What to do with a Fresh Ham Steak

We got a whole hog from a nearby farmer this summer. We have loved it, but I made a mistake when I told the butcher how I wanted it cut. I got the ham steak fresh, not cured and smoked (I also got the hams fresh and that's a different post). Because I had such a hard time figuring out what to do to get the ham steaks usable, I thought I would share what I've done and what I've liked. I'm not the only person googling for a fresh ham steak recipe, but most of the recipes I found don't turn out like a smoked ham steak. 

My wife's main direction was to make it taste like a normal ham steak so she can use it in a recipe like ham and potatoes.

This is what I do:

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup of non-iodized salt (I think I've used iodized salt in a pinch).
• 1/4 cup of sugar (brown sugar is good for this too)
• 1 quart of water

Instructions

• Combine ingredients in a saucepan, and cook on low until sugar and salt are dissolved.
• Let it cool.
• Pour brine over ham steak until brine covers it. You can place a plate and weights on top of steak to keep it submerged.
• Cover with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 days.
• Smoke the ham steak on a grill with the temperature at 275 degrees until the ham steak reaches 150 or so degrees. I use charcoal so the temperature fluctuates a bit. 

I often cook this in advance so my wife can use it in a recipe. I also do two at a time.

(The picture below is my Weber grill set up to smoke some pork belly from that same hog.)