St. Louis Pork Steaks Are A BBQ Hidden Gem

Barbecue regions tend to be known for distinct specialties, like smoked brisket in Central Texas or pulled pork in North Carolina. Ribs may rule the St. Louis, Missouri barbecue scene, but pork steaks are the BBQ hidden gem that any St. Louis local will serve at a backyard barbecue. Pork steaks are cut from pork shoulder, also known as the butt.

Pork steaks are popular for home grillers because they're an affordable cut of meat that's full of flavor. Pork butt comes from the thickest part of the pork shoulder, an area that does a lot of physical work while the pig is alive. Consequently, pork butt is a tough cut with a lot of muscle fibers, which explains its low price. Like most tough cuts, a low and slow cooking method is ideal to help tenderize the meat and develop a rich umami flavor. St. Louis pork steaks often start with a sear, followed by a slow cook in St. Louis' famous sweet barbecue sauce.

The slow cooking can happen over the grill in an aluminum pan, in a slow-cooker, or by basting the steak. But every method involves loads of barbecue sauce. The sweetness of the sauce works well to balance the savoriness of the pork, and there's usually more barbecue sauce to pour over the steak once served. Pork steaks can be eaten as stand-alone steaks with classic barbecue sides like coleslaw or Southern potato salad. They also make the perfect barbecue sandwich filling.

There's no denying that pork steaks are a St. Louis specialty, a centerpiece at most backyard barbecues and a menu item at some of St. Louis' most famous smokehouses. But the origin of the pork steak is a hotly debated topic. St. Louis natives and grocery store owners claimed to have invented the cut of steak in the 1950s. One origin story names a Tomboy grocery store customer as the inventor of the pork steak in 1956 when he ordered the novel cut to grill for his son's birthday. Schnucks grocery store is the other contender that claims to have invented the cut as a budget-friendly option for customers.

However, the pork steak was documented as far back as the turn of the 20th century. Pork steaks (or pork blade steaks as they were also called) have been recorded as butcher shop items in Boston as far back as 1901. Restaurants as far west as Salt Lake City began to offer pork steaks on menus by the 1920s.

Still, St. Louis deserves all of the credit when it comes to popularizing pork steaks and making them a worthy candidate for barbecue. St. Louis' most famous barbecue item is undoubtedly pork spare ribs, and the pork steak offers a similar flavor profile for a fraction of the price. Plus, it's a lot easier to make pork steaks at home than to master the art of smoking and basting pork ribs.