| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 7 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 to 5 teaspoons chile flakes, depending on how spicy you like it
- Four 1 1/4-inch-thick pork butt steaks
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups pitted fresh cherries (frozen work, too)
- One 7.5-ounce can cherry soda, like Dr. Pepper
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- For the rub: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pepper, salt, sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and chile flakes. Liberally sprinkle the pork steaks on both sides and allow to marinate, refrigerated, for 3 hours or up to overnight.
- Set up your grill for cooking with direct and indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
- Make the cherry barbecue sauce: Place a saucepan over the direct-heat side of the grill. Add a drizzle of olive oil along with the jalapeño and onion. Season with the coriander, cumin and salt and sweat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cherries, cherry soda, molasses and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until the cherries have softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Add the balsamic and lemon juice and purée again. Transfer back to the saucepan and place on the indirect-heat side of the grill. Cook until the sauce thickens and reduces, about 20 minutes. Remove from the grill and set aside.
- Place the pork steaks on the indirect-heat side of the grill, close the lid and cook, keeping the temperature of the grill between 250 and 275 degrees F and basting with the cherry barbecue sauce once they have cooked for 2 hours, until the pork steaks are tender and an internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F, 3 to 4 hours total. Remove from the grill and allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with any remaining cherry barbecue sauce on the side.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 774 |
| Total Fat | 44 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 43 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 31 g |
| Protein | 53 g |
| Cholesterol | 179 mg |
| Sodium | 1185 mg |
Reviews
Loved the technique of the meat but did not care for the sauce. Will make it again with my own sauce it may have been the cumin. I wanted to love this. Own preference .
This recipe is for pork steaks, not pork chops… there’s a difference. We bought a pork roast, had it sliced into steaks by the butcher. Followed the recipe and it was FABULOUS. My husband and I loved it. He grilled and I make the cherry sauce. It tastes like an interesting cherry sauce; not a bbq sauce. The meat was so tender … the rub and the cherry sauce was perfect. I’m making this again!
I made this today, followed the recipe except I used thick bone in chops. I added the seasoning to the chops and let them sit overnight. Pitted fresh cherries and used Dr. pepper cherry soda. Disappointed, I was expecting more of a sweet cherry flavor. Couldn’t really taste the cherries. It is not a sweet barbecue sauce. For the amount of work I probably won’t make again. But my husband’s loved it.
? can you use a smoker, such as a Treager maintaining the temp. control as indicated in the recipe.