Grilled ham steaks topped with tart cherry-balsamic sauce make an easy, yet surprisingly elegant, dinner for a cozy night in. The sauce only has five ingredients and is ready in just 20 minutes!
For Valentine’s Day, we like to stay in and have a cozy meal at home. We save going out for another night when our favorite restaurants aren’t as crowded.
When I was brainstorming ideas for this year’s meal, my thoughts turned to ham steaks. Ham steak probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you want a romantic meal, but I’ve never seen Shawn as excited as he gets when I pull a ham out of the oven. Pork is definitely the key to his heart.
I still have some of our Christmas ham in the freezer, so making a whole ham is out of the question. Thankfully, Jones Dairy Farm makes twin-pack ham steaks that are perfect for a dinner for two without tons of leftovers. (I buy them locally at Hannaford; you can use this store locator to find them near you!)
I did a test run of my recipe this weekend, and it was everything I hoped it would be. The cherry-balsamic sauce is based loosely on the raisin sauce that be both love at Easter, but it’s not as sweet. The vinegar gives it a nice acidity that pairs really well with the sweet pork. A pinch of five-spice powder gives the sauce a hint of earthiness. I served the ham steaks with mashed sweet potatoes and roast broccolini.
Ham Steaks with Cherry-Balsamic Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving
Calories 369 Total Fat 14g Fiber 1g Protein 31g
I created this recipe for my client, Jones Dairy Farm. I truly love their products, and I hope you do too. Thank you fo supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen and help make Healthy Delicious possible!
Peabody (Culinary Concoctions by Peabody) says
02/12 at 5:35 pmYou always think of ham and applesauce but I love the use of cherries!
Colleen (Souffle Bombay) says
02/12 at 11:41 amCherries with balsamic…such a great combination – sounds fantastic when paired with ham!
Rose | The Clean Dish says
02/11 at 11:16 pmStaying in on Valentine’s Day sounds like a great plan 🙂 Especially if you have a home cooked meal like this!! I have never had cherry balsamic sauce before and I’m super eager to try it! Sounds like a match made in heaven 🙂 What a wonderful recipe!
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
02/11 at 3:39 pmThis is weird. I just talking to my co-workers about a craving for ham. This sauce is a show
stopper. Yum.
Peter @ Feed Your Soul Too says
02/11 at 10:20 amI like the reduction sauce best of all. Great looking flavors.
Debra from Bowl Me Over says
02/11 at 9:55 amLove ham and the glaze looks delicious!
Carolyn says
02/11 at 9:28 amNow that’s the way to serve a ham steak! Seriously delicious.
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
02/11 at 8:59 amI don’t think to make ham steaks all that often. Now I’ll have to try your recipe because that cherry balsamic sauce sounds like the perfect addition wake them up.
Kim Beaulieu says
02/11 at 4:05 amOkay, I spent my teenage years eating these like crazy. After my mom passed away I was stuck living with my 2 brothers, my dad, and each brother had a friend living with us, plus a cousin too. So me and 6 dudes. Let’s just say dudes like pork. We all took turns cooking and both my dad and one brother love ham steaks. Even now when I swing by my brother’s place he’s always making ham steak. Totally sending him this. He will love it. You just sparked so many hilarious memories of these guys trying to learn to cook. It was never dull here. Can’t wait to show him this beautiful steak.
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
02/10 at 9:04 pmI’ve got to find some of those ham steaks! I’m with you, I would much rather make something like this and leave the crowds elsewhere!
Heather | girlichef says
02/10 at 3:21 pmI used to make ham steaks all the time, but it seems like forever since I’ve made any – yours absolutely have my mouth watering. Cherry and balsamic with 5 spice = deeeelicious!
Bea says
02/10 at 2:33 pmOh yes pork is so delicious and my husband would absolutely be on board for ham steak for valentine’s. I have to say so that your cherry balsamic sauce sounds absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to give it a try.
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
02/10 at 10:44 amThis looks amazing and that sauce is on my list to try immediately!
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
02/10 at 10:44 amMy family would go nuts for this! I need to make it soon.
Allie says
02/10 at 10:43 amThis looks delicious!
Randy Winkler says
02/10 at 9:21 amThis recipe has so many possibilities. Thanks, I will be trying it soon. Anyone try just using the tart cherry juice in place of the berries?
Lauren Keating says
02/11 at 7:07 pmHi Randy! I haven’t tried it, but I think juice might be too thin – you’ll lose the body of the sauce. If you don’t have frozen berries, I’d try preserves (but you might need to play with the amount of sugar in the recipe then)
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
02/10 at 8:28 amOh my. That ham. That sauce. Gimme!
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says
02/09 at 9:24 pmYou won me over with ham steaks but the cherry balsamic sauce just makes this fantastic. YUM
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
02/09 at 7:42 pmThis is the perfect Valentine’s day meal!! My hubby and I stay home, too! We prefer to go out when it’s not as crowded and the “normal” menu/prices 🙂
Nutmeg Nanny says
02/09 at 5:18 pmI love the look of this ham steak! It’s so pretty and that sauce sounds ahhhhhhmazing!
Brenda@Sugar-Free Mom says
02/09 at 3:07 pmLove this sauce you made Lauren! Jones Dairy Farm ham steaks are the perfect dinner for two!
Ginny McMeans says
02/09 at 2:56 pmThe sauce combination is wonderful. I can just taste it.
The Food Hunter says
02/09 at 2:36 pmI am wondering how that sauce would taste on top of chicken?
Randy Winkler says
02/10 at 9:19 amDid you try it on chicken. That sounds wonderful. Sounds like it would be good on a nice piece of breast without the skin. Thanks for the idea.
Angie says
02/09 at 1:02 pmWe will be going out too, on another night with less crowds. I love this ham steak idea. That cherry balsamic sauce is to die for!
Cookin Canuck says
02/09 at 11:56 amWhat a great combination of flavors in that sauce – 5-spice powder always adds something special.
Stephanie says
02/09 at 10:28 amWhat a delicious combination! Beautiful cherry sauce!
Carrie says
02/09 at 9:51 amThat sauce looks so amazing, I want to drizzle it over all of my meat!