Ham Steak and Pineapple, Foil Packet
Shelf-stable ham, canned pineapple, and brown sugar over coals. Twenty minutes, no pot.
- calories
- 330
- weight
- 7 oz
- cal / oz
- 47
- protein
- 24 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Ham steak | 1 lb | fully cooked, vacuum sealed; keep it cold until cook time |
|---|---|---|
| Canned sliced pineapple | 8 oz can | save the juice |
| Brown sugar | 2 tbsp | optional |
| Mustard | to serve | squeeze packets or a small bottle |
| Heavy-duty foil | 2 large sheets |
Method
- Build a fire and let it burn down to coals, or get the grill grate hot. Flames will scorch the sugar before the ham warms.
- Cut the ham steak in half through its thickness so you have two thin rounds, then cut each round into six pieces.
- Lay the ham and the pineapple rings in overlapping layers on a doubled sheet of foil.
- Stir the brown sugar into a few spoonfuls of the reserved pineapple juice and pour it over. Fold the foil into a sealed packet with a little air space on top.
- Set the packet on the grate or on the coal bed for about 20 minutes. Turn it once halfway.
- Open it away from your face. Eat straight from the foil with mustard on the side.
The original is an oven dish, which is a problem exactly once: nothing here needs an oven. Ham steak is already fully cooked, so the fire is only warming it through and reducing the pineapple juice into a glaze. That works as well over coals in a sealed foil packet as it does at 350.
The pineapple is not garnish. Its juice, plus the brown sugar, is the only liquid in the packet, and it keeps the ham from drying out while the acid cuts a very salty cut of meat. Mustard on the side does the same job from the other direction. Keep the packet off open flame — sugar burns long before ham is hot.
Packing
Ham stays in its vacuum seal in the cooler; it is the only thing here that needs cold. Pineapple can and foil ride in the food bin. Brown sugar in a small bag, mustard in packets.
Variations
- No cooler: swap in a foil pouch or can of shelf-stable ham and this becomes a backpacking meal.
- A shake of chipotle or black pepper cuts the sweetness if the sugar is too much.
- Add a foil-baked sweet potato alongside to make it a full plate.
https://mealswithmaria.site/budget-friendly-easter-dinner