From now on, I want you to swear off ham steaks that you can buy pre-cut in the grocery. They are too thin. By the time you get some color on them they are dry in the center. From now on, ask the butcher to cut them for you at least 1 to 1 ½ inches thick. You will be shocked at the difference.
And while you are at it, I want you to soak it in cold water in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours, changing the water once or twice. This pulls out a lot of the excess salt.
Makes. 4 servings
Takes. About 50 minutes to double-smoke the ham, 2 to 4 minutes to sear.
2 precooked smoked ham steaks, about 1 inch thick, 20 to 24 ounces total
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
Tamarind And Pickled Watermelon Chutney (see recipe below)
1) Fire up. Set up a grill for 2-zone cooking, aim for about 225°F on the indirect side, and get some smoke going.
2) Cook. Spritz the steaks with a little water to help them attract maximum smoke. Rub ¼ teaspoon of five-spice powder evenly into each side of each steak. Smoke, lid down, until the center of the steaks reaches 140°F, 30 to 45 minutes.
3) Sear.Crank the heat up on the direct side to Warp 10. Brush the steak with a little of the tamarind chutney. Sear until golden brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
4) Serve. Spoon some of the dark and chunky chutney over the steaks.
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Tamarind And Pickled Watermelon Chutney
This unusual chutney is deep, dark, and complex. Unlike Brigit’s first husband. Tamarind is an excellent ingredient for barbecue sauces, and here its sourness is beautifully tamed by a sweet, old friend: pickled watermelon rind. Be careful, I have been known to eat a whole tub of the stuff.
Makes. ¾ cup
Takes. 5 minutes
1 large clove garlic
2 tablespoons Japanese-style pickled ginger
1 tablespoon minced red onion or shallot
6 ounces pickled watermelon rind, with its syrup (about ¾ cup), finely chopped
¼ cup tamarind paste
1 ½ tablespoons whole-grain mustard
About the pickles. Pickled watermelon rind is sold in most groceries, and pickled ginger is the thinly sliced pink stuff you get in Japanese restaurant, also in better stores.
Peel the garlic cloves, then mince or press it. Drain, then finely chop the pickled ginger. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to make a dark and complex syrup.
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