Being thin, the slices of ham cook much faster than other types of cured meats. The cooking method depends on the cut of the ham: rustic ham, ham obtained from the pork leg, ham steak or spiral cut ham. Among the various types of cuts, the spiral one provides longer cooking times, as it is a single piece. Once you have mastered the basics of cooking, you can experiment with different types of toppings, glazes and flavors.
Ingrediants
Slice of Rustic Ham or Fried Pork Leg
- 1 slice of smoked ham or pork leg
- Oil if needed
Doses for 1 serving
Fried Ham Steak
- Bone-in ham steak 230 g
- 5 tablespoons (75 g) of butter, cut into cubes
- 5 tablespoons (60 g) of muscovado sugar
Doses for 2 servings
Baked Ham Steaks
2 ham steaks
Sauce
- 1 cup (250 ml) of water
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) of muscovado sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of Worcestershire sauce
- 5 whole cloves
Doses for 2 servings
Roasted Spiral Cut Ham
- Half ham with bone cut in a spiral of 2, 5-3 kg
- 10-12 sprigs of fresh thyme
Icing
- ½ cup (100 g) of dark muscovado sugar
- 90 g of honey
- Zest of 1 orange
- 60 ml of fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
- 6-8 grated fresh nutmeg
- Salt and Pepper To Taste.
Doses for 8-10 servings
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Fry a Slice of Rustic Ham or Pork Leg
Step 1. Remove the skin from the slice
Place the ham slice on a cutting board. Remove the skin from the edges by making small cuts with a sharp knife. Do not touch the fat: you will need it to cook the ham.
The rustic ham should be left to soak in water for 6-8 hours in order to remove the salt. You can also simmer it in 1-2 cups (250-500ml) of boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes
Step 2. Blot the ham with a paper towel to dry it
Place a paper towel over the ham and pat it gently to absorb excess water. Flip the slice over and repeat on the other side with a clean napkin.
Step 3. Heat a skillet over medium heat
Take a pan large enough for a slice of ham, put it on the stove and set it to medium-high heat. To understand if the pan has heated up sufficiently, let a drop of water fall on the surface: if it sizzles, then it is ready.
Is the ham lean and almost fat-free? Pour some oil into the pan before you start heating it
Step 4. Cook the ham slice
More can be cooked if the size of the pan allows it. Just make sure there is enough space between each slice, otherwise they won't cook evenly. Leave about 1.5-3cm of space between each slice.
Step 5. Fry the ham and turn it often
It should brown on both sides. The cooking duration depends on the thickness of the cut. Adjust by observing the fat of the ham: it will be ready once the lard has become transparent.
Avoid overcooking the ham, otherwise it will become excessively dry and hard
Step 6. Remove the fat from the ham before serving
Move the ham from the pan to a cutting board. Hold it steady with a fork and cut the fat with a knife. Serve it hot.
Method 2 of 4: Fry a Ham Steak
Step 1. Brown the ham steak in a large skillet
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the surface has become hot enough to sizzle in contact with the water, cook the steak. Allow 3 to 4 minutes of cooking per side. Turn it once only.
Step 2. Remove the ham from the pan and drain the fat
Remove the ham from the pan with tongs and serve. Drain the fat by pouring it into a jar directly from the pan. Throw it in the trash or save it for other recipes.
Step 3. Melt the butter and muscovado sugar in the pan
Pour the butter into the pan and let it melt over medium heat. Incorporate the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low in case the butter starts to splash.
Step 4. Cook the ham for another 10 minutes
Return the steak to the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the ham cook for another 10 minutes, turning it often. It will be ready once it is evenly cooked and the sugar has dissolved.
Step 5. Serve the ham immediately
Place the ham on the plate with the help of tongs. Pour the melted butter and sugar mixture over the ham, or save it for another recipe. Serve the ham hot.
Method 3 of 4: Bake the Ham Steaks in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 190 ° C
Make sure you place the grill in the center.
