Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / American

Smoked pork shoulder steaks with Carolina barbecue sauce

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

American BBQ Pork Shoulder Steaks with Carolina Sauce

Pork shoulder steaks are one of barbecue's best kept secrets. Cut from the shoulder, they have far more flavour than lean pork loin and, given time, become incredibly tender. Slow cooked over charcoal with a little apple wood before being glazed directly over the fire with Carolina sauce, they deliver everything great American barbecue should be.

Mark O'BrienChef
Smoke
Prep15 minutes plus optional overnight seasoning
CookAbout 5 hours
Serves4
DifficultyMedium
Oven temperature120°C (250°F), then 200°C (390°F)
RackCharlie Oven Cooking Rack in the middle to upper part of the oven, then the lower rack above the charcoal to glaze
CharcoalAbout half a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal, plus a handful of apple wood chips. Add more charcoal for the glazing stage if needed

Charlie Oven — https://charlieoven.com/en-au/blogs/charcoal-recipes/american-bbq-pork-shoulder-steaks

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Ingredients

For the pork

For the BBQ dry rub

For the Carolina sauce

For smoking

Method

Charlie Oven Setup

  1. Light Charlie

    Light roughly half a football of good British lumpwood charcoal on the grates. Bring Charlie to 120°C (250°F) and fit the rack in the middle to upper section for indirect heat.

Make the BBQ Rub

  1. Make the BBQ rub

    Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic granules, onion granules and cayenne. Store any leftover rub in an airtight jar.

Prepare the Pork

  1. Season the pork

    Take the pork out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before cooking, pat it dry and season well on both sides with the rub. For the best results, season the night before and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight.

Make the Carolina Sauce

  1. Make the Carolina sauce

    Put all the sauce ingredients into a pan, bring to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then leave to cool. The sauce keeps for up to 3 months in the fridge.
    3 min timer

Charlie Oven Setup

  1. Add the smoke

    Just before cooking, scatter one handful of apple wood chips over the hot charcoal. The Charlie's efficient airflow creates clean smoke, so one handful is all you need to give the pork a gentle sweetness without overpowering it.

Cook the Pork

  1. Cook low and slow

    Place the pork shoulder steaks on the rack, close the door and cook at 120°C (250°F), checking the internal temperature with a probe.
    Why this mattersCooking low and slow gives the collagen in the shoulder time to break down, so the steaks turn tender rather than tough.

  2. Check the temperature

    Remove the pork from the slow-cooking stage when it reaches an internal temperature of 88 to 92°C (190 to 200°F). At this point the connective tissue has broken down and the steaks will be beautifully tender while still holding together.

  3. Heat Charlie for grilling

    Move the rack to the lowest runners and open the vents fully. Add another half football of good quality lumpwood charcoal if needed to bring Charlie up to around 200°C (390°F) for grilling.

  4. Glaze

    Begin building the glaze. Brush the pork lightly with Carolina sauce, grill for around a minute, then turn and brush again. Repeat several times, building up thin layers until the sauce has caramelised into a rich, sticky barbecue glaze.

  5. Watch the glaze

    If the sauce starts to colour too quickly, simply move the steaks one rack higher for a minute before continuing.

  6. Rest

    Remove from the Charlie and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
    10 min timer

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The cook

Mark O'Brien

Chef

Mark O’Brien was a finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 and the first Irish chef to reach the final. After more than a decade in top London restaurants, he now runs Snake Oil Barbecue in Margate, bringing serious chef skills to his love of American BBQ and cooking over fire.

More recipes by Mark O'Brien

Frequently asked questions

  • What temperature should pork shoulder steaks reach?

    Take them off the slow cook at 88 to 92°C (190 to 200°F) inside. By then the connective tissue has broken down, so the steaks are tender but still hold together for glazing over the fire.

  • Why cook pork shoulder steaks low and slow?

    Shoulder is a hardworking muscle. Cooking at 120°C (250°F) gives the collagen time to break down into gelatine, which turns a tough cut into juicy, tender meat that is full of flavour.

  • How much apple wood should I add for smoke?

    Just one handful of apple wood chips, scattered over the hot charcoal right before cooking. Charlie's airflow creates clean smoke, so that is enough to give the pork a gentle sweetness without overpowering it.

  • Can I make the Carolina sauce ahead?

    Yes. Simmer the ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes, let the sauce cool, then keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months. Brush it on in thin layers during the final glaze.