Food and Recipes Recipes Watermelon-Braised Pork Shoulder Steaks Be the first to rate & review! You'll be the talk of the picnic table this season with this unexpected watermelon dish that is a delicious alternative to ribs and other pork roasts. Pork shoulder steaks are braised in a blend of miso, Sambal sauce, mirin, and yes, juicy summer watermelons. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on June 18, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Stephen DeVries; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Yield: 4 serves Ingredients 4 (8-oz.) pork shoulder steaks 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 cup mirin 1/4 cup red miso 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce (such as Huy Fong) 2 tablespoons peanut oil 1 cup chopped fennel (from 1 [8-oz.] fennel bulb) 1/2 cup chopped leek (from 1 [6-oz.] leek) 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 5 cups seeded and cubed watermelon (1½-in. pieces) (from 1 [4-lb.] watermelon) Directions Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper; let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together mirin, miso, honey, and chili-garlic sauce in a medium bowl; set aside. Add oil to a large Dutch oven; heat over medium-high. Add steaks; cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a plate; reserve drippings in Dutch oven. Add fennel, leek, and garlic to Dutch oven; cook over medium, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in mirin-miso mixture; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in watermelon cubes; top with browned steaks. Cover Dutch oven; place in preheated oven, and cook until meat is fork tender and pulls away from bone, 1½ to 2 hours. Uncover and cook an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Transfer steaks to a serving platter. Spoon watermelon and sauce from Dutch oven over steaks. Serve immediately. Rate it Print