There's an individual who's become something of a social media celebrity cook over the last few months who gave me the inspiration for this dish. He's known as "Pepperbelly Pete" and can be found posting reels of recipes on Instagram and Facebook. His persona is that of a Southerner who lives somewhere in the Texas/Louisiana area, and he has three things everyone focuses on: 1) his penchant for cooking food with lots of seasoning, 2) his "pepper bottle wristband", which he wears on his right wrist and contains several bottles of seasonings, and 3) his byline - "Let's get started" - which he says just before he begins cooking whatever dish he's featured in the particular video. He's also an entrepreneur, promoting a full line of branded seasoning sauces and other products that he uses throughout his videos. His two most often quoted items are his "Zippy Zap Sauce", which is a spicy pepper sauce, and his Worcestershire sauce, which he pronounces (and has printed on the label) as "Worshyoursister (or wash your sister) Sauce".
This particular dish was featured in one of his short reels, but some of the measurements weren't very clear (for example, "pork steaks", "one onion", etc.). Pork steaks (also called a pork shoulder blade steak) can vary in weight, and onions can be all sorts of sizes. So, I went in search of other similar recipes to give me some idea of how much to actually use. I figured out most of the measures that way, and still guessed at a little bit more, but it all came out pretty well in the end. I'll still give Pepperbelly Pete the credit, as it was his video that caught my eye and gave me the idea to make this dish.
Adapted from a Facebook reel posted by Pepperbelly Pete
Pork steaks (pork shoulder blade) in a rich sauce... and cooked slow all day so it's falling off the bone when it's ready to serve.
Adapted from a Facebook reel posted by Pepperbelly Pete
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Trim any excess fat from around the edges of the pork steaks, then using 2 tbsp of seasoned salt, coat both sides of each steak. Sear both sides of the steaks in the skillet for 3-4 minutes or until they are lightly browned, not trying to cook them completely through. Remove from the skillet and place in the slow cooker.
Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms, and saute until the onion and pepper are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and mix in with the vegetables, cooking for about 2 minutes. Add a small amount of beef broth to deglaze the skillet, scraping the brown bits off the bottom. Slowly add the remaining beef broth, stirring constantly to keep from getting lumps in the sauce. Add the remaining seasoned salt and the Worcestershire sauce, and stir 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the sauce over the pork steaks in the slow cooker, being sure to coat all sides of the meat. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.
At the end of cooking, remove as much of the meat as possible (it will be falling apart) and check the sauce. If it is too thin to serve as a gravy, mix the cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry and pour into the slow cooker, stirring the sauce until it thickens. Check for taste and add salt or pepper as desired.
Servings 8
Serving Size 6 oz plus gravy
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.