What is a pork steak and how do I cook it?

Among the cuts I got from a wild pig, the only one I don't have any clue about is one labelled "pork steak". The butcher showed me where the cuts would come from, and described how they would look, etc., but this one seemed to have been overlooked.

I'm not too well-equipped in the kitchen (bachelor), so I would like some idea about it before I thaw it out, in case I need to get a crock pot or something.

Finally, what's a good way to cook the spare ribs? Thanks.

[Art Eatman]

Working backwards: Barbecuing the ribs makes for serious yummies. The size of the batch of ribs tells you how big a charcoal cooker you need.

First, a basting sauce. I buy whatever's cheapest at the grocery, and add spices (garlic and dill, for pork; oregano, maybe powdered onion for beef or deer) plus butter and a bit of water. Maybe even some Whigglewiggy (Lea &Perrins, for the uninitiated). NO SALT! Heat and stir. I prefer a basting brush to a spoon or "squirt gun" dealie with the rubber bulb. Salt draws moisture out of the meat, which is a Bad Thing.

For turning, use tongs instead of a fork. Won't let the juice out.

Start with hot coals. Turn and baste every couple or three minutes, four or five times, to get a crust started. Then spread the coals to the equivalent of a 300-degree oven. Maybeso a bit less.

Turn and baste every 20 minutes or so, or for each beer. (Gotta keep the cook lubricated.) From time to time, slice off a bit for a taste test, until done. Careful; it'll cook faster than you think.

Pork steak? How thick, 3/4" or so? Like the thick "butterfly" pork chops?

Anyhow, rub a tad of garlic on it and a fair amount of dill, and maybe sprinkle on a little paprika. Let sit for an hour or so.

On the stovetop: Start with a hot skillet, with some olive oil or even Mazola; put the steak in and cover with foil. After three minutes, turn with tongs and go another three minutes. Reduce heat to minimum; drain off grease; cook two or three minutes, each side, until done.

Hey, I'm not just a pretty face; not only can I type, I can cook! But I don't do windows.

, Art

[Chuck Dye]

Check out the pork and game sections at

http://www.fooddownunder.com

[Fuzzy]

Your butcher must be from St. Louis, that's the only place I've ever seen 'pork steaks' And boy, they can be good. To make a traditional St. Louis pork steak, take them out and grill them over a low fire and baste them with 'Maull's Barbecue' sauce. When they're done, stick it inside a bun and eat it with potato salad. It's a standard St. Louis picnic item.

Are you sure it's a "steak" the way the term applies to beef? The package is about 8" long with an oval cross-section about 5"x4".

[ATTICUS]

What fuzzy said. I'm a former southeast Missourian myself, and pork steaks are about the finest thing you can grill. Kroger started carrying them in Ohio a few years ago.. .thank God.
Not sure how wild ones compare though.

Oh...and don't forget the Bud. St. Louis tradition you know.

[Fuzzy]

And if your a cheap Missourian, you'll buy the less expensive ones with bones still in them, slather 'em with BBQ sauce, and stick 'em in a bun so everyone can get a nice 'surprise' when they bite into it.

Those people usually don't get too many return visitors to their BBQs!

[Chuck Dye]

Yes, Jeff, they are steaks and can be treated like beef, lamb, venison, etc. If your pig was as lean as the ones I have dealt with, you may find them a bit dry if you just grill them. A favorite marinade in our gang is:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup melted butter

Run everything in a blender 'til smooth. Marinate meat overnight.

Variations and inhancements include adding a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger and/or 1-2 fresh serrano chiles. The butter may be omitted when marinating supermarket meats but should be included for game.

[ATTICUS]

Buns? Who wants to fill up with bread when pork steaks are available?

Okay, I opened the package and you all were right - it wasn't one piece of meat, like I was thinking. It's 3 or 4 steaks, about 5"x8"x3/4" that look like beef ribeyes. Yummy!

Now the big question: where does this cut come from?

[Al Thompson]

Jeff - as another batchelor, the crock pot is our friend. I usually put meat, water, seasonings to taste and perhaps a cann of soup (bullion) in the crock pot and leave it while I'm at work. When you get home, dinner is done..

As to where that cut of meat came from, not a clue..

[KevinK]

You made my mouth water! Being an old River Rat that grew up on the Illinois side of St. Louis, I didn't even KNOW that there was such a thing as a Beef steak unti I was 15! My favorite memories include eating cold pork steak sandwiches. We always barbecued and then would put them in a big pot of Maul's (sp?) they would simmer and be tender enough to fall off of the bone. Argh!

[Southla1]

Any store/meatmarket you go into down here has pork steaks. Some look like beef round steaks, some look like beef sirloins. Of course those that look like beef t-bones are pork chops................they all have one thing in common................DA PIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Zorro]

Try this for Pork!

Soak it in Real Ginger Ale (Like Canada Dry or Schwepps) with some Soy Sauce and Garlic thrown in for 24 hours.

Then Grill it till it cooks and the sugars from the ginger ale start to carmelize!

Simple and yummy!

The Ginger Ale trick works well on bird too.

[ATTICUS]

"Now the big question: where does this cut come from?"

Shoulder.....I think.