Cajun Pork Steaks

The most popular steak type in Greece is the pork steak. Especially the pork steaks from the pork shoulder / neck cut, that's also called pork butt in English (for some strange reason).

We also love this pork cut ourselves, since it's juicier and contains enough fat to help the meat get cooked, without getting it dry in the process.

The usual methods to cook pork steaks in Greece are grilling the streaks on a BBQ or frying them in olive oil. The latter produces a slightly drier result, so we always prefer to BBQ the steaks if possible. They are served in large family gatherings or backyard parties and are hugely popular.

The pork steaks are usually served with Greek salad, French fries, grilled bread slices (they're first sprinkled with olive oil, dry oregano and salt), feta sprinkled with olive oil and tzatziki.
Make sure to try at least once the combination with hand-cut French fries and a good traditional barrel aged feta. It's simply divine!

In Greece we don't use BBQ sauces, at least not with pork steaks. The steaks are simply sprinkled with salt, pepper and dry oregano; they're cooked and then drizzled with fresh lemon juice. This helps eliminating any carcinogens that may occur in the bbq process. Always marinate the steaks with lemon or vinegar, or simply drizzle with fresh lemon juice after they’re barbecued for a healthy result.

That being said, we like to try different culinary approaches from time to time. One of our favorites is the Southeastern US approach: Cajun pork steaks.

Cajun cuisine is a cuisine originating from Louisiana, United States. It's a peasant's version of the also popular Creole cuisine, also originating from the same region. At least that's what we non Americans know about it :)

Cajun cuisine is one of our favorite cuisines, with delicious dishes. A very common application of this cuisine is a seasoning combination for meat, which we tried on our pork steaks, called of course- Cajun seasoning.

We used dry onion, dry garlic, paprika, a bit of cumin, dry oregano and thyme, salt and black pepper. If we want a spicier result, we also add cayenne pepper from time to time. Cayenne is essential in a Cajun seasoning mix, but you may omit it if you can’t tolerate hot spices.

You can use the same seasoning for chicken or beef (or even fish!) and add it to numerous recipes you already cook. Simply try it once. It’s all it takes to win you over.