1 pound ham steak (from packaged meats case)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) (once around the pan)
2 tablespoons butter
12 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 to 10 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (2 cups)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Trim any connective tissue and all fat off ham steak. Mince the meat into very small bits and set aside.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with oven-safe handle over moderate heat. Add evoo and 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and coat sides and bottom of pan evenly with melted butter-and-oil mixture. Add ham bits to the pan and sauté 3 minutes to brown them a bit and cook out some of the moisture in the meat.

Whisk together eggs and milk or half-and-half. Break off tiny pieces of remaining 1 tablespoon butter and drop them into beaten eggs. Season eggs with a little salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Pour eggs into skillet oven ham. Stir eggs gently to evenly distribute bits of ham throughout the eggs. As eggs set, lift up bottom skin that's formed and allow uncooked eggs to settle. Keep doing this as eggs brown until the egg pie begins to set and take form. Transfer to the oven and cook 10 minutes, until golden on top. Add a generous layer of shredded fontina cheese to the frittata and leave in oven another 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and begins to bubble and brown. Serve frittata wedges directly from the skillet with a pie server.

Copyright © 2008 by Rachael Ray. All rights reserved.