By Kent Whitaker
Ham steaks are one of my favorite breakfast grilling items. Toss a couple of them on a preheated grill, brush with melted butter and drizzle with thick maple syrup and a few sprinkles of black pepper. What a way to start off a morning! But, over the years the food once relegated to the breakfast table has made its way into the lunch and dinner arena.
I have no problem with that, in fact, I welcome it! A few years ago I went through a forced “Ham Steak” craze. It started when I bought a large case of ham steaks for a book signing event and chef demo. It was cancelled due to horrible weather so I had a box freezer packed with ham. My wife Allyson and I ate those steaks at least twice a week for two of months! The good news is that I perfected a few awesome recipes with this cut of pork including the Grilled Tangy Peach Glazed Ham Steaks. More on that to come.
I Thought Steaks were Beef?
Wait a second… I thought steaks were cuts of beef! Well, a little research shows that the word “steak” dates all the way back to the mid-15th century and people in Scandinavia. They used the word “steik” as well as “stickna” to describe a thick cut, or slice, of meat intended for grilling, roasting, or frying. Essentially, a slice of any meat cooked! I like the thinking here! The term “steak fish” was also used to describe thick cod fillets. Numerous 15th-century cookbooks describe recipes for “stekys” using beef, venison, and other meats. So why should pork be left out? I don’t think it should. Especially when you can quickly, and easily, grill a ham steak while adding just about any ethnic or regional flavor your pallet desires.
Back to Grilling!
The great thing about ham steak is that they are most often fully cooked and ready to go! All you have to do is place them on a searing hot grill for a few minutes on both sides! And, I do mean a hot pre-heated grill. Make sure the grates are nice and hot so you get great grill marks. If you start grilling too early and have to wait for things to heat up for good grill marks you run the chance of drying out cuts.
Here’s the method; season ham steaks, preheat grill for hot grates, place on grill, baste, turn, baste, remove from heat and serve hot! Now, lets get to the recipe.
The Deck Chef’s Grilled Tangy Peach Glazed Ham Steaks
2 ham steaks, at least 1-inch thick
1/2 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Tablespoon minced onion
Dash of minced garlic
Dashes of black pepper
Dash of hot sauce
This is so easy! Combine everything besides the ham steaks in a saucepan and warm. Or, combine in a bowl and microwave. Heat and stir until the mixture is warmed and well blended. Brush the meat, reserving some of the sauce, toss the steaks on a preheated pellet grill set up for direct grilling. Grill for approximately 2 -4 minutes on both sides until you see good grill marks. Brush with remaining sauce before removing. Let the grill marks sink in and allow the glaze to thicken and become sticky with golden brown spots. Serve hot!
Author Bio: Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, Motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at www.thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and twitter. You can find several of Kents cookbooks in the cookbook section of www.pelletsmokerhq.com