You may already be familiar with pork loin roast, but steaks are less common. Loin, or sirloin, is a large cut of tender meat that contains little fat and is well suited to being sliced into smaller portions. Such portions are also called ribs and are particularly juicy, especially if they are still tied to the bone; you can easily prepare them in a pan, on the barbecue or on the grill to serve as a quick meal.
Ingrediants
in the pan
- Pork loin steaks
- 60 ml of rapeseed or seed oil for frying
- 50-100 g of flour
- 5 g of salt
at the Grill
- Pork loin steaks
- Salt and pepper to flavor
- Additional seasonings (optional)
at the Barbecue
- Pork loin steaks
- 30 ml of seed oil
- Juice of half a lime
- Salt and pepper to flavor
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Pan-fried
Step 1. Prepare the area for breading
Dab the meat with kitchen paper and set it aside. Pour 50-100 g of flour into a shallow dish adding also 5 g of salt and a little pepper; use your fingers to mix the ingredients.
If the steaks are thick (more than 2-3 cm), turn on the oven to 200 ° C
Step 2. Heat the oil in the pan
Place a thick-bottomed saucepan or cast iron skillet over medium heat; add 60 ml of canola or seed oil and let it heat up. The fat should cover the bottom of the pan; if the indicated dose is not enough, increase it a little.
Don't use butter or olive oil, both of which tend to burn at high temperatures
Step 3. Flour the meat
Place each steak in the flavored flour, so that it is completely covered with it; lift it up and shake it a little to get rid of the excess flour. After handling raw meat, wash your hands with warm soapy water to avoid spreading bacteria.
It is worth holding the meat with one hand while you use the other to sprinkle it with flour; in this way, a hand always remains dry and the powders do not stick to it
Step 4. Fry the loin in the pan
When the oil is very hot and starts to simmer, carefully place the meat in the pan; cook it for three minutes over medium-high heat before turning it with the tongs and continue for another three minutes. The steaks should be well browned. If they are thin, they should be fully cooked after this time; if they are thick, transfer them to the oven to finish cooking for another 6-10 minutes.
- Regardless of the thickness, the pork loin must reach an internal temperature of 60 ° C before being served.
- If you finish cooking in the oven, use a pan that can be placed in this appliance.
Method 2 of 4: at the Grill
Step 1. Turn on the grill and flavor the steaks
If the grill is in the "ceiling" of the oven, insert the grill so that it is 8-12 cm from the heating elements. Turn on the appliance at maximum power and let it heat up for 10 minutes; sprinkle both sides of the loin with a generous dose of salt and pepper. You can also add:
- Ground fennel seeds;
- Garlic powder;
- Onion powder;
- Ground cumin.
Step 2. Cook the first side of the steaks
Cover a baking dish or baking tray with aluminum foil to make cleaning up later. Arrange the flavored meat on the aluminum foil and put it under the grill; cook for 6-8 minutes, but remember that thin steaks need less time, while thicker steaks need to cook longer.
If the thickness does not exceed 3.5 cm, keep the meat 10-12 cm from the heat source; this way, you prevent the surface from burning before the core has had a chance to cook
Step 3. Flip the steaks and cook the other side
Use the tongs very carefully and turn the meat inside the pan; bring it back under the heating elements and wait another 6-8 minutes or until the steaks are golden brown.
Remember to wear oven gloves and proceed with caution when taking the pan out of the oven
Step 4. Let the meat rest before serving
When the loin steaks are golden brown on both sides, remove them from the appliance and check the internal temperature. This should be between 60 and 70 ° C before taking the pork out of the oven; let it rest for 5 minutes before bringing it to the table.
During this last phase the muscle fibers relax and the juices can be distributed evenly
Method 3 of 4: Barbecue
Step 1. Heat the barbecue and season the steaks
Turn on the burners over medium heat; if you are using a charcoal model, prepare the embers and place them in the center of the grill. Sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper on both sides, moisten them with the juice of half a lime and brush them with 30 ml of seed oil.
Although it is possible to pour in the salt and pepper in advance, you should preferably add the lime juice only at the last moment
Step 2. Arrange the meat on the grill
Check that the latter is clean and place the pork steaks on top. If you are using a charcoal barbecue, cook them over direct heat (right above the embers); if the steaks are about 2 cm thick, leave them on the grill for 4-6 minutes.
If the thickness is greater (about 3.5 cm), it prolongs the cooking times; for the first side you should wait up to 10 minutes
Step 3. Flip the pork and cook the other side
Use kitchen tongs to flip the loin steaks over and finish cooking. If the thickness is about 2 cm, leave the meat on the grill for another 4-6 minutes; if it is larger (about 3.5 cm), wait another 10 minutes before bringing the chops to the table.
If you like decorative grill strips, consider turning the steaks about 90 degrees during the last few minutes of cooking; in this way, you leave the classic checkerboard decoration
Method 4 of 4: Choose and Serve the Pork Loin Steaks
Step 1. Choose your steaks
Determine the number of diners to find out how much meat you need. Calculate about 120g of steaks for each person; choose those with a red-pink color and some veins of fat.
Avoid those with a dark bone or spots on the fatty tissue
Step 2. Store them in the refrigerator
If you don't plan to cook them as soon as you get home, you can keep them in the fridge for 2-4 days if they are in sealed containers; otherwise, freeze them if they are wrapped in butcher paper or you want to keep them longer.
To store them in the freezer, wrap them completely in a safe material (such as aluminum foil or freezer bags) and try to remove as much water as possible. Add labels and place the meat in the freezer at -17 ° C until you need to cook it
Step 3. Serve the ribs
Since they represent a light meal, you can make them more filling by accompanying them with rice, beans and potatoes; alternatively, you can have a dish that doesn't weigh you down and limit yourself to a simple side dish like roasted vegetables or a salad. Here are some other tips:
- Coleslaw;
- Sweet potatoes;
- Red cabbage with apples;
- Black cabbage;
- White beans in puree.
