Marinated Baked Pork Steaks

Easy recipe for marinated baked pork steak + tips on seasonings and marinades. 

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Read on for marinade, seasoning and sauce ideas and step by step pictures (1 mins)

About This Baked Pork Steaks Recipe

Our easy pork steak recipe delivers tender, richly flavored meat courtesy of an easy, balanced pork marinade and a simple seasoning just before baking. You can use boneless pork steak or a  shoulder bone-in cut. You could also bake potatoes, apples, mushrooms along with the steaks. 

To better understand this very flavorful cut of pork (we are huge fans of pork butt!) you can read What are Pork Shoulder Steaks, Where to Buy Them and How to Carve Your Own from a Whole Pork Shoulder.  

Ingredients for Baked Pork Steak

• Pork steak. We used large, about 3/4 inch thick pork steaks. Three had a small cross section of pork shoulder blade and one was completely boneless. Smaller, entirely boneless cuts work great too as well as thicker cuts (you’ll just bake them a bit longer).
• Marinade. The particular version we use in this recipe requires:
  • apple cider vinegar (raw, unfiltered ‘with the mother’ works best)
  • olive oil (or vegetable oil)
  • Dijon mustard (both a flavor agent and an emulsifier)
  • dark brown sugar
  • shallot (substitute with half small red onion) 
  • thyme (fresh or dried)
  • salt and pepper 

Pork Steak Marinade – Why Do It?

While in the case of pork steaks the fat content and marbling renders brining a bit of an excessive step, some quality time spent bathing in a flavorful marinade is of great benefit. (See our post on When to Brine, When to Marinate and Can You Do Both?)

The marinade infuses the surface of the pork steaks with the flavors of its ingredients.

You can mix the one from the recipe card or find more ideas here: Pork Marinade Recipes + Tips. The optimal time to marinate them is overnight, but even a couple of hours is worth it.

Seasoning for Pork Steak

In the event that you do not have time to marinate the pork – do not worry. Pork shoulder steak and pork collar chops are the two cuts of pork that will still turn out nicely with a simple seasoning. They are better than juicy pork chops!

• For best results always season with a mix of coarse salt and pepper plus any of the following compatible herbs and spices:
  • cumin – ground, goes incredibly well with all cuts of pork 
  • caraway seed – ground, another classic, especially for pork shoulder roast
  • paprika – either sweet Hungarian or smoked Spanish paprika
  • garlic powder or onion powder
  • dried savory or dried thyme or dried oregano
• Brush the pork steaks very lightly with olive oil. Then season on both sides, generously, and let sit for 5-10 minutes before you place them in the oven. 

Instructions – How to Cook Pork Steaks in the Oven

1. Marinate. Mix the marinade in a non-reactive airtight container (or a plastic freezer bag), apply over the pork steaks, cover and let sit in the fridge – preferably overnight. Bring them to room temperature before baking.
2. Get ready to bake. Heat your oven to 350 F. Scrape the marinade from the pork steaks, pat them dry with paper towel and season them with salt and black pepper on each side. Place on a large baking sheet or baking dish. You may line them with parchment paper as shown above to make clean up easier.
3. Bake. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. At that point the pork steaks should be mostly cooked – either flip them over and bake a little longer to brown the other side OR flip them over and broil the other side for a few minutes, watching them closely. Take them out and tent with foil to rest for a few minutes. 

How Long to Cook Pork Steaks in Oven

Pork steaks are technically food safe at 145 F internal temperature measured iwith a meat thermometer in the center. However, because of the higher fat content of pork shoulder baking them a little bit longer in order for the outside to gain an appetizing browned look and more fat to be rendered is very desirable. You can absolutely go to 170 F or even a bit higher without the meat drying out.  

The pork shoulder steak oven cooking time is determined by how large and thick they are and the calibration of your oven. We recommend that you bake them in a 350 F oven to give the rich fat marbling a chance to melt and infuse the meat with flavor and keep it moist.

Total time should take between 20 and 30 minutes for 3/4 to 1 inch thick steaks.

Pan Sauce Ideas 

Marinated baked pork steaks already have a ton of flavor straight out of the oven but if you feel like smothering them with a delicious pan sauce here are a few ideas:

• make this easy creamy mustard sauce (we love it with our cast iron skillet pork chops)
• make a beer bbq sauce or use your favorite one
• make an onion gravy (with porter ale or beef stock only)
• make a beersamic reduction
• use store bought cream mushroom soup – simply warm it up in a pan over medium low heat and use as sauce
• choose another easy recipe for Sauce for Pork Chops

Side Dishes for Oven Baked Pork Steaks

From fresh greens, potato or pasta salads through barley risotto, crispy roasted potatoes, roasted veggies, baked onions to coleslaw and fiber rich baked beans – there are too many possibilities for complementary sides to list. Pork steak is such an easy to pair with protein!

You could also cook the steaks in the oven along with a side: 

• Baked Pork Steaks and Potatoes. Par-boil potatoes, peel and cut them in bite-sized pieces and toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Scatter them around the pork steaks and bake together.
• Baked Pork Steaks and Apples. Peel and slice apples, sprinkle with a bit of corn starch, toss with a bit of olive oil and some cinnamon, brown sugar and cumin and bake with the pork steaks. 
• Baked Pork Steaks and Mushrooms & Onions. Toss uniformly sized button or cremini mushrooms and onion slices (not too thin) with olive oil, salt and pepper, scatter around the pork and bake together. 

Resources You Might Like

BBQ Pork Steaks Slow Cooker
Oven Baked Pork Chops
How to Cut Pork Shoulder into Steaks
Pan Sauce Recipes for Pork Chops & Steaks
How to Grill or Cook Pork Shoulder Steaks on the Stove  

Baked Pork Steaks in Oven

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy oven baked pork steak is first bathed in a delicious pork steak marinade.

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Ingredients

Pork Steaks

• 4 pork shoulder steaks, about 3/4 inch thick, bone-in or boneless*
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil (only if not using a marinade**)
• salt and pepper (to taste, but season liberally**)

PORK STEAK MARINADE

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 
• 1 shallot, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 6-7 sprigs thyme (or 1/2 tbsp dried)
• 1 tbsp coarse salt 
• 1 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a non-reactive container or a freezer bag. Place the pork steaks inside and make sure they are covered with marinade. Refrigerate covered, from 4 hours to overnight.
2. Bring the marinated steaks to room temperature and preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional, for easier clean up).
3. Scrape the marinade from the pork steaks and season with salt and pepper. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
4. Flip the steaks over and continue baking to get the other side nicely browned OR broil the other side but watch closely. About 5-8 minute more minutes, depending on how thick the steaks are. Internal temperature should be at least 145 F, but up to 180 F is fine, pork shoulder steaks do not dry out easily.
5. Loosely tent with foil and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

*About 2.5 to 3 lbs of meat unless you are using small, boneless cuts.

**For pork steak seasoning tips in the event that you do not have time to marinate see the body of the post. You will only need the oil to lightly brush the steaks if you did not make a marinade.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 427Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 2083mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 22g

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