A hearty ham steak with a flavorful healthy topping!
Some chefs cook ham in a restaurant, just like how their ham is traditionally cooked by their own family. There is nothing wrong with bringing family tradition into a restaurant. Many customers seek comfort food and a family style sugar glazed ham can fit the bill. Sweet dark sugar glazed ham appeals to many people. Usually a sugar glaze is flavored with spices that are considered to be winter spices. Cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger are spices that give a warm comfortable feeling. Dark sugar glazes can be thin or they can be thick like candy. Candied ham may be nice for holidays, but for an everyday meal, the excess sugar can be a bit much. Fruit glazes, fruit sauces and sugar glazes are not the only options for ham. Sweet bell peppers occasionally go on sale this time of year. Late summer and fall are peak pepper harvest seasons. When sweet yellow, orange or red bell peppers are selling for the price of regular green bell peppers, then it pays to take advantage of the bargain. Sweet peppers and leeks go well with ham. Instead of cooking the sweet peppers and leeks with a savory style recipe, I decided to accent the sweet pepper flavor with raw blue agave nectar. Organic raw blue agave nectar is pretty much the same as the pre-colombian blue agave nectar that the natives of Mexico prepared. Raw blue agave nectar has a little more cactus flavor than refined processed blue agave nectar. Raw blue agave nectar is nice when used as a hame glaze, but it is a high fructose nectar, so it should only consumed occasionally.
Mesquite Dunes is a scenic sight to see in Death Valley. Mesquite Dunes is located on Route 178 between Stovepipe Wells and Route 190. Mesquite Dunes is an easy place to get to on foot in the morning or evening. The best times for taking photographs at mesquite dunes is when the sun first breaks daylight or at sunset, because the shadows from the dunes add to the imagery. I happened to visit Mesquite Dunes at noon in August, when the temperature was approaching 124 degrees, so hiking out to the dunes was not a wise thing to do. I also visited the Mosaic Canyon, Stovepipe Wells, Salt Creek and the Devil's Cornfield that same day. All these sights are located within a few miles of Mesquite Dunes. Visiting these areas during cooler months is suggested. During the hot Death Valley summer, you cannot carry enough water to stay hydrated for a hike of a few miles, so it is safer to just look at the sights from a distance. Many people picture Death Valley as being a region of endless sand dunes. In reality, less than one percent of Death Valley is made up of sand dunes. Mesquite Dunes happen to be one of the most picturesque sand dune areas in Death Valley, because mesquite trees grow on the bordering dunes. Since there is vegetation in the area, wildlife is commonly seen in the morning hours. Occasionally, sidewinder rattlesnake tracks from the night before can be seen on the dunes. One word of caution is to beware of windy conditions at the Mesquite Dunes region. High winds can kick up in Death Valley with little notice and the sand dunes can turn into a torrential sand blasting machine! Packing a handkerchief, dust mask, wide glasses or goggles is not a bad idea, if you plan to spend the entire day in this area.
Sweet Pepper Leek Blue Agave Nectar: Heat a sauce pot over medium low heat. Add 2 pats of unsalted butter. Add 3 tablespoons of diced leek. Gently saute and sweat, till the leeks become tender. Add 2/3 cup of diced mixed yellow, orange and red sweet bell pepper. Gently saute, till the sweet peppers just start to become tender. Add 1/2 cup of light pork broth. Add sea salt and white pepper. Add 1 pinch of coriander. Add 1 small pinch of allspice. Add 1 small pinch of ginger powder. Add 1/3 cup of raw agave nectar. Reduce the temperature to low heat. Gently simmer and reduce the sauce, till a thin nectar syrup sauce is formed.
Ham Steak with Sweet Pepper Leek Blue Agave Nectar: Bone-on ham steaks are usually higher quality than boneless pressed ham steaks. Ham that is actually bits and pieces of ham that are pressed and molded together with gelatin is better off avoided. Ham steaks with the bone attached have a much more natural look. Heat a griddle or large saute pan over medium/medium low heat. Brush a 10 to 12 ounce ham steak with melted unsalted butter. Grill the ham steak on both sides, till the ham steak becomes hot and till light brown highlights appear. Note: Ham is already cured or smoked. Most times, ham steaks are pre-cooked for packaging. It is not necessary to cook a ham steak till it is cremated! A ham steak should be moist and juicy and it should not be dried out and chewy! Brush the ham steak with a small amount of blue agave nectar while it is in the pan Place the ham steak on a plate. Spoon the sweet pepper leek blue agave nectar partially over the ham steak and onto the plate. Serve with a vegetable of your choice. Serve a potato of your choice on the side. Note: The vegetables in the photographs are carrot sticks and a whole peeled parsley root with the green parsley top attached. The vegetables were simmered in light chicken broth till they became al dente, then the broth was drained off. The vegetables were then simmered at a low temperature with a few pats of unsalted butter, sea salt, white pepper and a pinch of thyme. Placing an evenly spaced bed of carrot sticks with the whole parsley root on top adds a touch of modern eye appeal!
If you have been seeking a lighter, less sugary ham steak recipe that still has a sweet flavor, then this recipe is a good one to try. The leek adds a nice depth of flavor to the sweet pepper and raw agave cactus nectar. Yum! ... Shawna
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