BBQ-glazed pork

Ardie Davis knows his barbecue. He’s an author and a fixture at events in Kansas City and beyond, where he goes by the name Remus Powers, Ph.B. (Yep, he “holds” an advanced degree in barbecue.)

He has two books coming out in the spring, “25 Essentials: Techniques for Smoking” and “25 Essentials: Techniques for Grilling,” both from Harvard Common Press. Publicity for the later features his recipe for pork steaks.

Although this cut is popular in St. Louis, it’s virtually unknown in the rest of the country. It’s from the shoulder, also known as the butt. The ones you’ll find precut in St. Louis supermarkets will be fairly thin; for this recipe, ask the butcher to cut them 2 inches thick.
“Many backyard cooks are famous for their grilled pork chops,” Davis wrote. “St. Louis pitmasters are famous for their grilled pork steaks. The technique is the same whether grilling chops or steaks — an indirect fire (meaning coals or burners medium-high on one side, low on the other), with barbecue sauce brushed on during the last minutes of grilling for a glazed, not burned, finish.”

BBQ-Glazed Pork Chops and Steaks
Yield: 4 servings

1 cup KC Masterpiece Classic Blend barbecue sauce or other tomato-based barbecue sauce (you could use Maull’s, in honor of St. Louis)

1 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

4 (8-ounce) pork chops or steaks, at least 2 inches thick

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the BBQ glaze, combine the barbecue sauce, turbinado sugar and cider vinegar in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

2. Brush pork with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

3. Fill a charcoal chimney with briquets, set the chimney on the bottom grill grate, and light. When the coals are ready, dump them into the grill, and spread them evenly over half of the bottom grate. For a gas grill, turn to medium-high, with one burner on low or off.

4. Place the chops or steaks over direct heat and grill, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until almost done. If fat flares up or the meat begins to burn, move it to the cooler part of the grill for a few minutes. Brush the pork chops or steaks with the glaze and grill another 5 minutes, until the sauce sets into a smooth sheen.

Excerpt and photo from 25 Essentials: Techniques for Grilling by Ardie A. Davis, © 2008; used by permission of The Harvard Common Press.