PRESIDENTIAL DINNERS. EVERYDAY GROCERIES.
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Presidents/Herbert Hoover

AT THE TABLE WITH HERBERT HOOVER

Broiled ham with buttered toast

Use fully cooked ham steaks; uncooked cured pork needs a different cooking method.

Breakfast20 minServes 2
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Broiled ham with buttered toast — the black-and-white years
The black-and-white years · Serving illustration

THE STORY ON YOUR PLATE

A ham dinner behind the formal table

More about Herbert Hoover →

The thirty-first president had an international engineering career before politics.

Family or White House tradition

Staff recollections associate Hoover with broiled ham, and his memoirs mention Virginia ham as a household reserve. A fully cooked ham steak offers a practical small-scale version.

The president & the table

White House staff memories associate Hoover with broiled ham, salted nuts, black cherries and chocolate marshmallows. His memoirs also mention Virginia ham as a dependable reserve for a domestic dinner. The contrast with the image of a strictly formal presidential table is part of the interest.

Behind this story

White House Historical Association discussion of staff recollections; Hoover memoir reference.

APRON ON. HISTORY CAN WAIT.

Make it at home.

Serves 2

What you’ll need

Let’s make it

  1. Heat the broiler / overhead grill to medium-high. Lightly oil a shallow tray.

  2. Put the fully cooked ham steaks on the tray. Broil for 3–5 minutes per side until hot through and lightly browned, following the package reheating instructions. Watch closely.

  3. Toast the bread and spread with butter.

  4. Serve the ham immediately with toast and a little pepper. Skip extra salt.

Cooking notes

Metric and US measures are approximate equivalents. For baking, use weights when you can.