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Thirdeye pork steak questions

Mayberry Smoker
Mayberry Smoker Posts: 64
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Thirdeye, on your website you have a section about pork steaks and I might try them tomorrow night for supper and I have a couple of questions. The picture on your site says these were done direct on a raised grid, how high above the coals is this supposed to be, I've never done anything on a raised grid direct only a raised grid indirect. It says these were a lot like ribs in flavor and texture done this way, would they be more like Boston butts if done indirect. At what temp did you cook these at, I didn't see that on there, and at what temp did you pull them to be like ribs. I also seen where you said they could be thick sliced or thin is one thickness better cooked one way than the other. Sorry for all the questions but so far thanks to you all I'm batting 1000 on my new egg and I want to keep up my average. Thanks for the help and my family says thanks also.

Comments

  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Mayberry Smoker,[p]Asking questions is what forms like this are all about. Just like pork butt is about the most forgiving hunk of meat for a lo-n-slo cook, steaks cut from a butt are equally forgiving but they are a shorter cook. Here is what I can tell you...as usual the answer is longer than the question. LOL[p]I have a wire spacer ring that raises my main grate 3-1/2" higher than the normal position, putting it about 1/2" below the rim. The distance to the coals is 8" to 9". If you have a grate extender you can clip it to your main grate to give you about the same distance, which will work just fine, just don't build a HUGE fire. This height is also great for cooking chicken pieces. (BTW, when I use my spacer, grate plus my grate extender I get another 3", giving me 12" to the coals. I've been calling this very raised direct). The key with raised direct cooks is to get a well established smaller fire, keep an eye on the color of your meat, and don't rush things.[p]To me, thinner steaks that are cooked indirect or cooked with a raised direct set-up both have a flavor and texture much like spares. Maybe it's because I season them and baste them like spares. I get better color when cooking direct and I like the smells of the fats dripping into the coals. When I mentioned "barbecue temps", to me that means 250° or less, measured at the grate.[p]Just like with ribs, I really don't measure the internal temps on thinner pork steaks. I watch the bone and will do a toothpick test for tenderness. On thicker ones I take them to around 180° but also confirm tenderness with the toothpick. Like a pork butt, steaks will stall somewheres above 170° and then start cooking themselves tender. They can also be finished in a foil pouch, with some liquid, apple jelly, honey or sauce added if you want something that is fall-apart tender.[p]~thirdeye~[p]
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    thirdeye,
    Just got back from my Chigger Creek run. I told Sarah they might have a request from Wyoming. Casper she said. Juggy got Pecan logs. You might want to visit with him logs vrs the chunks.[p]Mike

  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Car Wash Mike,[p]I sent her an e-mail the day we visited here about the wood requesting a price for 3-40# boxes of chunks...have not heard back.[p]~thirdeye~

    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    thirdeye,
    They are in the middle of packaging 53,000 1/8 lb bags of Sweetwood to send to Sweden.[p]Mike

  • thirdeye,
    Thanks for the info. I've got some fire bricks that are 4 1/2" so my grate will be a little higher than yours but I don't think that little bit will matter. When you say a small fire do you mean not much lump in there to burn or plenty of lump and just start it in maybe one place. The steaks I got were 3/4" thick. Do I put mustard on them before the rub like I would ribs, and what do you baste them with apple juice or something like that. Thanks again for all the answers.

  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Mayberry Smoker,[p]Those sound like nice steaks. That height sounds good too. You never want to short yourself on lump, in this case 3/4 of a firebox full should be fine since you are only cookin' 3,4, or 5 hours. If you filled the Egg like you were doing an all nighter you are defeating the raising of the grate.[p]If you are happy with using a slather, go for it. Sometimes I thin the mustard with wooster or apple cider.[p]As far as basting or spraying goes, it's a tool not a rule. It's not mandatory. Straight apple juice works good. Some folks use whiskey and apple cider; there are a bunch out there. For pork, I'm kind of into the Eastern NC bastes. The original versions just had water, vinegar, salt, cayenne and black pepper.[p]One of my favorite versions is:
    2 cups cider vinegar
    1 cup apple juice
    3 teaspoons sea salt
    1 teaspoon black pepper
    1 teaspoon cayenne
    1 teaspoon wooster[p]This needs to be mixed ahead of time, overnight is good.[p]~thirdeye~

    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery