Beer Brined Grilled Pork Steak Recipe

To make grilled pork steak, preheat the grill to medium-high heat and season with dry rub. Baste your pork steaks with a mixture of apple juice and beer while grilling them uncovered for 20 mins per side. Finish grilling pork steaks by cooking over indirect heat for 3-4 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F.

An American BBQ staple, pork steaks are versatile cuts that can be enjoyed any time of year. Although there are many ways to cook pork steaks, most cooks agree that grilling is the best method. Grilling allows pork steaks to cook evenly, producing a crispy crust on the outside. 

What is the Best Way to Grill Pork Steak?

The best way to grill pork steak is over indirect heat and then finish with barbecue sauce over direct heat. 

1. Start by marinating the pork shoulder steaks in the refrigerator in a marinade that includes beer. The beer has a quick-brine effect on pork steaks and adds flavor.  
2. Once the meat has soaked for one or two hours, remove the marinade and pat dry. 
3. Grill the pork shoulder steaks over indirect heat for 7 to 10 mins, flipping the meat once until fully cooked. Then baste with your preferred BBQ sauce and transfer them to continue to cook over direct heat. 
4. Grilling pork shoulder steaks over indirect heat prevents them from burning or drying out while finishing over direct heat gives the meat a nice, caramelized exterior.
5. For safety, make sure the internal temperature of the pork steaks reaches 145°F. To monitor doneness accurately, use a meat thermometer. Fresh-cut meats like pork chops or pork shoulder steaks should reach 145°F per the USDA.

Tools Needed to Barbecue Pork Steak

Making BBQ pork steaks only requires a few basic BBQ necessities:

• Meat thermometer
• Pellet grill or gas grill
• Wood Chips

It is also a good idea to have tongs for placing your meat, and a silicone basting brush.

How to Prepare Pork Steak for Grilling

Pork steaks are easy to prepare and take far less time than a whole pork shoulder!

Trimming Pork Steak

You can choose pork steaks labeled as pork shoulder steaks or pork blade steaks. You may also want to buy a whole pork shoulder steak, Boston butt, or pork butt, and cut it into steaks.

Before grilling pork steaks, you want to trim off extra fat around the exterior. Fat caps will not render down, so only reserve 1/4” of the fat cap.

Since pork steak is fattier than other cuts of pork, this can cause the steak to drip while it’s cooking on the grill resulting in flare-ups. So make sure to check the steaks and carefully remove any extra fat.

Brine Pork Steak 

If you want to infuse the flavor of your favorite beer into your pork steaks, be sure to brine them. Brining will help make your steaks juicier.

Brine consists of water and sometimes beer, with sugar, salt, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, allow the mixture to cool, and place your raw pork steaks into the mixture.

Keep the brine-covered pork steaks in the refrigerator. The best way to add great flavor to your pork shoulder steaks is to allow the steaks to soak in the brine for several hours or overnight. 

Seasoning Pork Steak

The best way to season pork steaks is to combine brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika and spread the mixture over your pork steaks in an even layer. Cover with tin foil and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Tips for Preheating the Grill

Preheat your grill to high heat for 15 minutes before grilling. You can do this while the pork steaks are in the refrigerator. Preheating ensures a beautiful sear on the meat when it first kisses the grill, which locks in moisture and flavor.

How to Sear Pork Steak

To get a gorgeous crust, you will need to sear your pork steaks by placing them on a hot grill over high heat for around three minutes. You will flip them, and grill for an additional 3 minutes.

After searing, you will lower the grill temp to medium-high heat and continue to cook the steaks over indirect heat until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 145°F.

This is where an accurate meat thermometer comes in handy. Simply stick the meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the steaks without touching any bones to get an accurate reading.

Resting Pork Steak

Resting pork steak is essential after grilling it. Simply move the pork steaks to a serving dish or plate and let them rest undisturbed for 5 minutes before serving them with your favorite side dishes! The resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

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How Long Does it Take to Grill Pork Steak?

The length of time will vary depending on the thickness of the pork steaks, the temperature of your grill, and how cold the steaks were before placing them on the grill. In general, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to grill pork steaks that are 1 inch thick, grilled at 350°F.

Grilled bone-in pork steaks take a bit longer to cook thoroughly than boneless pork steaks. Thicker pork steaks will also take a bit longer than thin pork steaks.

For safety, ensure the internal temp of pork shoulder steaks reaches 145°F before removing them from the grill.

How to Grill Pork Steaks on a Charcoal Grill

Light the charcoal briquettes and close the charcoal grill. Preheat the charcoal grill to high heat. While the grill is preheating, coat the pork steaks with black pepper and kosher salt liberally on both sides.

Grill pork steaks over red-hot coals and allow them to sear on both sides for 5 minutes.

Baste with barbecue sauce and continue flipping while basting at five-minute intervals until your pork steaks reach an internal temp of 145°F.

Remove the pork steaks from the grill to rest for 5 mins before serving them with more BBQ sauce!

How Do You Know When Pork Steaks are Done?

Use a digital meat thermometer to ensure your pork steak is grilled to 145°F. This is the safe temperature for pork products such as pork chops, and pork tenderloin.

You may remove pork steaks from the grill once the internal temperature reaches 140°F because carryover cooking will increase the internal temp of the meat to 145°F.

Remember that even when the pork shoulder steaks are cooked, some parts may still look pinkish. That’s the nature of this cut of meat, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Tips to Ensure Tender Pork Steak

Here are some tips to ensure your pork steaks are tender and juicy:

Buy the best cut of meat.

Cooking tender and juicy pork steaks starts at the butcher or grocery store. Ask your butcher for fresh pork steaks – the fresher the meat, the better the flavor.

Season your pork steaks.

You can use a liquid marinade or brine to boost flavor and enhance the tenderness of your pork steaks. Soak the steaks overnight for the best penetration.

A simple homemade dry rub made with brown sugar, smoked paprika, and kosher salt—can enhance the flavor of your pork steaks! Apply dry rubs to pork steaks after they have been patted dry with paper towels and allow the rub to sit on the steaks for a minimum of 20 minutes before grilling.

Bring the meat to room temperature before grilling.

Make sure to rest your pork steaks on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature before grilling to ensure a nice sear. This should take about 20 to 30 minutes. 

Use a meat thermometer.

Pork steak is a cut of meat that’s vulnerable to overcooking. An accurate meat thermometer is a great way to avoid dry, overcooked meat. Remove them from the grill once they reach the recommended safe temperature of 145°F.

Remember, the best pork steak recipes take time to prepare—so don’t rush the process.

Let pork steaks rest.

Once you take your pork steaks off the grill, allow them to rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing, so the juices redistribute through the meat.

How to Store and Reheat Pork Steak

Put your leftover pork steaks in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leftover grilled pork steaks can also be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for three months. 

You can reheat grilled pork steaks in a skillet. Simply thaw your leftovers in the fridge overnight, place the pork steaks in a single layer, add some water and a few pats of butter and allow them to reheat in a covered skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes.