Fresh ham is unseasoned and unprocessed pork meat from the animal's back leg. It is also called ‘uncured ham’ or ‘green ham’. Curing involves treating the meat with salt, sugar, nitrates, and sometimes other seasonings. On the other hand, fresh ham is a pork cut that has not been cured.
Fresh ham is typically a larger and leaner cut and includes the leg's hip, thigh, and shank portions. You can buy it as a whole, which requires slower cooking. Another way is to get the meat in slices in steaks, requiring a shorter cooking time. This fresh ham steak recipe uses the second method. Combining pre-prepared steak slices with a marinade, vegetables, and seasonings is the key to turning this muscular cut into a tasty meal in the most time-efficient way.
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Ingredients
Base ingredients
- Fresh ham steak — 4 pieces, about 2 pounds, sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
- Onion — 1 large-sized, diced
- Garlic — 2 cloves, peeled and halved
- Green bell pepper — 1 piece, stems removed and deseeded, diced
- Red bell pepper — 1 piece, stems removed and deseeded, diced
- Zucchini — 2 medium, cut into thin, round slices
- Cherry tomatoes — 1 cup
- Olive oil — 2 tbsp.
- Salt — ½ tsp.
- Bay leaf — 4 pieces, dried
- Fresh parsley — 4 tbsp., finely chopped
Marinade ingredients
- Olive oil — 2 tbsp.
- Garlic — 2 cloves, pressed
- Milk — 1 cup
- Honey — 1 tbsp.
- Lemon juice — 4 tbsp., freshly squeezed
- Dried thyme — 1 tsp.
- Dried rosemary — 1 tsp.
- Ground black pepper — ½ tsp.
- Ground paprika — ½ tsp.
- Salt — 1 tsp.
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the steaks until they blend well. Place the steaks in the marinade and cover with cling film or plastic wrap. Keep it in the refrigerator for an hour. After 30 minutes, shake the bowl or flip the steaks to ensure they are evenly coated.
- In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. Fifteen minutes before the marinating time is over, preheat the oven to 375°F degrees.
- Transfer the marinated steaks onto a baking tin. Pour the marinade mixture over. Place the vegetables on top of the steaks. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle the salt, and put in the bay leaves.
- Place the baking tin in the middle rack of the preheated oven. Cook for about an hour. After 50 minutes, check for doneness. If the internal temperature of the steaks reaches 135°F degrees, they are cooked.
- Take the tin out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let the steaks rest for about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.
- Transfer the steaks to serving plates. Add vegetables on the top or to the side of the steaks. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Substitutions
- Olive oil — This fresh ham steak recipe calls for olive oil because it works well in marinating mixtures. Olive oil helps to tenderize the meat. But if you have other vegetable oils, such as sunflower or canola, you can also use them for marinating and roasting.
Variations
- Cook it slower — Like any meat cuts that are muscular and fibrous, fresh ham is suitable for slow cooking. If you have a crock pot and time, we recommend using it. After marinating the steaks, place all the ingredients in the slow cooker's container. In a medium setting, cook for about five hours. Low setting requires approximately 7-8 hours, but the pull-apart meat is worth the extra time.
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap or cling film
- Baking tin
- Oven
- Mixing spoon or spatula
- Aluminum foil
- Meat thermometer
Storage
- Leftover fresh ham steak can be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Allow the leftover ham steak to cool down to room temperature before refrigerating. Place the leftover steaks in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.
- You can keep the cooked fresh ham steak in the freezer for about 2-3 months. Wrap the ham steak tightly in plastic wrap to prevent air from contacting the meat. Then, place the wrapped ham steak in an airtight freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag.
Pro Tips
- The fresh ham steak recipe uses a meat thermometer to check for doneness. But if you don't have one, you can control whether or not the steaks are cooked using a knife. Poke with the knife to the side of one steak; if it quickly pulls apart, it's cooked through.
Easter Fresh Ham Steak Recipe with Colorful Vegetables
Although a tough cut of meat, fresh ham makes a delightful meal if cooked properly. This fresh ham steak recipe will teach you how to easily transform this affordable cut into a flavorful dish.
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap or cling film
- Baking tin
- Oven
- Mixing spoon or spatula
- Aluminum foil
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
Base ingredients
- 4 pieces Fresh ham steak about 2 pounds, sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
- 1 large-sized Onion diced
- 2 cloves Garlic peeled and halved
- 1 piece Green bell pepper stems removed and deseeded, diced
- 1 piece Red bell pepper stems removed and deseeded, diced
- 2 medium-sized Zucchini cut into thin, round slices
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 4 pieces Bay leaf dried
- 4 tbsp. Fresh parsley finely chopped
Marinade ingredients
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- 2 cloves Garlic pressed
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 tbsp. Honey
- 4 tbsp. Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp. Dried thyme
- 1 tsp. Dried rosemary
- ½ tsp. Ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. Ground paprika
- 1 tsp. Salt
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the steaks until they blend well. Place the steaks in the marinade and cover with cling film or plastic wrap. Keep it in the refrigerator for an hour. After 30 minutes, shake the bowl or flip the steaks to ensure they are evenly coated.
- In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. Fifteen minutes before the marinating time is over, preheat the oven to 375°F degrees.
- Transfer the marinated steaks onto a baking tin. Pour the marinade mixture over. Place the vegetables on top of the steaks. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle the salt, and put in the bay leaves.
- Place the baking tin in the middle rack of the preheated oven. Cook for about an hour. After 50 minutes, check for doneness. If the internal temperature of the steaks reaches 135°F degrees, they are cooked.
- Take the tin out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let the steaks rest for about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.
- Transfer the steaks to serving plates. Add vegetables on the top or to the side of the steaks. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
- The fresh ham steak recipe uses a meat thermometer to check for doneness. But if you don't have one, you can control whether or not the steaks are cooked using a knife. Poke with the knife to the side of one steak; if it quickly pulls apart, it's cooked through.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Easter Fresh Ham Steak Recipe with Colorful Vegetables
Amount per Serving
Calories
144
% Daily Value*
Fat
5
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Cholesterol
7
mg
2
%
Sodium
996
mg
43
%
Potassium
750
mg
21
%
Carbohydrates
23
g
8
%
Fiber
6
g
25
%
Sugar
13
g
14
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
3277
IU
66
%
Vitamin C
118
mg
143
%
Calcium
193
mg
19
%
Iron
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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