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Pork Steak | Made From Pork Loin

Cooks in 20 minutes Difficulty Easy
Pork Steak made from pork loin.

Pork steak… is it even worth it? I mean, whenever someone mentions a steak we all tend to think about beef. And even though beef steaks are the best, it’s also the most pricey option. But did you know you can make a great steak from a much more affordable cut of pork? Even something as cheap as pork loin can work really great. Yes, a pork loin steak can taste just great! You just have to follow a few easy steps that I’m going to show you in today’s pork steak recipe.

Why should you try making steaks from pork cuts?

Pork loin that I have cut into individual steaks.

We need to set one thing straight first, when making a beef steak you need properly aged meat, no arguing needed here. Fresh beef simply doesn’t work well for a steak, it would be tough and chewy. The only exception is the tenderloin, but that also happens to be the most expensive cut there is. On the other hand, some pork cuts deliver great results and can make great steaks, even when using freshly butchered meat.

Then there is the price factor, pork is WAY cheaper than beef. You can find solid quality pork loin for sale at around 2-3 bucks per pound, that’s simply hard to beat. Solid beef ribeye usually costs more than 10 bucks per pound and up, for example… and that’s quite a difference.

And let’s not forget about those people who get scared by a little bit of red 🙂 Serve a medium rare steak to them and they will run away from the table. I have quite a few friends like this, so making beef steaks for them is a no-go, unless I want to make them “well done” which would be a waste of an expensive cut. For these people, pork steak is a great option as the pork meat is not “that red” by default and it loses most of the color quickly when cooked. A properly prepared medium pork steak is just a bit pinkish on the inside and that’s something these eaters can accept 🙂

What cuts of pork to use for steaks?

Finished pork steak on a plate with mashed potatoes.

Personally, I prefer 3 cuts of pork to make my pork steaks from. Pork tenderloin is the number 1 choice, it’s a very tender and lean cut and delivers great results. It’s also the most expensive cut of pork. Pork loin is my number two, bone in or boneless. If you can get it with some fat on, that’s even better. Pork collar (neck) is my number 3. This cut contains more fat and membranes, so it’s not as lean as the other cuts, but it’s very intense in flavor and perfect for grilling.

Pork butt or shoulder can be used too, but usually I go with one of the three mentioned earlier. Because of easy availability and great value per dollar, I am about to use a boneless pork loin cut in today’s pork steak recipe.

More Pork Recipes To Try:

I cook pork pretty often, so let me show you some of my favorite ways of preparing it. A nice Oven roasted pork collar is definitely something to try. If you’re into grilling, check my Grilled pork tenderloin steaks. How about a nice Pork schnitzel with potato salad? That’s quite a staple in our home. Or maybe you are looking for a less common soup recipe? Try this Tomato cabbage soup with pork shoulder.

Pork Loin Steak Recipe Ingredients

Delicious steak made from inexpensive pork loin.

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)

How To Make A Pork Steak

Watch the video or scroll down for step by step instructions:

As mentioned, I’m working with a nice piece of boneless pork loin today. It looks quite clean so not much trimming is needed. I’m definitely leaving the little bits of fat on, those will provide more flavor and tenderize the pork steaks. Are you wondering about the sliced shallots and mushrooms on the photo below? We’ll get to those in a few minutes 🙂

Ingredients needed for this pork steak recipe.

Let’s cut the pork loin into individual steaks, these should be about an inch thick in order to stay juicy on the inside. If you cut them too thin, they will become dry and chewy, which is not something we want to happen.

The steaks should be about an inch thick.

I am about to keep the seasonings for these pork steaks really simple. Add a touch of olive oil and spread it all over the meat with your hand. Flip the steaks and put oil on the other side as well. This will provide a nice flavor and also help the other seasonings sticking to the meat better.

Season both sides with olive oil.

Let’s move on with a generous amount of salt and freshly ground black or 4-color pepper. Flip the steaks and season the other side too. Just salt and black pepper again. Part of the seasonings always stick to the cutting board, so flip the steaks a few times to catch all of it.

TIP: The cooking method I’m using today requires two steps. I am about to sear the steaks on a pan first, then finish them in my oven. To make sure the oven is ready when we need it, turn it on now and preheat to 175C or 350F.

This pork steak recipe uses very simple seasonings.

Heat up your pan and drizzle it with oil, once it becomes hot, it’s time to start searing. The key to preparing juicy and tender pork loin steaks is in the right timing. If you keep them on the pan for too long, the steaks will become dry and that’s game over. About 2-3 minutes per side on high heat is all we need. If that sounds too short to you, keep in mind I’m about to finish the steaks in my oven that I have already started to preheat.

Start by searing the steaks on a pan.

3 minutes have passed so it’s time to flip our steaks. I would say it was just about the right time.

And now a simple trick that I’m using with cheap and less flavor intense cuts of meat. Once the first side is seared, brush it with a bit of Dijon mustard. This will improve the flavor by a lot.

Brush one side with a bit of Dijon mustard.

Once the second side is seared, flip the steak once more so the mustard gets some heat too. Give it just a minute and take the pan off the heat.

