks from the smoker or grill. Rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
How Long Does It Take to Smoke Pork Steaks
It will take 3-4 hours to fully smoke a pork steak.
The initial steak takes 2 hours with your grill preheated to 275 degrees F. Next, the steaks braise for 1-2 hours, followed by an 8-10 minute sear in high heat.
While this time frame will be correct for most folks smoking a pork steak, it’s better to gauge doneness with internal temperature using a meat thermometer. Cook the pork steaks until they reach 195-200 degrees F, and you’ll have tender and juicy steaks every time.
Tips for Smoking Pork Steaks
Here are some tips for making these smoked pork steaks.
- Mix up your rubs and sauces. I like to keep things classic, so I opted for Sweet Rub and Everything BBQ Sauce, but this would also be awesome with Beef Rub and Texas Style BBQ Sauce!
- Smoking then braising is a BBQ classic. This yields a smoky flavor and a great, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Opting for the high-heat sear at the end really levels everything up in terms of the caramelized flavor and crispy texture on the exterior.
- Clean the pork steaks. Pork steaks are cut down from whole, bone-in pork shoulders. This cutting process often leaves bone fragments on the meat that are hard to heat. Before seasoning, I recommend wiping down your pork steaks with a wet paper towel.
More Smoked Pork Recipes
These other delicious smoked pork recipes are here and waiting for you to give them a go! You can find these and many more on the Hey Grill Hey site by searching for “Smoked Pork.”
Smoked Pork Steaks Recipe
Drop us a line! Let us know what you thought of this recipe in the comments section below! We love creating a community of backyard BBQ heroes who are ready to tackle anything on the grill or smoker.
Smoked Pork Steaks
Video
Ingredients
- 4 pork steaks 1.5 inches thick
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- ¼ cup Hey Grill Hey Rib Rub Or Sweet Rub, recipe in notes section
- ½ cup Hey Grill Hey Everything Sauce or your favorite ketchup-based BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup butter cut into pieces
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. A combination of hickory and any fruit wood (like apple or cherry) works great with pork steaks.
- Prep the pork steaks. Wipe both sides of the pork steaks with a paper towel to remove any bone fragments from processing.
- Season. Slather all sides of the pork steaks with a thin layer of yellow mustard. Season evenly with Hey Grill Hey Rib Rub.
- Smoke. Place the seasoned pork steaks directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke for 2 hours.
- Braise. Place the pork steaks in an aluminum pan and cover with Everything BBQ Sauce and butter before sealing the pan with aluminum foil. Return the covered pan to the smoker, close the lid, and braise for an additional 1-2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork steaks reads 195-200 degrees F.
- Sear. (Optional, but awesome step). Either increase the heat on the grill you’re using to 450 degrees F or start up a charcoal or gas grill and get that temp up to 450 degrees F. Carefully remove the pork steaks from the pan and place them on the hot grill. Cook the pork steaks over high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, basting with the pan drippings, until you achieve some nice char and caramelization on the outside of the pork steaks.
- Rest and serve. Remove from the grill, rest for at least 10-15 minutes, and serve.
Notes
- Purchase it from the store HERE: Rib Rub
- Make it from scratch using this RECIPE: Best Dry Rub for Ribs
- Purchase it from the store HERE: Everything BBQ Sauce
- Make some from scratch using this RECIPE: Kansas City BBQ Sauce
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My steaks were 1.5” thick and you stated times were short to get the job done. I improvised and finished them accordingly.
Can you state what thickness steaks you used god this recipe?
Thank .
Laurence Hope
Great recipe! Most stores in my area only sell pork steaks that are ¾ inch thick. I had to adjust cook times and smoker temps accordingly. I tweaked the braise part by adding a can of Dr Pepper and used Stubbs Dr Pepper BBQ sauce. This is the only way I’m ever making pork steak again!
My pork steaks were pretty thin, so only took about an hour to come up to 130 F with my smoker set to 225F. Transferred to foil pan and basted with Pineapple Habanero glaze and butter, set grill to 275F. Took about an hour to get to 200F. Pulled them, set grill to 500F for a quick sear. Best pork steaks I’ve ever made. Thanks for the recipe.
Is searing absolutely necessary? I don’t have a pan for doing it?
It’s not a requirement, but it does add a considerable amount of flavor and texture from the Maillard reaction on the meat surface.
Have been grilling and smoking pork steaks for about a hundred years it seems like and have always been at least a little disappointed. Always seemed dry and tough.I had been wanting to try this recipe for quite awhile but could never find a thick enough cut. Finally asked the butcher to cut an entire shoulder into inch and a half steaks which he did with no problem.Followed the recipe to a “T” and I finally had the smoked and grilled pork steaks of my dreams!Absolutely the best ever and a foolproof way to do it. I could have these things every night of the week!Thanks Susie!
I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and this is the way we cooked them, only without a smoker.
Do I use salted or unsalted butter?
I’ve smoked pork steaks several different ways but from now on I won’t do it any other way! These turned out amazing and my whole family was impressed. They didn’t fall apart but were so tender the bones just popped right out. If you’re on the fence take my word for it SEAR THEM!!Pardon me while I go find your rib recipe now….