Brown sugar pineapple ham steak
Seared ham steak in a sticky brown sugar and pineapple glaze, a holiday-ham feeling on a Tuesday in 20 minutes.
- 20 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.62 a serving
- 320 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 lb ham steak
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 can canned pineapple chunks, drained, ¼ cup juice saved
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 12 oz frozen green beans
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
Each serving has about 320 calories, 23 g protein, 41 g carbs and 8 g fat, and costs about $2.62 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the ham steak dry and cut it into 4 pieces.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
the butter in a large over medium-high. the ham 2 to 3 minutes a side, until browned at the edges, and move it to a plate.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Sear. Searing means cooking the outside of meat or fish in a hot pan, without moving it, until a deep brown crust forms. The crust is packed with flavor, and it only forms on a dry surface.
How you’ll know: It sizzles loudly the moment it goes in, and it lets go of the pan on its own when the crust is ready.
Medium-high heatTimer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Ham steak comes fully cooked, so you’re only after color and heat here.Add the pineapple chunks to the pan and cook 3 minutes, turning once, until in spots.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 3 min
Stir in the saved juice, brown sugar, mustard and cinnamon and let it bubble 2 minutes, until syrupy.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Return the ham, turn it in the glaze, and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until steaming hot all the way through.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: The glaze thickens fast once the ham goes back in. Take it off the heat while it’s still glossy.Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Meanwhile, cook the green beans in the microwave as the package says.
Timer: 5 min
Serve the ham with the pineapple and glaze spooned over and the green beans alongside.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