Step 2. Mix the sauce ingredients in a baking dish
Pour the water into a pan large enough for both steaks. Add the muscovado sugar, Worcestershire sauce and 5 whole cloves. Mix the ingredients well. The sugar has to dissolve.
Make sure the steaks don't touch each other in the pan. Check the size before making the sauce
Step 3. Place the steaks in the pan and coat them with the sauce
Arrange the steaks on the pan. Use a spoon to scoop the sauce and pour it over the ham. Move the steaks to a smaller pan in case you can't cover them. Alternatively, you can also add larger amounts of water.
Make sure the steaks don't touch each other if you use a smaller pan
Step 4. Bake the steaks for about 35-45 minutes
They will be ready once they have softened. Since the ham is covered with water and does not need to be roasted, it is not necessary to turn it during cooking
Step 5. Serve the ham while it is hot
Remove the ham from the pan using tongs. Plate the steaks and serve them.
Method 4 of 4: Roast the Spiral Cut Ham
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 160 ° C
Make sure you place the rack in the center of the oven.
Step 2. Mix the icing ingredients
Pour the muscovado sugar into a bowl. Add honey, orange zest, orange juice, pumpkin pie spices, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then mix everything together.
Use fresh nutmeg and grate it with a fine grater
Step 3. Arrange the ham on a large sheet of aluminum foil
Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to allow you to completely cover the ham. Place the foil on a flat surface, then lay the ham on it. Make sure it's facing down (place it on the cut side of the last slice).
Step 4. Thread a sprig of thyme between pairs of alternate slices
The amount of twigs to use depends on the amount of slices the ham was cut into. Calculate roughly 10-12 thyme twigs for half a spiral cut ham with bone of about 2.5-3kg.
Remember to insert the twig between pairs of alternate slices, rather than between all the slices
Step 5. Coat the ham with the glaze, then wrap it tightly
Make sure you evenly pour the glaze over the ham and let it flow between the slices. Set the leftover icing aside for a moment and wrap the tinfoil tightly around the ham.
Step 6. Place the ham on the wire rack of a roasting pan filled with water
Take a roasting pan and fill it with about 3 cm of water. Arrange the appropriate grid and place the ham covered with aluminum foil on it.
Step 7. Roast the ham in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 60 ° C
The cooking duration depends on the size of the ham. Put a meat thermometer in it after about 2 hours. If it indicates that it has reached 60 ° C, then it is ready. Cook it longer if the temperature is lower.
In general, allow about 20 minutes of cooking for every 450 g of ham
Step 8. Heat the remaining icing
Pour the remaining icing into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, whisking it often. Remove it from the heat as soon as bubbles form and let it rest.
The glaze should be left to rest during the next step
Step 9. Raise the oven temperature to 200 degrees C while letting the icing sit
As soon as you finish baking the glaze, set the oven to 200 ° C. While the oven heats up the glaze will sit and thicken.
Step 10. Pour the remaining glaze over the ham
Remove the ham carefully. Using tongs, peel off a portion of the tinfoil to expose the surface of the ham, while leaving it covered on the bottom and sides. Pour the thickened glaze over the ham.
Step 11. Roast the uncovered ham for another 15 minutes
Bake the ham carefully again, without rewinding it with aluminum foil. Let it roast for another 15 minutes, then turn off the oven.
Step 12. Let the ham rest before cutting and serving
Keep it in the unlit oven for about 20-30 minutes. At this point take it out of the oven, finish slicing it and serve it. The twigs can be thrown away or left as a garnish.
Step 13. Finished
Advice
- Season the ham with powdered mustard if you prefer it less sweet.
- Add some pineapple slices if you want to make the baked ham sweeter.
- Slices of ham can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Try not to overcook the ham, otherwise it will become hard.
- Exact cooking times vary, it all depends on the thickness of the slices. Thinner slices cook earlier than double slices.
