Pork Steak | Made From Pork Loin
by cookwewill in Cooking > Main Course
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Pork Steak | Made From Pork Loin
Pork steak... is that even a thing? Let's be honest here, the best steaks are made from high quality beef cuts, period. But what if you don't want to spend and arm and a leg to feed a crowd? Pork steaks are coming for the rescue :)
When cooked properly, pork steaks taste surprisingly great, you just have to follow a few simple steps that I'm going to show you today.
To make a pork steak, you can use several cuts of pork. First of all, there even is a specific cut of pork from the shoulder that's called "pork steak", but you can make steaks from a few different cuts too. The one I'm using today is the very common and affordable boneless pork loin, that you can find at sale for as low as 3-5 bucks per pound.
I'm serving these steaks with a side of mashed potatoes and to make them a bit special, there will be a little something to put atop of the steaks. Now let's start.
Supplies
The list of ingredients is quite short for this recipe and I've split them up into 2 parts:
For the steaks:
1kg (2lbs) boneless pork loin
olive oil
salt & pepper
Dijon mustard
For the sides:
1 cup of sliced onions or shallots
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
olive oil
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
drippings from the pan
mashed potatoes (optional)
Let's Start With a Video
As always, let me start with a video of the cooking process. It's very easy to follow and there are more like that on my YouTube channel, so feel free to check it out.
Prepare the Meat
I'm working with a nice clean piece of boneless pork loin today, so there is not much to do about it. As you can see, I'm leaving the fat ring/layer on. This will provide extra flavor and tenderize the meat, so definitely do not trim it off. Cut the piece into individual steaks that are at least 1 inch thick, then spread a bit of olive oil on both sides.
Season the Steaks
The seasonings for steaks are generally really simple, no need to add anything special. Salt and black or 4-color pepper is all we need. Generously season both sides
Start Cooking
I'm using a 2-step cooking process today. I'm about to sear the steaks first on each side, then finish them up in the oven. This is a great method to use for thicker cuts, regardless of what type of meat you are using. The quick sear on high heat will take care of the crust and the oven time will ensure that the inside reaches a safe temperature, without overcooking and drying the meat out.
It's important that you don't keep the steaks on the pan for too long, give it just about 2-3 minutes on the first side and then flip.
Now a Little Trick
Once the first side has been seared, spread a bit of Dijon mustard over the seared side. Please note that mustard goes just on one side!
Wait for 2-3 minutes again, so the second side get's seared too and then flip the steak again. We are doing this to give the mustardy side a bit of heat too so it kind of cooks into the meat. Wait for one more minute and take the pan of the heat.
Butter Time
Put a nice slice of butter on each of the steaks and it's time to put them into the oven. I have pre-heated the oven in advance to 175/180C or 350F.
I'm using an oven safe pan with a detachable handle, but if you don't have one, simply transfer the steaks to a sheet pan or tray. In this case, make sure you pour the juices from the pan into the sheet, we're going to use those in a few minutes.
Keep the steaks in the oven for 7-10 minutes, depending on what level of doneness you prefer.
Now the Special "something"
We have a few minutes of time left now, so let's put them to good use. I like to put something on my pork steaks, to further improve the flavor. So let's make some sauteed onions and mushrooms, right?
It's very easy, simply add about half a cup of finely chopped shallots and half a cup of finely sliced mushrooms into a pan, along with some olive oil and sautee these on high heat for about 5 minutes.
Then add a tablespoon of soy sauce, tablespoon of honey and a season with salt & pepper.
Keep sauteeing on low and mix from time to time.
Steaks Are Done
7-10 minutes have elapsed, so it's time to take the steaks out of the oven. Remember how I mentioned the pan juices? It's time to use these now. Baste the steaks with them and also add a few tablespoons into the pan where the shallots and mushroom are sauteeing.
Every steak needs some time to rest and pork steaks are no exception. Cover the pan with foil and let them sit on the counter for at least 5 minutes. This is just about enough time for the mushrooms and shallots to finish as well, once the mixture thickens up, we are ready to serve.
Serving Time
Mashed potatoes make the perfect side for these pork steaks, but baked potatoes would work great too. Spread a nice amount of our mushroom & shallot "mixture atop of the steaks and that's about it... we're ready to eat :)
Optional Tips
I hope you liked this recipe! Have something to say about it? Please do so in the comments.
By the way, I'm cooking pork pretty often so if you would like to see some more pork recipes, here are some more to try:
Looking for something not so common? My German style pork knuckle is getting good reviews.
Want to use a different cut of pork to make a steak? Try my Grilled pork tenderloin steaks.
A soup with pork meat? Yup, I got you covered, check my Tomato soup with cabbage and pork.
And how about a total classic? These Pork schnitzels with potato salad are amazing.
Thanks for reading everyone and see you soon with another recipe.
Matej.