Schweinesteak Marinade – German Pork Steak Marinades

These pork steak marinades are quick and simple to throw together and give your pork steaks a delicious flavour. I have prepared three popular German Schweinesteak marinades for you. One with fresh herbs, the second with paprika and the third with German beer and mustard. These grilled pork steak marinades are some of my favourite German BBQ Recipes.

Background to German Pork Steaks 

According to a study from the German Market Research Institute Forsa, pork steaks are the second favourite meat to grill in Germany after sausages. In fact, 50% of all consumers will buy ready marinated Schweinesteaks. You can see regional preferences, for example, mustard pork marinades are especially popular in the east of Germany. [source: die Welt: So grillen die Deutschen] As I don't think the Lidl and Aldis abroad sell these as standard, I decided to show you have to make easy homemade pork marinades

What are Schweinesteak Marinades? 

Schweinesteak marinades are typical German marinades for pork steak.

A marinade is a sauce made of oil, vinegar, herbs and spices and is used to soak meat or fish in. This process intended to make the meat more storable. Today it is used to flavour your steaks with unique spices and herbs. 

Schweinesteak translated in English is pork steak. “Schwein” is the German word for pig or pork and steak has the same meaning as in English. 

What cut of pork do Germans use for their pork steak. 

Schweinesteaks often use the cut from the neck or the back of the pig. They are called “Schweinenackensteak” or from the back and are called “Schweinerückensteak”. Ask at the butchers for "Pork Neck Steaks", "Pork Collar Steaks" or Pork Loin steaks.

The meat from the neck or collar is more flavoursome as it contains more fat. The meat from the back is leaner. You can also ask for Pork Tenderloin, which is what I used. This is a relatively lean piece of pork.

Another option is to use pork chops an marinade them German style.

How to prepare the Schweinesteak Marinades? 

These are easy pork steak marinades. Simply prepare the ingredients and mix them in shallow bowls. I like to coat my meat in them before transferring them into a plastic bag to store in the fridge. 

How to prepare your meat for the marinade 

Wash your meat and then pat it dry with some paper-towels. Some like to prick the meat with a fork, to allow the meat to absorb the flavour better. 

Make sure to wipe off excess marinade before BBQing/ grilling. Please don’t add the meat directly onto the hot grill. It is better to remove any excess marinade with a spoon, otherwise, the sauce could drop onto the grill which can cause unhealthy smoke. Fresh herbs will also quickly burn so it is best to remove them. 

How long to marinade pork steaks?

I would suggest the minimum time you marinade your pork steaks is 4 hours. Ideally you marinade the meat for at least 12 hours overnight. The longer the meat marinades, the more intense the flavour gets.

Schweinesteak Herb Marinade Recipe

• 100 ml / 3.3 fl oz olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic – pressed 
• Small bunch of fresh parsley
• Fresh rosemary (about 30 g/ 1 oz)
• Fresh thyme  (about 30 g/ 1 oz)
• Salt 
• Pepper 
• Juice of half a lemon

Instructions: 

1. Peel the garlic and press into a bowl. Remove the herbs from their stems and chop them finely and add them to the bowl. Pour in the olive oil and season the marinade with salt, pepper and half a lemon. 
2. Coat your meat in the marinade and leave the flavours to absorb for at least 4 hours, best overnight. 

Paprika Schweinesteak Marinade 

• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder 
• 1 tablespoon spicy paprika powder 
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns 
• 100 ml/ 3.3 fl oz vegetable oil 
• Juice of half a lemon (about 30 ml/ 1 oz)

Instructions: 

• Peel the garlic and press into a bowl. Add the paprika powders, peppercorns, oil and lemon juice. Season with salt. Cover your meat in the marinade and leave to absorb the flavours for at least 4 hours, but the longer the better, ideally overnight. 

German Beer and Mustard Schweinesteak Marinade

• 3 tablespoon German mustard (alternatively use Dijon mustard)
• 300 ml/ 10 fl oz German Beer (if not use another Larger) 
• 3 tablespoon honey
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon pepper  

Instructions: 

• Peel and finely chop the onion. Place in a bowl. 
• Add the mustard and beer to the bowl and stir to combine. 
• Add pepper, salt and honey and stir until the honey dissolved 
• Place the meat in the marinade and cover. Leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, best overnight. 

Can I fry the pork steaks on a stove?

Of course you can. Turning the BBQ on for a quick dinner, might not always be convenient. The pork steak will not have the same smokey flavours then when you place them on the grill, but they will be tasty nevertheless.

Fry in hot vegetable oil or lard on a high heat for at least 2 minutes on each side. Then reduce the heat and fry again for a further 5-7 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your pork steaks. Check that it is cooked through before serving.

What to serve with BBQ Pork Steak?

It is common to serve this Schweinesteak fresh off the grill alongside an array of salads. 

Here are some of the most common German BBQ side dishes 

• German Pasta Salad 
• Potato Salad with Apple and Gherkins 
• Potato Salad with Cucumber and Dill 
• German Carrot Salad 
• German Egg and Apple Salad 

Bread served at German BBQ’s tends to be either baguette or some fresh bread rolls. 

Popular German BBQ sauces include: 

• Ketchup 
• Curry Ketchup 
• German Mustard 

Storage Instructions 

You can keep the schweinesteak marinade in the fridge for up to two days.

Please do not reuse the marinade sauces as they will absorb the juice of the raw meat the first time and it is not safe to reuse it.