Pork Pork Steak Ideas

[Parrothead1809]

I'm thinking about getting a pork butt and cutting it into steaks & seasoning them. I've seen a few different videos on this. My idea is to start in the Traeger, low and slow for a few hours until it hits ~190 or so. Then, finish it in a cast iron pan on my gasser, maybe with butter and rosemary in the pan for some basting.
Questions:

1. Has anyone done a "reverse sear" like this for pork steaks?
2. Would it be better to sear it first, to potentially hold in the juices? If so, I wouldn't think I'd be able to get any smoke into the pork.
3. I considered using my Weber for the sear, but it seems like a waste to fire up some coal just for a 5-10 min max sear.

Thoughts?
-PH

 

[Parrothead1809]

Hmm. I just found a few recipes that said to cook them to 145. That's what I do for my pork chops on the grill or in the oven. Would that be better then my 190 temp in my first post? I cook my pork butts (for pulled pork) to just over 200. But maybe that isn't appropriate for a "steak". Thoughts?
-PH

 

[RayClem]

The pork butt is not a very tender cut of pork just like the round of beef is not very tender. I am not certain I would try cutting a butt into steaks. It works much better cooked thoroughly until all the inner connective tissue disintegrates. If you want pork steaks/chops, stick with a more tender cut like the pork loin.

I have also cooked an entire pork rib roast and then sliced it after cooking. You end up with a pork shop and also something similar to the meat from a sparerib.

 

[Parrothead1809]

The pork butt is not a very tender cut of pork just like the round of beef is not very tender. I am not certain I would try cutting a butt into steaks. It works much better cooked thoroughly until all the inner connective tissue disintegrates. If you want pork steaks/chops, stick with a more tender cut like the pork loin.

I have also cooked an entire pork rib roast and then sliced it after cooking. You end up with a pork shop and also something similar to the meat from a sparerib.

Thanks. A buddy of mine had a party where he took a long pork loin (I think from Costco) and cut them into steaks for the grill. I'd like to get some smoke on that meat, though, so maybe that's my next experiment: smoke a loin, then cut them into steaks and finish them so they get a bit of crust on the flat sides.
-PH

 

[RayClem]

Thanks. A buddy of mine had a party where he took a long pork loin (I think from Costco) and cut them into steaks for the grill. I'd like to get some smoke on that meat, though, so maybe that's my next experiment: smoke a loin, then cut them into steaks and finish them so they get a bit of crust on the flat sides.
-PH

That sounds like a super idea. I usually purchase pork chops from Costco cut about 1" thick and smoke them on the Traeger and then move them over to my FlatIron griddle for searing. It works great that way. However, I occasionally cook a pork loin.

A few weeks ago I cooked a pork rib roast bone-in. That includes the pork loin surrounded by what would be spare rib meat. I decided, however, that I would rather cook my pork loin and spareribs separately rather than together.

 

[Slimpicker]

Pork Steaks are big in the mid west...
My cooks are in here several times and I basically treat my pork steaks the SAME as a pork butt, kinda.

After putting a rub on each steak, I cook them on my gasser and burn the edges a little. (inside temp is probably 165ish)
Next they go in a foil pan, crock pot, or similar, smothered in BBQ sauce and cook (300ish temp) for several hours, (3+) until they become so tender you can cut them with a fork. This will also render the fat. You can eat them or quick sear them to get the BBQ sauce thick again.

Basically you are taking pork butt meat and cooking it to 200+ and creating soft steaks that could actually be "pull ready". I've NEVER gotten a bad review on my pork steaks and I've served to groups of 20 before.