Recipe: Ham Steak with Jalapeno Glaze

Anyone who reads this blog often knows I love jalapenos. Guacamole (I know, not at all local), salads, or really anything that’s a little bland can be improve by these tiny bundles of hotness. Unfortunately, I can’t touch raw jalapenos because my skin is hypersensitive to the juices, especially the seeds, so either my boyfriend has to cut them or I have to find gloves or other protection.

The good news is that they’re totally worth it and in season for most of the year because of how easy it is to grow them in a greenhouse or inside. Houston Farms, Fork In It, and the Lomax Incubator Farm have all had some sort of jalapeno throughout the summer and into the fall and I’ve bought a lot of them. On a recent weeknight, I realized I had two left over from other cooking adventures without much of a plan for them so it was suggested that I try a jalapeno glaze for pork which sounded amazing.

The cut of pork that I had in the freezer is called a ham steak. Ham steak is not the most popular or most common cut of pork but I use it a lot because it’s relatively lean and inexpensive. The steak comes from just below the shoulder and usually includes a round arm bone. Ham steaks vary in size but Windy Hill Farm’s are about 6 inches wide by 10 or 12 inches long so there’s a significant amount of meat there.  I was able to get four servings easily out of the medium size steak I purchased. The ingredients are pretty minimal: the honey came from Cloister Honey and the butter from Simply Local.

Ham Steak with Honey Jalapeno Glaze (LPO)

1 medium or large ham steak

2 jalapenos, diced

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons sugar (brown or white)

1 tablespoon butter

1. Combine honey, butter, sugar and jalapenos in a large skillet. Heat covered on medium-low 5-10 minutes or until you can smell the jalapenos when you lift the lid.
2. Add ham steak and cover. Simmer on medium-high heat for 10 minutes on each side until cooked through.
3. Serve hot (with jalapenos still attached for extra heat).

I served this with wax peppers from a Know Your Farms CSA box and zucchini from Houston Farms sautéed for 10-15 minutes in the drippings from the ham steak skillet.