Perfect Pork Steaks

Have you ever bitten into a pork steak that was so Tender, so Juicy, & so full of flavor that you just wanted to close your eyes & enjoy every single bite? That feeling is absolutely amazing, right? Well, the Good News is that you don't have to go to a fancy restaurant to get that kind of pork steak experience. You can make it RIGHT at home, & it's not as hard as you might think! This recipe is a Four-Step process that involves Brining, Smoking, Braising, & Grilling your pork steaks to absolute Perfection. Each step builds on the last one, & together they create a pork steak that is packed with flavor & melts right in your mouth.

In this article, we are going to walk you through Every Single Step of this amazing recipe. We will talk about the Brine, the Dry Rub, the Braising liquid, & the final Grilling step that gives these pork steaks that beautiful caramelized crust. By the time you are done reading, you will feel confident & ready to fire up the smoker & make the Best Pork Steaks of your life...Let's Get Cooking!

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What You Need: The Ingredients Breakdown

Before we even talk about cooking, let's talk about what goes INTO this recipe. Having the right ingredients is Super Important because each one plays a special role in making these pork steaks taste incredible. The recipe is broken into four main ingredient groups: the Brine, the Dry Rub, & the Braise. Don't let that scare you — it's simpler than it sounds!

For the Brine, you will need 3 Pork Steaks, 3 Tablespoons of Kosher Salt, 3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar, 1/2 Teaspoon of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 3 Smashed Garlic Cloves, 2 Cups of Apple Juice, & 2 Cups of Water. The apple juice gives a nice Sweet flavor, while the salt helps the pork stay Juicy & tender during cooking. The cinnamon stick & garlic add a warm, deep flavor that you will absolutely Love.

For the Dry Rub, you will need 2 Tablespoons of Paprika, 1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar, 1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper, 1 Teaspoon of Granulated Garlic, 1 Teaspoon of Granulated Onion, & 1/2 Teaspoon of Mustard Powder. This rub creates a Beautiful crust on the outside of the pork steak when it hits the smoker. Every single spice has a job to do, & together they make something Really Special.

For the Braise, you will need 2 Cups of Chicken Stock, 2 Cups of Apple Juice, 1 Cup of BBQ Sauce, & 1 Small Sliced Onion. The braising liquid is like a Flavor Bath for your pork steaks. It keeps them moist & adds even more delicious taste during the second part of the cooking process. Make sure you have all of these ingredients ready before you start cooking!

Step One: The Brine (The Secret Weapon)

Okay, so here is where the Magic begins. A lot of people skip the brining step when they cook pork, & that is a Huge Mistake. Brining is what separates a Good pork steak from a GREAT pork steak. When you brine meat, the salt & sugar in the liquid get absorbed into the pork, which makes it incredibly juicy & flavorful all the way through — not just on the outside.

To make the brine, start by smashing your garlic cloves. You can do this easily by pressing down on them with the flat side of a knife. Then, combine all of your brine ingredients together in a big Sealable container. If you use hot water to help dissolve the salt & brown sugar, that is totally fine — just make sure the liquid is Completely Cool before you add the pork steaks. Adding warm brine to raw meat is not safe & can start to cook the outside of the meat unevenly.

Once your brine is cool, go ahead & place the three pork steaks right into the liquid. Seal the container & put it in the Refrigerator. The minimum brining time is 4-6 hours, but if you can leave them overnight, please do it. Overnight brining gives the flavors so much more time to soak deep into the meat. Think of it like marinating, but even more Powerful. By the morning, those pork steaks will have soaked up all that apple juice, garlic, cinnamon, & sweetness, & they will be Ready to transform into something truly spectacular.

Step Two: The Smoke (Low & Slow is the Way to Go)

After your pork steaks have finished brining, it is time to get the Smoker going! Take the pork steaks out of the brine & pat them completely dry with paper towels. This step is Really Important because you want the dry rub to stick properly to the surface of the meat. If the meat is wet, the rub will just slide off & you won't get that beautiful crust.

