Those who know me, know that I love potatoes…and one of my favorite ways to eat them is in potato cakes where the edges get crispy yet the inside stays moist and tender. I usually like to shred my potatoes when making potato cakes, but I found a better way to make them where you thinly slice the potatoes (thinner than a mandolin) and more craggly to get even more crispy edges. My secret is one of those hand held stainless steel shredders with the cutter on the side which will give you thin slices of potato that lends itself beautifully to these potato cakes. I sometimes even toss them in oil and throw a whole tray in the oven when I’m expecting more people. They are so delicious and even better than my oven roasted potatoes which firmly holds my #2 spot of favorite ways to cook potatoes.
I’m usually not a big pork eater but there are a few things I do enjoy and ham steak is one of them. Once I take it out of the packet, I rinse it well and slice it into pieces, then allow it to soak in a little water. The saltiness of the ham steak with absorb some water while soaking, and is released again during the cooking process and helps to prevent the ham steak from becoming overly dry. I like to make a sweet and spicy sauce to contrast with the saltiness and tenderness of the ham, and it goes so well with these crispy and craggly potatoes. For this recipe, my friend Gina who owns Crazy Bitch Sauces has a great BBQ sauce that I added after sautéing the ham steak pieces in a little olive oil. I added a little more honey to the sauce, and as it reduced it has thickened and caramelized the ham steak pieces. This makes a great breakfast or brunch item and even a great anytime snack just in time for the Super Bowl. Once the potato cakes are done, top them with the ham slices…delicious!
Scraggly Potato Cakes & Ham Steak
4 medium potatoes shredded into thin, craggly slices
1 small ham steak
½ cups olive oil
¼ cup BBQ Sauce (Crazy Bitch Sauces)
S& P
2 tablespoons honey
Clean and peel the potatoes, then cut them into scraggly thin slices. Once they are sliced put them in a little water and set them aside until you are ready to use. To prepare the ham steak, rinse it well and slice into strips then soak in some water for about 30 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small frying pan and heat, then toss in the ham steak pieces and sautee quickly, then add in add in the BBQ sauce and honey and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken, then set aside.
Add 2 tablespoon of olive oil to a 6 “ frying pan, and add an even layer of potatoes to the oil once it has heated up and you can hear them sizzling. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil on the top part of the potatoes and allow them to cook on moderate heat. Once the bottom of the potato has become golden brown, you need to flip it over. The best way to do this is to flip it onto a small plate and then slide it back into the frying pan. Before doing that, add in the rest of the olive oil and allow it to become crisp and golden brown like the other side. Once ready, top with the ham steak pieces and the BBQ glaze that has now thickened and serve while still warm.
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