Quick & Easy Ham Loaf

Microwave ham loaf is a thrifty mid-century supper that solves two problems at once: it uses up leftover holiday ham and it skips heating the oven on a hot night. The technique is straight out of the original microwave cookbooks, when home cooks were figuring out how to make appliances designed for popcorn turn out a Sunday dinner.

The three-meat blend is the secret to texture here. Lean ham carries the salt and smoke, veal keeps the loaf tender and pale, and ground pork brings the fat that holds it all together as it cooks.

Milk-soaked bread crumbs (called a panade) trap moisture so the loaf doesn’t dry out under microwave radiation, which famously punishes lean meats. The brown sugar mustard glaze caramelizes against the pineapple juice baste, building a tangy crust without browning in the way an oven would.

Pro Tips

• Have the butcher grind the three meats together once or twice. Pre-ground supermarket ham can be too coarse for a tight, sliceable loaf.
• Cover loosely with vented plastic. Trapped steam keeps the surface from forming a tough rubber skin.
• The 5-minute rest is non-skippable. Carryover cooking finishes the center and lets juices redistribute so it slices clean.
• Leftovers are excellent cold, sliced thin on rye with sharp mustard.

Variations

• Stir in a tablespoon of finely diced bell pepper or onion for a bit of crunch and color.
• Swap the pineapple juice for apricot nectar or apple cider for a different fruit-meat pairing.
• Bake conventionally at 350°F (175°C) for about 50 minutes if you prefer a browned crust over the speed of the microwave.