Now, mix together all of your Dry Rub ingredients — the paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, & mustard powder. Give it a good stir until everything is combined. Then, season your pork steaks Generously on both sides. Don't be shy with the rub! Press it gently into the meat so it really sticks. If you have a Favorite store-bought BBQ rub, you can use that instead — no judgment here!

Set your smoker to 250 Degrees Fahrenheit & place the pork steaks on the grates. Let them smoke for 90 Minutes. The low & slow temperature is very important here because it allows the smoke to deeply penetrate the meat & the fat to slowly render, which makes the pork incredibly Tender. The smell coming off that smoker is going to be absolutely incredible, & it will be very hard to be patient — but Trust the Process!

Step Three: The Braise (The Tenderness Booster)

This is the step that truly takes these pork steaks to the next level. After 90 minutes in the smoker, your pork steaks are going to look Beautiful with a nice smoky color on the outside. But we are NOT done yet! Now it is time to Braise them, which is going to make them even more tender & juicy than you can imagine.

Add sliced onion to an aluminum pan then pour in the 2 Cups of Chicken Stock, 2 Cups of Apple Juice, & 1 Cup of BBQ Sauce. The onions will soften & release their flavor into the braising liquid, which adds another beautiful layer of taste to the whole dish. Submerge the pork steaks into the liquids and cover the pan Very Tightly with aluminum foil — you want to trap all that steam inside so it can work its magic on the meat.

Place the covered pan back onto the Smoker or Grill & let it cook for another 90 Minutes. During this time, the pork steaks are essentially being cooked in a steamy, flavorful bath of BBQ sauce, apple juice, & chicken stock. The tough connective tissues in the meat will break down completely, making the pork steaks Fall-Apart Tender. When you lift that foil after 90 minutes, you are going to be absolutely blown away by how good everything smells & looks!

Step Four: The Grill (The Grand Finale)

We are in the Home Stretch now! After braising, your pork steaks are tender, juicy, & loaded with flavor. But there is one final step that gives them that amazing caramelized, slightly Crispy exterior that makes them look & taste like they came straight from a professional BBQ joint. It is time to Grill them!

Remove the pork steaks carefully from the braising liquid & place them directly over Medium to Medium-High Heat on your grill. Grill them for just 2-3 Minutes per Side. You are not trying to cook them anymore — they are already fully cooked from the smoking & braising. You are just adding that gorgeous char & crust on the outside. Keep a close eye on them because things can move Fast at this stage!

Here is an awesome Optional tip: while the pork steaks are on the grill, brush them with some extra BBQ Sauce or even the leftover braising liquids from the aluminum pan. This creates an incredible sticky, sweet, & smoky glaze on the outside that is absolutely Irresistible. Once you are done grilling, let the pork steaks Rest for 5 Minutes before cutting into them. Resting allows the juices to redistribute inside the meat, so every bite is as juicy as possible. Then serve them Hot & enjoy the best pork steak of your life!

Final Thoughts & Your Next Steps

There you have it — the most Incredible, flavor-packed, melt-in-your-mouth pork steaks you will ever make! Let's do a quick Recap of everything we covered. First, you Brine the pork steaks for at least 4-6 hours (overnight is Best!) in a delicious mixture of apple juice, salt, brown sugar, garlic, & cinnamon. Then, you pat them dry, coat them in a Flavorful dry rub, & smoke them low & slow at 250 degrees for 90 minutes. After that, you Braise them in a pan with chicken stock, apple juice, BBQ sauce, & onions for another 90 minutes until they are fall-apart tender. Finally, you finish them on the Grill for 2-3 minutes per side with an optional BBQ glaze to get that beautiful caramelized crust.

This Four-Step method might seem like a lot of work, but every single step is worth it. The difference between a regular pork steak & THIS pork steak is like night & day. The brine makes them juicy, the smoke makes them flavorful, the braise makes them tender, & the grill makes them absolutely Beautiful.

So here is your Call to Action — this Weekend, go grab some pork steaks from your local grocery store or butcher, gather your ingredients, & give this recipe a try. Share it with your Family & Friends, because great food is always better when it is shared...Just Keep Cooking!

PERFECT PORK STEAKS