Name: 6-Minute Smoky Grilled BBQ Pork Shoulder Steaks
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 26 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 to 1 1/2 pound pork shoulder or pork butt steaks (500g); 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (4g); 1 teaspoon onion powder (4g); 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (2g); 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (1g); 1/8 teaspoon turmeric (less than 1g) *omit if you don't have it; kosher or sea salt to taste; freshly cracked black pepper, if desired; 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (9g)

Jump to Recipe

By now you probably know how much we love to pan-sear just about anything because it's quick and almost effortless, not to mention a delicious way to prepare food. Today, instead of the cast-iron skillet, we're breaking out the grill pan to get our BBQ flavor fix with just 5 spices in just 6 minutes. You don't have to own a grill to eat meat that tastes like it was cooked on one. Not everyone owns a grill or has the time (or the desire) to get it prepped and ready. Enter these delicious smoky tender grilled pork steaks which get all their just-grilled flavor from a simple spice rub and a little extra virgin olive oil. Pan-sear a little zucchini (or sweet carrots), and break out a bag of salad, and dinner's ready in about 10 minutes.

4 raw pork blade steaks in a white ceramic dish with a little extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top

seasoned raw pork steaks in a white ceramic dish with a reddish-orange color from the spices

4 pork steaks cooking on a cast iron grill pan starting to run opaque in color on the bottom and juices expelling from the top

Grilling Pork Shoulder Steaks is Easy -- a Few Handy Techniques

Pork shoulder or pork butt steaks are a tender (mostly dark) cut of meat interspersed with fat and they make a great alternative to steak. I also use this cut of pork to grind when making potstickers and dumplings and to make the best tacos al Pastor. It's really tender and inexpensive. Use the below tips and techniques to help get the best-tasting grilled pork steaks.

Use a well-seasoned cast-iron grill pan or another heavy-gauged grill pan. A heavy-bottomed pan with good even heat distribution helps evenly and quickly cook steaks and get good grill marks on the meat (cast-iron, carbon steel, 7-ply stainless steel like All-Clad, or even All-Clad heavy-duty aluminum with multiple layers).
Wash, pat dry, season, and marinate the steaks before you cook them. Pat the pork steaks dry after a quick rinse, rub them with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and season them with the homemade spice rub (do not add salt at this stage), and allow them to marinate for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature (or covered in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to overnight bringing them back to room temperature just before grilling).
Salt the steaks just before adding them to the hot grill pan. Do not season the steaks until just before time to put them onto the grill pan. Adding salt draws out moisture and you already know that "wet" meat keeps you from getting a flavorful "crust", or good pan sear. I season only the side of the meat that will first be in contact with the skillet and as soon as I've added them (seasoned-side down), I season the tops of the steaks.
Get the grill pan smoking hot. Allow the pan to get really hot, add the steaks directly to the hot pan, and season the top sides. When the steak makes contact with the pan, it needs to be so hot that it sizzles.
Have patience. Once you place the steaks onto the grill pan don't move them around. Let them have constant contact with the hot pan so the browning can take place. If you move them around or flip them over too soon, you'll miss out on all that extra flavor (the "crust") and the grill marks you're after. After about 2 minutes, you can peek at the underside of the steaks using a pair of tongs but don't move it around too much. This is a good way to help you know when it's a good time to flip them over which in this case, is after about 4 minutes.
Use a timer for a little extra help. Setting a timer as soon as your steaks hit the pan really helps you determine how long they need to cook. It's an easy way to not have to think as much about when the steak is going to need to be flipped or be finished cooking. That said, I never leave a steak alone. I check steaks periodically to make sure I have the flame adjusted properly and that they're cooking the way I intended. It's not foolproof to set a timer because several factors are involved with properly cooking steaks such as the cut of meat, thickness of the steak, whether or not it's bone-in or boneless, and even the type of range and skillet you're using. But using a timer does provide a little extra help especially if you're busy prepping other sides.

Smoky Grilled Pork Shoulder Blade Steaks Ingredients

6-Minute Grilled BBQ Pork Steaks use just 5 basic pantry spices (plus salt) and 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil making this a wholesome and healthy way to eat pork. Plus, this pork makes the best summer salad topper!

1 to 1 ½ pound pork shoulder or pork butt steaks (500g)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (4g)
1 teaspoon onion powder (4g)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (2g)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder (1g)
⅛ teaspoon turmeric (less than 1g) *omit if you don't have it
kosher or sea salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper, if desired
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (9g)

spices added to a bowl to get a BBQ grilled flavor pork steak

spices blended in a bowl with an orange-reddish hue

How to Make Perfect Grilled Smoky Pork Shoulder Blade Steaks in 6 Minutes

Marinate the meat. Wash and pat dry the pork steaks until completely dry. Rub 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil into the meat covering every surface. Add paprika, onion powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and turmeric to a small bowl and combine using your hands. Sprinkle the spice rub evenly over both sides of the meat to ensure even coverage. All the pork to marinate for at least 15 minutes (or covered and stored in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or up to overnight).
Preheat the grill pan or cast-iron skillet. Heat a cast-iron grill pan or another heavy-gauge pan over high heat. Just before the pan begins to smoke, drizzle 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil over the tops of the steaks rubbing it in and coating them well. Season the steaks with salt (and pepper if using).
Grill the steaks. When the pan begins to smoke, add the seasoned pork (salted side down) allowing space in between each steak. Set a timer for 6 minutes and do not move the steaks once they hit the pan. Cook steaks for about 4 minutes, or until nicely browned and you can see grill marks on the bottoms. At this point, the tops of the pork will become white around the edges with some darker pink in the thicker spots. Flip and continue cooking for another 2 minutes for a total of about 6 minutes or until the steaks are just cooked through. Turn off the heat, allowing thicker steaks to remain on the pan if needed to finish cooking through. Remove the steaks to a serving platter and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving or slicing and, Enjoy!

perfectly golden brown purple cauliflower steaks covered with toasty sesame seeds

closeup pan-seared caramelized and golden brown zucchini slices on a white platter and a sprig of crispy rosemary on top

Homemade Lemon-tomato vinaigrette with herbs in a glass Weck canning jar on top of a decorative vintage tray with pink, white and green flowers.

perfectly pan seared long carrot slices glistening with olive oil on a white platter

Mediterranean pasta salad with pasta, olives, fresh mozzarella, shrimp, sauteed asparagus and carrots, sun dried tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, and more.

mushy peas with whole peas dolloped on top in an oval stainless steel serving dish

What to Serve with Smoky Grilled Pork Shoulder Steak

Now that you've decided to make this easy BBQ Pork Steak recipe, you'll need some other tasty pairings and sides to eat with it. Here are a few of our favorites to help inspire your next family dinner.