Las Vegas Casino Style Ham Steak and Eggs Breakfast!

Yum!  Las Vegas style breakfast!

     Before the recent economic recession, nearly every casino in Las Vegas offered both a steak and egg breakfast and a ham steak and egg breakfast at a very low promotional price.  I have seen the casino ham steak and egg special sell for as little as $1.99 in Las Vegas.  This breakfast special can still be found in Las Vegas local casinos and on Fremont Street.

     The casino ham steak was always a full thick large slice of good quality ham.  A full slice of ham is an awesome sight for a casino breakfast, because the ham is too large for an average size plate and the ham hangs over the edges of the plate!  I used a very large plate for the ham in the pictures, so the dramatic size of the ham steak didn't exceed the limits of the plate.

      I have mentioned before, that the first time that I moved to Las Vegas, I came here on a shoe string.  I quickly learned where to find bargain priced meals in this town.  Breakfast was and still is one of the best food bargains in Las Vegas.  The ham steak and egg breakfast runs about $1.99 to $4.99 on casino special boards.  This breakfast cannot be made at home for that price!  A large ham steak, eggs and potatoes costs about $8.00 to make at home.  There is truth to the statement that dining out can be cheaper than dining at home while in Las Vegas.

     This is a simple breakfast recipe with no tricky cooking techniques.  Simple Las Vegas casino home cooking!  Sometimes a simple idea like this recipe can bring back memories and trigger a craving.  Pressed deli style ham is a "no no" for making a casino style breakfast.  A bone in, whole slice of top quality ham is much more appealing.  When Las Vegas casinos offer a breakfast bargain, they do it right!

Pepper and Onion Home Fries:  

The skin can be left on the potato for this style of home fry.

Cut 1/2 of a large russet potato lengthwise into fourths.

Cut the four wedges into thin slices.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat.

Add the sliced potatoes.

Add just enough water to barely cover the potatoes.

Par boil the potatoes, till most of the water has evaporated.

Add 3 pats of unsalted butter.

Add 1 tiny handful of chopped onion.

Add 1 tiny handful of chopped green bell pepper.

Add sea salt and black pepper.

Add 1 pinch of paprika.

Add 1 pinch of cayenne pepper.

Saute till the liquid evaporates and the potatoes start pan frying in the butter.

Saute and toss the ingredients, till the potatoes get some golden brown highlights.

Keep the potatoes warm on a stove top.

Las Vegas Casino Style Ham Steak and Eggs Breakfast!  

Heat a large saute pan or a griddle over medium/medium low heat.

Brush the pan with unsalted butter.

Place a 12 to 16 ounce whole, bone in, cured ham steak on the hot pan.

Grill the ham steak on both sides, till brown highlights appear.

The eggs can be cooked while the ham steak grills.

Its your choice!  The 2 eggs can be cooked scrambled, poached, basted, sunny, hard, over medium or over easy.  A seasoned or non-stick pan is best for flipping eggs.  I cooked the eggs in the pictures over medium.

Assembly:

The potatoes must be placed on the plate first, especially if you are using a standard size plate.  Its okay if the ham steak partially covers the potatoes.  A large plate is good for this entree, but the presentation is not as dramatic as it would be on a smaller plate.  If you really want to show off the ham steak, then chose a plate that is slightly smaller than the ham steak!

Place the ham steak on the plate with the home fry potatoes.

If there is room on the plate, then set the 2 eggs on the plate.  If there is no room on the plate, then set the eggs on top of the ham steak!

Garnish the plate with Italian parsley sprigs.

     This is how a good ham steak breakfast should be!  After having a Las Vegas size ham steak portion for breakfast, the cheap low quality pressed ham steaks that are served at diners and franchise breakfast restaurants will never be appealing again!  Pepper and onion home fries are nice with a ham steak.  A bottle of hot sauce is perfect for the eggs!

     How do Las Vegas casinos offer such a great breakfast for such a low price?  Its a promotion.  Any loss can be written as a tax write off.  Bargains like this draw customers into the casino.  A Las Vegas ham steak breakfast is a hard bargain to pass up!  Even when this casino style breakfast is cooked at home, it is very impressive to look at on the table.  Delicious Vegas style breakfast!  ...  Shawna