Louisiana-Style Smothered Pork Steak with Gravy
Louisiana-Style Smothered Pork Steak with Gravy is a Southern classic featuring tender pork steaks in a rich, savory gravy. It does take time to make this recipe. About 3 and a half hours but well worth the effort. It makes a lot and so very good. The dish, infused with Cajun seasonings and slow-cooked to perfection, embodies the spirit of Cajun cuisine.
Louisiana Smothered Pork Steak with gravy is a must-try if you love bold flavors and tender, juicy pork. Pair it with cornbread or collard greens. Or you can do as my husband did and make an open-faced sandwich with Texas Toast which is very good. Also, you can simply place a pork steak between two pieces of white bread, like they do in Louisiana, and make a Pork Steak sandwich. Any way to decide to serve it you are sure to be the hero of the day. Indulge in this soulful comfort food and savor every bite!
Lousiana Smothered Pork Steak with Gravy
Ingredients
- 5 pounds bone-in pork shoulder steak about ½ inch thick
- Cajun seasoning to taste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 medium yellow onions small dice
- 2 green bell peppers small dice
- 3 celery stalks small dice
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 6 to 10 4 stems of fresh thyme tied together with butcher twine
- 1 cup beer pilsner or aleif you don’t want alcohol substitute with chicken stock
- 2 quarts low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Tabasco to taste
- Hot cooked rice to serve
Instructions
Cooking the Pork Steaks
- Pat the pork steaks dry with a cloth and season them with the Cajun seasoning and don’t be shy about it!
- Place 2 cups of flour in a bag and add 2-3 of the pork steaks and shake until the entire surface is coated. Repeat the process until all pork steaks are coated with flour.
- Add the oil to an 8-quart Dutch oven, and turn heat on medium-high.
- Working in batches, fry the pork steaks in the oil on both sides and then reserve on a baking sheet. We want a nice brown crust slightly darker than a good piece of fried chicken.
- The oil should be hot enough to get a good crisp but cool but not so hot that it burns the small flour particles that break off. Be sure to not overcrowd the pot and take your time.
- Remove pork steaks when steaks are a nutty brown color
Cooking the Vegetables
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot, and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon vigorously to unstick the grimilles (the little bits stuck to the pan). Cook and stir occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes until a dark brown color is achieved
- Add the garlic and the bay leaves along with 4 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer to deglaze and then cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
Putting it all Together
- Return the pork steaks to the pot along with the stock and Worcestershire on a high heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low-medium. Add the bundle of fresh thyme
- Let this cook, uncovered for 1½ to 2½ hours, stirring every
- 10 minutes or so. As the stock reduces, the gravy will become much thicker, almost like a gumbo. Additionally, the pork steaks should start to fall off the bone. A little prodding with a wooden spoon can aid this
- Once the meat is falling apart and the gravy is nice and thick, it's ready! Add additional Cajun seasoning and Tabasco to taste.
- Serve over long-grain Louisiana rice.
Video
Notes
What makes a great gravy? Time. It’s about taking the right amount of time and not rushing. Louisiana Cookin.
For more Lousiana Comfort Foods click here on Pinterest for more ideas.
For more of my Cajun-style recipes, follow this link: https://darlenestable.com/category/cajun-seafood/
