Barbecue Pork Steaks - What They Are and How to Cook Them

If you are a native of Saint Louis, Missouri, or the surrounding area, you are lucky enough to know what a Barbecue Pork Steak is. The rest of the country is saying, "huh, what is he talking about?" Well, real quickly, a barbecued Pork Steak really isn't barbecued. Now, before you St. Louis people get crazy, let me explain. Real barbecue is done with barbecue smokers, indirect heat, hickory or oak or another type of hardwood, takes a long time, hours, and turns out great pork shoulder, ribs, beef briskets and chickens. A Pork Steak could be cooked in this fashion on a barbecue smoker, but need not be. Most people here in St. Louis, will use either a Weber Kettle Grill with direct heat, or a Propane Gas Grill. So, Barbecue Pork Steaks, really, are technically speaking, Grilled Pork with Barbecue Sauce Applied.

How To Cook A Pork Steak: Five easy steps.

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1. Get The Meat. In St. Louis, that's easy. Go to your grocery store, or neighborhood butcher go to the meat department, pick up the ones that are on sale, pay for them and take them home. If you don't live in St. Louis or the surrounding areas, this could be a little more difficult. Most other areas of the country do not have pork steaks pre-cut and packaged waiting to be picked up in the meat cooler. They will have plenty of pork chops, pork shoulder, pork roast, pork ribs, etc. You may be tempted to substitute pork chops. You could, if you want to grill pork chops, which are great by the way, but it is not the same. You must ask the butcher to custom cut them for you. You may have to tell him how to do it. Tell him to take a Boston Butt (he'll know what you're talking about. If he doesn't, get a different butcher), and slice it into half inch to three quarter inch steaks. If he won't do this for you, get a better butcher. You will need about one steak per person, and one or two extra for the big guys.

2. Rub Your Meat. You should spice up the steaks prior to cooking with a spice mixture known as a barbecue rub. Many books and e-books will have recipes for spice rubs. If you don't want to use a barbecue spice rub, use salt and pepper. Be generous. Rub it all over the steaks.

3. Grill The Meat. Grill the meat over direct heat, either charcoal, gas, wood, whatever you have available. Keep the flame low, a cool grill works best. Cover with the lid, and flip every ten minutes or so. Cook for about 35-40 minutes.

4. Put Barbecue Sauce on Meat. The last ten minutes or so, liberally spread barbecue sauce on the pork steaks. Use whichever sauce you prefer. In Saint Louis, most people prefer a local favorite, Mauls. Many people also thin the sauce a little with beer. they use the local favorite, Budweiser of course for this step. The beer is not necessary, but some people swear it makes their pork steaks taste better.

5. Serve the Pork Steaks. Pork Steaks are served with whatever side dishes you want to serve them with. St. Louis favorites are yellow potato salad, cole slaw, corn on the cob, baked beans. At least, that's my favorites, and I'm from St. Louis, so that must be the favorite of everyone. Generally, one pork steak per person, eaten with knife and fork. However, they also make fine sandwiches.

There you have it, Pork Steaks, what they are and how to cook them.

Barbecue Pork Steaks - What They Are and How to Cook Them

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BBQ Recipes (Barbecue Recipes) Are Part of Our American Culture

The history of barbecuing dates to pre-Civil War years, when the pig was a very convenient food staple in the South. Unlike cattle, pigs were for the most part low maintenance, could be turned out to fend for themselves, then caught later to barbecue when the hungry hordes came home from battle. While those early, (semi-wild) pigs were certainly tougher and required more preparation than a modern-day pig, they began a tradition for BBQ recipes that continues to be refined, even today.

While pigs didn't have anything to do with did or didn't win the war, they were usually slaughtered and barbecued in time for celebrations, and often the entire neighborhood would gather for the event. It's only natural a little bit of competition would intervene, (BBQ recipes) to see who's pig would taste the best. This caused a lot of strange, unusual, and flavorful BBQ recipes began to be created.

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DEFINITION OF THE WORD BARBECUE: While there are multiple opinions concerning the origin of the word, depending on which publication (or tall tale) you listen to. It's likely the word barbecue derives from the West Indian term "barbacoa," denoting a method of slow-cooking meat over hot coals.

Of course barbecuing is a term applied to how meat is cooked, whether that meat comes from a pig or a cow, and the cooks of the old West were known to slow cook sides of beef to feed hungry trail crews. Whether these sides of beef were slow cooked because of toughness or to experiment with a special secret sauce, is lost to sands of time. Either way barbecuing and BBQ recipes have been a mainstay of America history.

