Slow Cook Pineapple Ham Steak Recipe

This Slow Cooked Pineapple Ham Steak dinner is a delicious recipe that combines high quality pork with sweet pineapple, brown sugar, tangy dijon mustard, and balsamic vinegar for a home cooked meal that everyone will love.

Finish it with a fresh green salad like our Kale Apple Salad, a side of Pureed Sweet Potatoes, or Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms.

What is a Ham Steak?

Ham steaks are a large cut of ham taken from the leg or shank of a pig ranging from 1/2″ to 2″ in thickness depending on your preference. Ham steaks are a great option when you don’t want to prepare an entire ham roast. The bone-in brings extra flavor to the meat during the cooking process, though you can find boneless options as well.

Ham steaks can be very high in salt so be mindful of the brand and where you are sourcing the meat as generic and low quality brands tend to compensate by over salting. Another important note is that most ham steaks will not be cooked, so it is very important to fully cook them.

We were gifted several organic meats from a local, organic, home run farm and the difference in quality and flavor was undeniable. If you can source your meat locally that is the best option as you can create a relationship with the farmers and learn exactly how the meat is being raised, and what their diet consists of.

Another great option is finding farms that will ship their meats. There are many small farms that are opting to do this and they have websites you can visit as well as social media pages where you can connect with not only them, but also their customers and get great feedback on their processes and quality practices.

What do you eat with Ham Steak?

Ham steaks are a delicious cut of meat with a pleasant, slightly sweet and salty flavor profile. Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage; as well as aromatic spices such as clove, basil, and garlic are excellent choices to season ham steaks.

There are many different side dishes that you can prepare alongside a Ham Steak dinner, some of our favorites include

• Classic mashed potatoes
• Fresh dinner rolls
• Southern style green beans
• Ceasar salads
• Glazed carrots
• Roasted seasonal veggies
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Sweet potato casserole

If you are looking for a dessert to enjoy that compliments a dinner like this, consider making our favorite Apple Crisp, a fresh Blackberry Pie, or our amazing Carrot Pineapple Cake. These desserts are easy to make while your Ham dinner is cooking and marinading in the crockpot.

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How long do Ham Steaks take to cook?

Ham steaks can come together very quickly if you looking for a snappy dinner with little fuss. Depending on the thickness, ham steaks can be seared and cooked in a stovetop skillet, either cast iron or stainless steel, in as little as 3-4 minutes per side.

We chose to use our crockpot for this recipe which not only creates an easy ‘set it and forget it’ dinner, but also marinades and tenderizes the ham steaks until they are fork soft and very juicy.

Recipe notes

The mustard sauce when made as directed is very thin and runs off the meat leaving a light mustard flavor on the ham steak. If you want a thicker sauce you can adjust the liquids or add a tablespoon of cornstarch into the pot about a half hour before the slow cooker is done.

The fresh pineapple makes a huge difference so if you are able to use a fresh one it is what we recommend. Fresh pineapple will present a mildly sweet flavor that compliments the ham wonderfully. It will also hold some of its texture through the slow cook process as opposed to canned pineapple, which will becoming much softer and even mushy.

To make Slow Cook Pineapple Ham Steak

• Place your Ham Steaks in the slow cooker followed by the rest of the ingredients.
• Set the slow cooker on high for four hours
• When it’s about 30 minutes until done, check the sauce and decide if you want to thicken it. If you do, mix a tablespoon or so or cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and add it to the pot.
• Stir it into the mustard sauce in the bottom of the crock post and set the lid back on, allowing the sauce to thicken.

As you can see, we enjoyed this meal in a very simple way with only a few fresh tomatoes from our garden. It can definitely stand alone in both flavor and satisfying staying power, but if you want to dress it up we share a list of our favorite side dishes and desserts that you can prepare.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

398 calories per serving:

Fat           13 g

Carbs      25 g

Protein   43 g

Looking for more Crock pot or instant pot inspiration? Check out these recipes!