Am I the only one in the world that doesn’t know about ham steak? About how you don’t need to wait 3 hours for the flavor of fine ham? You can have it in, like, 8 minutes?
This may be my greatest revelation since sliced, um…bacon.
Yes, ham steak is an actual cut of meat, not a made-up one like I previously thought. Just a thick slab of ham. I received it in my quarter-share from Stillman’s Farm last week. I wasn’t really sure how to cook it because, did it come from a fresh ham or a cured ham? Was it previously cooked or not? Does Stillman’s even cure their own ham? Don’t make me come over there.
Anyway, I slapped it into a hot pan to see what would happen. And what do you know, they do cure their own ham. And it’s awesome.
Wait, there’s more.
I came across a recipe for bourbon cream sauce (I wonder what attracted me to this recipe? It’s a big mystery). And when I tell you that I almost died when I tasted the ham and the sauce together, it’s not because of this:
This was supposed to happen, actually. Maybe not as high or for as long as it did, but at least it gave me time to get a decent picture out of it. No, I almost died because, after that taste and others, I took up smoking just so I could have a cigarette afterwards. It was that good. And then I fell asleep in my chair and nearly burned the house down.
I had baked and mashed some sweet potatoes to go along with it because, you know, it just seemed like the right thing to do. But, no, it was the parsnips that sealed the deal. Because the farmer at Drumlin, apparently, doesn’t want to be outdone. Something about the sweetness of the parsnips in a tangy mustard glaze next to the sweetly salty meat smothered in creamy bourbon. Sweet mother of Jesus. This may be the ugliest meal ever created, but that wasn’t the part I remembered in the morning.
Mustard-Glazed Parsnips
This is good for carrots, too. Just don’t forget the ham steak.
1 lb. parsnips, sliced on the diagonal, larger ones cut in half
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Salt to taste
Snipped chives
In a large sauté pan, add parsnips, butter, water, and a generous sprinkling of salt. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until parsnips are tender and water has mostly evaporated. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and mustard. Add to parsnips and sauté until nicely glazed, a minute or two. Sprinkle with snipped chives.
Ham steak looks divine! Might try to find me some of that...as that saying goes, eternity is a ham and 2 people.
Posted by: Su-Lin | January 27, 2008 at 05:51 PM
Ugly? No!! But so ambitious. Everything looks fabulous. I's like to try something that I can set on fire on purpose.
Brenda
Posted by: Brenda | January 27, 2008 at 06:04 PM
Su-Lin: Hiya. I'd never heard that saying, but it's true. There is a such thing as too much ham.
Brenda: Don't be fooled. This was a truly easy meal. Four minutes a side on the ham. Three minutes to extinguish the sauce. Fifteen minutes for the parsnips, if you count the slicing. And the potatoes just sat in the oven for an hour. It was like a day at the spa. (Actually, I have no idea, having never been to a spa.)
Posted by: Tammy | January 27, 2008 at 09:25 PM
What a fabulous meal Tammy! You the boss!!
Posted by: Sally | January 28, 2008 at 07:41 AM
OHH. I love hame steak. It's been forever since I have had it because I haven't really searched for a local provider. Your recipe sounds amazing! I'll have to try the parsnip recipe. I am always looking for good vegetable recipes.
Posted by: Belle | January 28, 2008 at 09:28 AM
Are parsnips rich in some sort of obscure-but-vital mineral that might be lacking from my diet? The ham looks delicious, but the mere thought of mustard-glazed parsnips makes my mouth water.
(Idle thought: could one make parsnip chips and use the mustard glaze as dipping sauce?)
Posted by: Adele | January 28, 2008 at 10:17 AM
No idea what a ham steak is, but it sure looks delicious Tammy. And those parsnips... Have marked the recipe for that. Can't wait to read how your sauerkraut is turning out.
Posted by: Inne | January 29, 2008 at 08:52 AM
Ham steak and French toast have been a Saturday morning tradition here from as long as Saturday mornings have existed. Never thought of putting a bourbon sauce on it, though. Still, any way to add alcohol to my day has got to be good.
Posted by: Brian | January 29, 2008 at 09:45 AM
Brian: French toast. That's what this meal was missing!!
Inne: Sauerkraut, right. I should probably check it.
Adele: That is a stroke of brilliance. I hope the farmer has more parsnips this week. I may have to give it a shot.
Belle: Rarely does quick and easy turn out so awesome.
Sally: That's true. I am the boss. I wish I paid myself a living wage.
Posted by: Tammy | January 29, 2008 at 02:04 PM