Honey Mustard Ham Steak Recipe

Ham and mustard is a classic flavor pairing, and honey-glazed hams have long been popular. Cooking an entire ham makes a whole lot of meat if you're not feeding a crowd, though, and it also can heat up the house for hours. Not such a bad thing in winter, maybe, but if you want a light summertime meal, then ham steaks are just the ticket. These take just a few minutes to cook in a pan, or you could also cook them on an outdoor grill if you're into barbecuing.

Recipe developer Ting Dalton tells us that the honey mustard mix used to baste the ham steaks really takes this recipe to a new level of flavor. "The saltiness of the ham is tempered delightfully with this tangy, sweet sticky glaze," she describes. While the honey and the mustard may be the primary players, she says that they are well-supported by the special ingredient of apple cider vinegar, pointing out that "its acidity and tanginess really complements the sweetness of the honey and sugar and add a real depth of flavor."

For this recipe, you'll need a couple of ham steaks — Dalton says to look for the fresh kind, not the ones that are pre-cooked. For the glaze you'll be using Dijon mustard, honey, cider vinegar, and brown sugar.

The all-important ingredient that gives the ham much of its flavor here is the honey mustard glaze. To make it, mix the named ingredients (the honey and the Dijon mustard) together with the brown sugar and the vinegar, stirring until they are smooth. Although you'll be using up this glaze while cooking the ham steaks, Dalton notes that you may wish to "keep a little aside for another brush on top before serving."

You can cook these steaks in either of two ways: on the stovetop or on an outdoor barbecue grill. Whichever method you use, heat the pan or the grill to medium (350 F if you have the kind of grill that lets you set a specific temperature). Once it's hot, add the ham steaks and brush the tops with the glaze.

Cook the steaks for 1 minute, then flip them and brush the other sides. After another minute, flip and brush yet again. Continue the cycle of brushing with glaze, cooking 1 minute, and flipping until the ham steaks have been cooking for 8 to 10 minutes in all, or 4 to 5 minutes per side.

If you want to eat your ham steaks right away, Dalton suggests serving them with potatoes of some sort as well as a vegetable like peas. She also says that "the British way [of serving ham steaks] is to add a fried egg on top too.

You can also eat the ham at a later date. Dalton says that leftover ham should be good in the refrigerator for 3 days and adds that it's "perfect for sandwiches."