Ham Steak René

11HamAsparagusMacCheesePlatebfLOThis recipe, from an Eagle Brand Condensed Milk ad from the 1920’s or ’30’s, turned out to be quite tasty – if a touch on the sweet side – and pretty much fuss-free to make.

I did make one minor adjustment to suit our tastes; the original recipe called for, simply, mustard – which I took to mean your basic yellow mustard – so I used half yellow and half coarse Dijon, and, ermmm, doubled the amount called for from 2 tsp to 4 tsp total; what is it with these recipes and bare minimum ingredient amounts?

01MustardsMixedbfLOINGREDIENTS
•1 ham steak
•2 tsp yellow mustard
•2 tsp coarse Dijon mustard
•2/3 cup condensed milk
•1 cup hot water

Heat oven to 350º.

04HamSpreadMustardbfLOStir the 2 mustards together and set aside.

Sear the ham steak in a dry, oven-safe (including the cover) skillet for 1 minute per side over medium-high heat.

Remove pan from the heat and brush the ham steak with the mustard mixture.

Stir the sweetened condensed milk into the hot water and pour over the ham.

10DoneBESTbfLOCover the skillet and pop into the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove the cover and continue baking until the steak is tender and the liquid has reduced – another 30 minutes or so.

Very nice, if a bit too sweet for my taste.

Next time, I believe I will substitute crème fraîche for the condensed milk – which will stand up really well to the heat of baking, yielding a smoother sauce, and will add a velvet-y smooth taste without adding sweet.

A little white wine, and mebbe some Shichuan peppercorns wouldn’t hurt, either.

Either way, it’s worth a try.

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