Pork Steaks

[Boom Boom]

So this is one of the last’s cooks that I will do on my Vision grill before my BB32 arrives and it got me to thinking that since this is an international group of people I think it is a good time to talk about very regional BBQ. I live in St. Louis Missouri here in the good ole USA  and we have 3 food items that we are known for and started here. The most famous one is “toasted ravioli” which is ravioli dipped in egg wash then in bread crumbs and into 375 degree hot oil. Most people serve it with marinara sauce but I prefer it with drawn butter. Next on the list is something called “gooey butter cake” I don’t know how to describe this other than it was supposed to be a cake like dessert that was undercooked but they sold it anyway and it became this whole thing here. They are really good. 
 

Now to what we are all here for, BBQ! St. Louis is also famous for “pork steaks”. I have been eating these my entire life so it doesn’t occur to me that people outside of STL don’t know what these are. Simply put it is a pork butt cut into 3/4 inch steaks. Every store here has them so we don’t have to go to the butcher to get them but you probably will. I cannot recommend these enough. They need to be cut across the bone. So when you get these the bone should be in the middle of the steak. I do these indirect at 250 for about 2.5 hours. Put your favorite rub on them and flip them about half way through the cook. Most people will put sauce on them to finish but I don’t.

i would love to see some of your local BBQ specialties. 

[tekobo]

That sounds great @Boom Boom.  That is an unusual cut. I recently had my butcher cut me something called a "collar steak".  I think it might be similar/the same thing.  Will certainly like to try them St Louis style if so.  I usually keep the collar whole and turn it into bacon - a delicious and tasty alternative to lean back bacon or streaky belly.

[RokDok]

@Boom Boom great idea. Like you my 32 hasn't arrived  (I've only just ordered) . There is a whole wealth of cooking out there that I've never tried or even heard of and it'll be great to link it to a particular region in an authentic way.

[Braai-Q]

7 hours ago, Boom Boom said:

So this is one of the last’s cooks that I will do on my Vision grill before my BB32 arrives and it got me to thinking that since this is an international group of people I think it is a good time to talk about very regional BBQ. I live in St. Louis Missouri here in the good ole USA  and we have 3 food items that we are known for and started here. The most famous one is “toasted ravioli” which is ravioli dipped in egg wash then in bread crumbs and into 375 degree hot oil. Most people serve it with marinara sauce but I prefer it with drawn butter. Next on the list is something called “gooey butter cake” I don’t know how to describe this other than it was supposed to be a cake like dessert that was undercooked but they sold it anyway and it became this whole thing here. They are really good. 
 

Now to what we are all here for, BBQ! St. Louis is also famous for “pork steaks”. I have been eating these my entire life so it doesn’t occur to me that people outside of STL don’t know what these are. Simply put it is a pork butt cut into 3/4 inch steaks. Every store here has them so we don’t have to go to the butcher to get them but you probably will. I cannot recommend these enough. They need to be cut across the bone. So when you get these the bone should be in the middle of the steak. I do these indirect at 250 for about 2.5 hours. Put your favorite rub on them and flip them about half way through the cook. Most people will put sauce on them to finish but I don’t.

i would love to see some of your local BBQ specialties. 

 

This is what I love about the forum. They look fabulous. Do you smoke them as well? I've regularly done pork with Apple wood and Pear and I think it might work well. 

Think we need a NSFW type label on these sort of posts. Perhaps 'NSIH' - Not Safe If Hungry. 

[tony b]

@Boom Boom - you left out Provel cheese on pizza. Another St. Louis-ism. 

Being in "pig country" up here in IA, we regularly have pork steaks at our supermarkets, too. A nice change of pace, but I still prefer a good ole Iowa Chop. 

[Boom Boom]

15 hours ago, Braai-Q said:

This is what I love about the forum. They look fabulous. Do you smoke them as well? I've regularly done pork with Apple wood and Pear and I think it might work well. 

Think we need a NSFW type label on these sort of posts. Perhaps 'NSIH' - Not Safe If Hungry. 

I used apple wood during this cool. I have a bunch of cherry also that I need to cut up and start using. 

[Boom Boom]

10 hours ago, tony b said:

@Boom Boom - you left out Provel cheese on pizza. Another St. Louis-ism. 

Being in "pig country" up here in IA, we regularly have pork steaks at our supermarkets, too. A nice change of pace, but I still prefer a good ole Iowa Chop. 

I didn’t even want to try and explain provel cheese on pizza to people here. Lol

I’ve never heard the term Iowa chop. Is this a double bone pork chop?

[tony b]

It's just a nice thick cut pork chop. I prefer the "t-bone" ones with a bit of tenderloin. Typically run about 1 1/2" thick.

