Have you ever held a succulent rib between your fingers, then bitten into a taste of sweet-savory, marvelously yielding meat, only to wish there was more left on the bone to enjoy?
You get exactly that with Chef Michael Symon’s “Slow-Grilled Pork Butt Steaks with Cherry BBQ Sauce.”
It has the taste and tenderness of your favorite smoked ribs — but in the much more substantial form of pork butt or shoulder steaks that are meaty and beyond.
Best yet, they get glazed and served with a thick, fruity, savory and slightly spicy barbecue sauce made with not only fresh or frozen cherries but also a can of Dr. Pepper. Yes, you read that right.
The recipe is from his newest cookbook, “Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.
The James Beard Award-winning chef and Food Network star, operates restaurants, Angeline by Michael Symon in Atlantic City, Mabel’s BBQ in Las Vegas and Cleveland, and Bar Symon at various airports.
This book is a collection of 100 recipes made for cooking outdoors or to be enjoyed with your barbecue feast in the backyard. That means dishes like “Feta Waffles with Fresh Tomato Salsa,” which don’t need grilling but plugging in your waffle iron to make crisp waffle wedges topped with a chunky cherry tomato-olive-garlic mixture that’s sure to be a surprise hit with guests.
Or do light up your grill to make “Oysters Casino,” “Symon’s Juicy Lucy Double Cheese and Bacon Burger,” or “Campfire Nutella-Banana Sandwiches.”
This recipe calls for four pork butt (shoulder) steaks that are about 1 1/4-inch thick, which it states makes four servings. I don’t know what kind of eaters that Symon has in his household, but there is no way one person with a normal appetite can eat an entire pork butt steak, which is massive. I cooked four of the steaks, and together they would easily serve 8 to 10 people. If you don’t want to feed that large of a crowd, you could always halve the recipe.
This is a recipe to make on the weekend or on a holiday when you have ample time because the pork will be cooked low and slow on the grill for about 2 hours.
Start the night before by marinating the pork steaks with a rub of salt, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
The barbecue sauce can be cooked in a saucepan on the side of your grill. Or do it on your stovetop like I did. Just saute diced onion and jalapeno, then season with cumin and coriander. Stir in pitted cherries, molasses, Worcestershire, and Dr. Pepper. Simmer until the cherries soften. Carefully transfer it all to a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Stir in a little lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.
As the sauce cools, it will continue to thicken. You could easily make this the day before serving, too, and just keep it in the fridge, covered, until ready to use.
When you’re ready to eat, prepare your grill. Place the steaks on the grill, and cover, and cook for 90 minutes. Then, flip the steaks over, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes while basting them every 10 minutes with the barbecue sauce.
You will likely have leftover barbecue sauce. Save it to use on grilled or roasted duck or quail, which are naturals with this cherry-forward sauce.
After resting the pork steaks for 10 minutes, dig in. Your patience with the long cook will be richly rewarded with juicy, smoky meat as melt-in-your-mouth as pulled pork. Close your eyes, take a bite, and you’ll swear you’ve just bitten into the best rib you’ve ever had. Only, you won’t be left with mere bone after just a few bites, but rather meaty mouthful after meaty mouthful.
Slow-Grilled Pork Butt Steaks with Cherry BBQ Sauce
(Serves 8 to 10)
For the pork:
1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 pork butt steaks (aka shoulder steaks), 1 1/4 inches thick
For the cherry BBQ sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
1 (7.5-ounce) can Dr. pepper
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Dry marinate the pork: In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper flakes. Season the pork steaks liberally on both sides with the rub, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
Prepare and preheat a charcoal grill for indirect cooking, with one hot side and one hold (unheated) side. Adjust the grill vents to maintain a temperature of 250°F to 275°F.
Make the cherry BBQ sauce: Set a medium saucepan on the hot side of the grill. Add the olive oil and heat to shimmering. Add the onion, jalapeno, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute, until aromatic. Add the cherries, Dr. Pepper, molasses, and Worcestershire and whisk to combine. Season with a few pinches of salt and twists of pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries soften and the flavors come together, about 15 minutes.
Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. (If using a blender, pulse briefly at first and open the steam vent in the lid to ensure the contents don’t explode.) Stir in the lemon juice and vinegar and set aside.
When the temperature in the grill reaches 250°F to 275°F, put the pork steaks on the hold side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Top off the charcoal as needed.
Flip the steaks and cook until meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 30 minutes. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, baste the meat with BBQ sauce every 10 minutes.
Transfer the steaks to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes before serving with the remaining BBQ sauce on the side.
Adapted from “Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out” by Michael Symon
More Michael Symon Recipes to Enjoy: American Goulash
