How to Grill a Ham Steak
Adding a ham steak to a summer barbecue or winter "cook-in" is a tasty way to add variety to your meals. Grilling ham is quick and easy, but you can dry out a beautiful piece of meat if you do it incorrectly. Prepping your meat and grill are keys to making sure your ham stays moist and delicious.
Adding a ham steak to a summer barbecue or winter "cook-in" is a tasty way to add variety to your meals. Grilling ham is quick and easy, but you can dry out a beautiful piece of meat if you do it incorrectly. Prepping your meat and grill are keys to making sure your ham stays moist and delicious. Reducing the fat and adding a marinade let you serve a healthier, tastier entree.
Create a marinade or glaze for your ham steak if you wish to serve it that way. Pineapple is a popular citrus fruit for marinating and glazing ham. The sweetness of the pineapple complements the saltiness of the pork and the acidity of the fruit helps tenderize the meat. Add soy, teriyaki or Worcestershire sauce or add brown sugar or mustard to pineapple juice.
Marinate your ham steak for several hours or overnight, completely covering the steak in your marinade. In addition to pineapple, orange juice is another good choice for complementing ham.
Remove your ham steak from the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes or more before cooking to bring the meat to room temperature. Trim the fat from your ham steak. Do not salt the ham as you do with many other meats, since ham is naturally salty.
Clean your grill surface to remove any left over carbon or other debris from previous use. Spray the grill lightly with a monounsaturated cooking spray to prevent the ham from sticking to the grill.
Heat an indoor grill to medium-high heat. Place the ham 4 to 6 inches away from the coals on an outdoor grill. Cook the ham for approximately 3 minutes on each side without glaze, if you plan to add a glaze. Place on the grill and flip only once, letting each side cook for 3 minutes. Flip the steak the first time, then add the glaze to the cooked side. After the second, 3-minute cooking, flip and cook the glazed side for another minute. Glaze the top of the steak, then flip and cook for one more minute.
Cook a marinated ham steak approximately 4 minutes on each side, flipping only once. Do not press or poke at the steak, which can toughen and dry out meat as you squeeze out juices.
Remove the steak from the heat and place on a rack to rest for several minutes. Letting most meats rest allows juices that have bubbled to the exterior of the meat absorb back into it. Add more marinade or glaze to taste, then serve.