[Boom Boom]

On 10/11/2020 at 2:42 AM, tekobo said:

That sounds great @Boom Boom.  That is an unusual cut. I recently had my butcher cut me something called a "collar steak".  I think it might be similar/the same thing.  Will certainly like to try them St Louis style if so.  I usually keep the collar whole and turn it into bacon - a delicious and tasty alternative to lean back bacon or streaky belly.

Tekobo, a friend of mine just turned me onto a facebook group called Makin' bacon and i actually have 2 shoulders curing now along with 43lbs of belly bacon. i have been curing and smoking my own bacon for a bout 5 years now. I got to the point that we were making 150lbs at a time and selling most of it. It became a little side business for me and allowed me to buy equipment and pay for that equipment with the bacon. Who knows, I might start doing it again. I'm looking forward to the cold smoker for this. We have only ever done hot smoking bringing it up to 145 internal temp but this FB group is all about cold smoking so I assume that I will be using the KK for this as well. I will need to see how the grates line up in the KK and I might get hooks to hang the bellies in the grill and use the cold smoker that we ordered. 

Do you hot or cold smoke your buckboard bacon? do you hang it or just smoke it on the grates?

[Boom Boom]

On 10/11/2020 at 3:02 AM, RokDok said:

@Boom Boom great idea. Like you my 32 hasn't arrived  (I've only just ordered) . There is a whole wealth of cooking out there that I've never tried or even heard of and it'll be great to link it to a particular region in an authentic way.

RokDok, when is your anticipated delivery date? We are still waiting on ours. It's on the other side of the state so I don't think that I will be getting it until Wednesday of next week. 

[RokDok]

@Boom Boom, not sure if I'm going to be of much help here !!

I ordered my 32 a month ago and paid half of the amount three weeks ago.

I presume it's still being made - it will then take a month or so to ship here to England !

I'm, hoping to hear that it is ready to ship in about three weeks or so.

I guess if your is on the other side of the state you could hire a van with a tail lift and pick it up ??

 

[Boom Boom]

I should probably ask where someone lives before asking that question. We Americans just assume that everyone lives here. Lol. There is a whole world that we sometimes forget about. Sorry for not thinking about that. 
Does Dennis have a warehouse for all of his European deliveries like he does in LA?  I’m curious if he does. 

[RokDok]

43 minutes ago, Boom Boom said:

Does Dennis have a warehouse for all of his European deliveries like he does in LA?  I’m curious if he does. 

 

I'm pretty sure he doesn't.

There are a few of us awaiting build or delivery Sovsroc's - 42" is currently in the Med on board the MOL TRADITION having come through Suez in the last day or so.

I think it's going to Rotterdam and then here to Southampton.

So, I think this side of the pond we order directly and then when it's ready Dennis puts in on a ship heading in this direction.

 

[Braai-Q]

52 minutes ago, RokDok said:

 

I'm pretty sure he doesn't.

There are a few of us awaiting build or delivery Sovsroc's - 42" is currently in the Med on board the MOL TRADITION having come through Suez in the last day or so.

I think it's going to Rotterdam and then here to Southampton.

So, I think this side of the pond we order directly and then when it's ready Dennis puts in on a ship heading in this direction.

 

That was always my understanding. 

[tekobo]

23 hours ago, Boom Boom said:

Do you hot or cold smoke your buckboard bacon? do you hang it or just smoke it on the grates?

Hi there @Boom Boom.  Is this your first time making bacon from the shoulder?  I hope you like it.  I love it.  Good fat alongside the meaty goodness.  I prefer cold smoked bacon.   Here is a thread I posted about hot and cold smoking a while ago. 

 

 

[Boom Boom]

I find it funny that you essentially cold smoked what we call here in Missouri Pork steaks. Most people in the US have never heard of them outside of the Midwest. Your topic was very cool. 

[Boom Boom]

@tekobo yes this is the first time for bacon from the shoulder. I loved that bacon when I was in England but I never knew what cut of meat it was until recently. I’m wondering if I will have enough room to cold smoke 4 belies and 2 shoulders hanging in my 32. I’m hoping to find out by Wednesday. Fingers crossed. 

[tekobo]

15 hours ago, Boom Boom said:

I’m wondering if I will have enough room to cold smoke 4 belies and 2 shoulders hanging in my 32. I’m hoping to find out by Wednesday. Fingers crossed. 

Looking forward to your photos of hanging meat and your taste test.  Here I tried to smoke my most recent bacon using the @Syzygies smoke pot on my Argentinian bbq.  The smoke pot performed well but, given I was trying to smoke bacon that was sitting on a shelf above the grill as opposed to inside a kamado, it didn't take on much smoke.  Will just have to go with green (i.e. unsmoked) bacon this time around.  

[MacKenzie]

A++ for effort, Tekobo.