Ham Steak with Ginger Rhubarb Sauce

I love the sweet/tart flavor of rhubarb preparations but most of the time they are desserts. This is a way to use this vegetable as a vegetable. It is slightly sweetened as a counterpoint to the salty ham but it's nice to eat rhubarb in a savory form. This is a quick meal and if you are lucky you might still find some rhubarb in the supermarket or at a farmer's market. If not, you can use frozen rhubarb any time of the year, just salt it for 30 minutes or so.

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Ham Steak with Ginger Rhubarb Sauce

Source:  Cook's Country Magazine
Serves 4-6

See if you can find a butcher to cut you a bone-in ham steak that is cut crosswise from a whole ham. These steaks are superior to individual (and sometimes processed) ham steaks. This sauce would work fine on slices from a previously cooked ham, as well.  

1 pound rhubarb, leaves discarded, stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 T unsalted butter
1 thick-cut bone-in ham steak (about 2 1/2 pounds), patted dry with paper towels
2 T water
1 T cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 T minced fresh ginger
Ground black pepper

Toss rhubarb with 1 teas salt in medium bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse rhubarb in colander and drain well. Set aside.

Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add ham steak and cook without moving until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip steak and cook on second side until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer ham steak to serving platter, tent with foil, and set aside.

Return skillet to medium heat and add water, vinegar, sugar, and ginger. Simmer until sugar has dissolved, about 30 seconds. Stir in rhubarb and cook until tender but not mushy, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over ham steak and serve.