Flip once more and we are ready for the oven.

Place a slice of butter on each steak and put the pan into the oven for 7 to 10 minutes. The butter will melt quickly and improve the final flavor. It will also mix with the juices and drippings, which will come handy in a few minutes.

NOTE: I’m using an oven safe pan with a separable handle. If you don’t have one, simply transfer the pork steaks to a smallish baking dish or a sheet pan, along with the pan drippings/juices.

Now we have time to quickly prepare something simple to serve along with the pork steaks. Heat up two tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan and add a cup of finely sliced onions/shallots and mushrooms. I’ve prepared these in advance to save some time. Sautee these on high heat for about 5 minutes and mix frequently.

Prepare a simple side to serve along with the pork steaks.

Once the onions and mushrooms become lightly browned, add salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can be generous with the pepper but don’t add too much salt, you will see why in the next step.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

To get more flavors in, add a tablespoon of soy sauce and honey. Reduce the heat and keep sauteeing.

Soy sauce and honey give a nice flavor.

Don’t forget about our pork steaks, take them out of the oven once the time has elapsed.

Our pork steaks are ready and need to rest for a bit.

See the juices in the pan? Baste the steaks with them properly!

And don’t just stop there. Add a few tablespoons of those delicious drippings to the onions and mushrooms we are sauteeing. Give it a few more minutes, while the steaks are resting and we are done.

Don't let the tasty pan drippings go to a waste.

And now it’s time to serve. I have some mashed potatoes left from the other day, so let’s put those to good use. Add the sauteed onions and mushrooms on top of the steaks, decorate the plate with some veggies or parsley and that’s it… simple and delicious.

We are done, time to serve the pork steaks with a side of mashed potatoes.

Thanks for watching and see you next time.

Optional Tips For This Pork Steaks Recipe

  • I’ve used boneless pork loin in the recipe, but if you can get your butcher to prepare nice thick bone-in cut’s for you, that works even better.
  • You can use the same process to prepare pork steaks from different cuts. Pork neck or collar works great, pork shoulder or pork butt are great options too.
  • The trick with mustard that I have shown you in this pork steak recipe works well with cheaper cuts of beef too. Check my rump steak recipe, for example.
  • You can experiment with the sides as well. Baked potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, boiled potatoes. toasted bread… oh and a simple coleslaw salad would be a great addition too.
  • This pork steak would go really well with my creamy mushroom sauce, just like any steak for that matter 🙂
Pork Steak made from pork loin

Pork Steak Made From Pork Loin

Matej
Tired of paying premium prices for high quality aged beef? Let's try to prepare a pork steak for a change. Even something as cheap as boneless pork loin can deliver great results, when prepared correctly. Let me show you how to cook an affordable and absolutely delicious pork steak.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine International
Servings 4 steaks
Calories 349 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the steaks:

  • 1 kg 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

Instructions
 

  • Clean or trim the pork loin if needed, to make sure the meat is clean and ready to work with. Keep the thin layer of fat on.
  • Cut the loin into individual pork steaks, these should be around 1 inch thick.
  • Season each steak with olive oil, salt and pepper… from both sides.
  • Turn your oven on and set it to 175C or 350F, to make sure it’s ready when we need it.
  • Heat up a pan and drizzle it with oil, once it’s nice and hot add the steaks.
  • Sear the pork steaks for 3 minutes and flip.
  • Spread a bit of Dijon mustard over each steak.
  • Flip the steak again after 3 minutes, so that the mustard gets some sear too.
  • Place a slice of butter on each pork steak and put the pan in the oven for 7-10 minutes.
  • Let’s make a simple side quickly. Heat up a pan, add olive oil and drop in a cup of finally sliced onions or shallots along with a cup of sliced mushroom.
  • Sautee until lightly browned and season with salt and pepper.
  • Add a tablespoon of soy sauce and honey and keep sauteeing.
  • Don’t forget about the steaks and take them out of the oven once those 7-10 minutes have elapsed.
  • Baste the steaks with pan drippings and also add a few tablespoons to the onions & mushrooms we are sauteeing.
  • Keep sauteeing the onions and mushrooms for a few more minutes, while our pork steaks are resting.
  • And we are done! I’m serving the steaks with a side of mashed potatoes that I had made in advance. Add a nice amount of the onions and mushroom mixture atop of the pork steaks and maybe some veggies or parsley for decoration.
  • Enjoy! 🙂

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 60gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 385mgPotassium: 1284mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 3mg
Keyword pork loin steak, pork steak
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

5 Comments

  1. Delicious! This looks like an awesome meal to have for dinner this week

  2. Kayla DiMaggio

    5 stars
    This pork steak was delicious! I loved how easy it was to make and it turned out great!

  3. 5 stars
    really enjoyed how juicy these pork chops were!

  4. This some delicious juicy pork. I’v been trying out different recipes using pork simply because its more affordable. This will be one of our new staples. I did use zucchini instead of mushrooms because no one in my family will eat them, but it turned out pretty good.

    • Hello Marie, thanks for your comment. I’m really happy that this recipe has worked well for you and zucchini sounds like a great substitute, have to try it myself 🙂

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