Old Fashioned Baked Ham Steak

 

This recipe I am sharing with you today is a very old one that I have been making for well over 45 years now. It is a recipe that I got from my good friend Leona way back when.  Leona was a bit older than myself, more of a mother figure to me really.

I met her in London, Ontario at a Bingo on the base we were posted to. We clicked together from the start.  She had an easy, open and friendly manner and she reminded me very much of my mother, whom I lived quite far away from at the time.

We both had a real love of family and of cooking. Leona was a simple, old-fashioned cook. She really didn't use recipes per se, but mostly just cooked by instinct, unless it came to baking.  She was more inclined to use a recipe then.

 

She has always been such a dear sweet friend. She lives in New Brunswick now.  I really must go over and see her before it is too late. She is well up in her 80's now.  We are still very much in touch, although mostly by writing as her hearing has gotten very poorly and it is hard to talk on the phone.

Many, many of the recipes she shared with me through the years were destined to become family favorites, much like this simple baked ham steak recipe.  It takes only a few ingredients and results in delicious, tender and juicy ham, each and every time.

I think you are really going to love this one.  It is simply spread with dry mustard powder, brown sugar and baked in milk.  Delicious.  Pure and utter comfort.  Prepare to fall in love. Really good food does not have to be complicated.  Trust me on this.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED BAKED HAM STEAK

Some pretty simple ingredients, and not a lot of them.

• 1 (1-inch thick) center cut ham steak
• 2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• milk (I use whole milk)

 

By center cut ham steak, I mean the one that has been cut from the whole leg of ham, with the round bone in the center. I have never used any other kind to do this.  You might could use them, but the other types of ham steak are generally too thin and usually made from pressed together ham.

You could use a thicker ham slice. I have done this with one that is about two inches thick before, maybe even three. Most ham is already cooked so you are really just heating it through.  It will take longer to do the thicker slices, but they will be just as delicious.

Dry mustard powder usually comes in a tin. Keen's is the most common one found. It gives a nice bit of heat to this, but don't overdo it.  You don't want it to overwhelm all of the other flavors. If you cannot get powdered mustard, you can use a good Dijon.  Just thinly smear it over the ham slice.

Soft light brown sugar is what I use. You could also use demerara sugar or even muscovado sugar. Don't overdo that either. You want it to kind of melt into the ham steak and give it a slight glaze.

I use whole milk which is all I keep in my kitchen.  Just pour it around the edges of the ham steak, not over top. You don't want to wash off the sugar mixture. How much you use depends on the size of your dish and the size of your ham steak.  You want it to just come about 1/2 way up the side of your steak, unless it is really thick. Then 1/3 of the way is probably sufficient.

 

HOW TO MAKE OLD FASHIONED BAKED HAM STEAK

It's not that hard to do.  About five minutes prep is all it takes.  It does bake for about an hour, but trust me when I tell you it's worth the wait!

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Have ready a large shallow baking dish large enough to hold your ham steak.

If your ham steak has a very fatty edge, trim that off. Pat it dry. Place it into the baking dish.

Sprinkle the dry mustard powder over top of the ham. Rub it into the top and sides. Sprinkle the soft light brown sugar evenly over top of the mustard.

 

Pour some milk into the baking dish around the ham steak. Don't pour it over top.

Bake, uncovered, for one hour in the preheated oven.

About 10 minutes before it is done, take a spoon and spoon some of the juices over top. I also like to pop it briefly under the grill to glaze it a bit, but that's not totally necessary.

 

There is no doubt about it, this is tender and juicy and filled with flavor. The ham comes out perfectly every time. It had been a very long time since I made this.  I used to make it all the time for my family, except then it would be more like two ham-steaks.  With five children that is what it took.  They always loved it.

I enjoyed a portion of this with some leftover corn scalloped potatoes and mixed veggies. It was delicious!  This would also make a fine holiday meal for a smaller family.

 

Here are a few other ways that I like to enjoy ham.  One is a full baked ham and the other is a ham steak recipe sized jus for two.  Both are delicious!

INSTANT POT BAKED HAM -You will never make ham another way after making this Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham! Spiral sliced ham is steamed to perfection with a sweet honey sauce, keeping this ham full of flavor and moisture.  This is a real family favorite. Juicy and tender and delicious!

PINEAPPLE GLAZED HAM STEAK - This sized for two recipe results in juicy tender pieces of a full ham steak (you freeze half for another purpose) that are perfectly cooked and served with a brown sugar, mustard and pineapple glaze, that is a little bit sweet and fruity, a little bit tangy, a bit spicy and totally delicious!

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Old Fashioned Baked Ham Steak

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

This is a very simple recipe which I have been making for years. The ham always comes out delectably moist and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 (1-inch thick) center cut ham steak
• 2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• milk (I use whole milk)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Have ready a large shallow baking dish large enough to hold your ham steak.
2. If your ham steak has a very fatty edge, trim that off. Pat it dry. Place it into the baking dish.
3. Sprinkle the dry mustard powder over top of the ham. Rub it into the top and sides. Sprinkle the soft light brown sugar evenly over top of the mustard.
4. Pour some milk into the baking dish around the ham steak. Don't pour it over top.
5. Bake, uncovered, for one hour in the preheated oven.
6. About 10 minutes before it is done, take a spoon and spoon some of the juices over top. I also like to pop it briefly under the grill to glaze it a bit, but that's not totally necessary.

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