Speaking of history, barbecuing was known to be featured at political rallies and church picnics in the early 1900s, since this was an ideal way to bring people to a political speech, or gather the sinners for a Sunday session at the local church. Barbecuing was relatively inexpensive, allowed the local women to bring their favorite BBQ recipes, and often they'd have contests to see whose recipe was the best.

There are quotes from early journalists saying barbecues were a way to bring people together, no matter their class distinction or economic level. Of course any time something becomes popular, especially in America, the entrepreneurs flock to see how something can be monetized, it was no different with BBQ recipes and restaurants began sprouting (especially in the south), each featuring its own special BBQ recipe.

The restaurants of those days would be far different than the BBQ specializing restaurant of today. Most of these BBQ restaurants of yesteryear, evolved from simple backyard barbecue pits, were often open only on weekends, then charged a competitive price for a full plate of barbecued pig.

Because the BBQ recipes have grown into big business over the years, it's interesting to look back in history and realize the genesis began when one person (probably an old trail hand) decided they weren't about to share their secret BBQ recipe with anyone but family and friends.

As America grew, so did the barbecue restaurants, with people traveling across town, often across country in order to visit that special restaurant, the one everyone talks about, "If you're in Memphis, you've got to try the barbecue at the Rendezvous".

Barbecue is as much a part culture today, as it was in those long ago days of the old West, with the best BBQ recipes still being guarded like gold.

BBQ Recipes (Barbecue Recipes) Are Part of Our American Culture

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How To Judge Competition BBQ

As a backyard BBQ cook, a competitor on the KCBS circuit and a Certified BBQ Judge, believe me when I say I eat a LOT of BBQ! Since taking the judges class, I have become more aware of the different factors that make some BBQ better than others. I have successfully used this info to do quite well for myself on the competition BBQ circuit, and am sure this info will help you to produce better 'que.

When scoring BBQ under the KCBS rules, the scale goes from 2 to 9. Every entry is considered to be a 6 before you look at it or taste it, and you go from there. The three categories considered are texture, taste and tenderness. There are 6 judges per table, and each turn in box must contain at least 6 individual portions to prevent disqualification.

Bar-B-Q

The entry can be disqualified if 1) the individual servings are not completely separated, 2) less than 6 servings are turned in, 3) sauce has "pooled" in the bottom of the turn in box or 4) an unapproved garnish is used. Judging bbq is a serious matter, a lot of money and time has been spent by the competitors, and the judges understand the implications of their scoring. There is little banter and no peeking allowed at other judge's scorecards.

The KCBS, like most of the bbq societies uses a double blind system. The contestant is given boxes at the cooks meeting that have only a number on them. At turn in, the number is changed before the box is judged. This is done to prevent any judge from knowing whose box he is judging, and it works quite well. I have never heard of any allegations of cheating by a bbq judge.

There are 6 judges and a table captain at each table. The table captain runs the show, examining each box before it is presented to the judges for any possible disqualifications. The table captain (TC) gets the boxes, six at a time, from the turn in station and brings them to the table.

The TC clearly announces the team number of each box for the judges to record, usually saying it to every judge as the box is held in front of them as well. The judges look into the box held before them and with in 5 seconds write down the score for appearance. There are no erasers on the pencils and once the score is written there is no changing it. The TC will check each scorecard for possible changes. Smoking is not allowed, nor is any alcohol consumption. Free bottled water is brought to the table by the TC if a judge's starts to run out. Crackers are also provided.

When the TC holds the box before the judges, all water bottles are on their sides allowing the box to be held right up to them. The arrangement of the judges is in a "C" pattern on the table (one at each end, 4 along one side). After all six boxes are presented, one at a time is given to the judge on the end to take a portion and pass around. The TC will alternate which direction the boxes go so as to not leave one judge always getting the last piece in a box.

When the boxes are passed from judge to judge, each takes a sample and places it on a designated part of a paper placemat they have recorded the team # onto. The judges wait until all have 6 pieces on the placemat before beginning. If the portions run out, it is a disqualification.

The judges will then rate the individual entries for taste and tenderness, often tucking their scorecard under the placemat after writing them down. No one speaks until all six judges have handed their scorecards to the TC. Most tables will discuss the entries, and depending on the level of experience, it can get quite in depth.

The entries have been checked for violations by 7 people, dissected with their eyes, pulled apart with their fingers under close scrutiny, and tasted with world class taste buds. If you turn in something below par, they will know it right away.

How To Judge Competition BBQ

Mike Gerardy KCBS competition cooKCBS Certified BBQ Judge http://www.probbq.net

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