Ham FAQ

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April 12, 2022

We frequently receive questions about our ham, and rightly so! It is a different (and much better!) product than you typically find in the grocery store.

As a One Straw Ranch product, you know it is wonderful pasture-raised pork. That means a healthy and happy life for the pig, regenerative farming practices, and a delicious and nutritious product for your family.

But what do you do with it? And the packaging says some confusing things - what do they mean?

So if you find yourself with questions about the ham, perhaps one of our bullet points below will provide a helpful response. But if not, and as always, feel free to reach out to us for further answers. Perhaps your inquiry will become the next bullet on our FAQ!

Why does it say "uncured." Does this mean it doesn't taste like ham?
Does the ham contain nitrates?
Is the ham pre-cooked?
How do I thaw the ham? Can I thaw it quickly?
Is the ham smoked? Why does it have smoke concentrate in it?
What ingredients are in the ham?
How do I cook the ham?

Why does the package say the ham is "uncured"? Does this mean it doesn't taste like ham?

The label on the ham says "Natural Uncured Ham". This is confusing! That wording makes it sound like it's just a fresh leg roast. Perhaps you need to season or brine it yourself? No, this is a ready-to-cook ham. It is pre-seasoned. Cook it as-is and enjoy the scrumptious taste of ham.

So why does it say "Uncured"? This confusion is the result of a food labeling regulation. Only foods containing synthetic nitrates are allowed to be labeled as "Cured" and our ham (and the bacon, likewise) does not contain synthetic nitrates.

Does the ham contain nitrates?

No and yes. The ham does not contain any synthetic nitrates, which is what people usually are referring to with the term. However, it does contain sea salt and celery powder which naturally contain nitrates (other foods which naturally contain nitrates include leafy greens, beets, onions and garlic.) See also the above question regarding labeling the ham as "Uncured."

Is the ham pre-cooked?

No. This ham is not cooked at all and you must cook it to a safe internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F, though we suggest cooking the ham to 160 degrees. See also below, "How do I cook the ham?"

How do I thaw the ham? Can I thaw it quickly?

The ham can be thawed safely in the refrigerator over the course of several days, depending on the size of the ham and the temperature of your refrigerator. If you don't have time to wait for it to thaw in the refrigerator, you may safely thaw it in a basin of cold water. Place the ham, still in the package, in a large kettle, basin, or sink of cold water. Change the water every hour or so and the ham should thaw at about 1 hour per pound - so a three pound ham should take about 3 hours to thaw with occasional water changes. This is not an exact science, so plan as much extra time as possible! A hybrid method is to jumpstart the thawing process in cold water and then letting it finish overnight in the refrigerator or vice versa. Just make sure it stays below 40 degrees for food safety.

Is the ham smoked? Why does it have smoke concentrate in it?

No, this is not a smoked ham. Due to regulations there is not a USDA-approved smoke shop in Washington State that is available to small producers, and in order to sell meat by-the-package (rather than a whole or half animal) it must be USDA-approved. I have spoken with our USDA butcher shop and they want to provide a smoked product but to date have not been successful in negotiating a solution with the USDA inspector.

Without the ability to smoke hams, the alternative is to use natural smoke concentrate in the brine. This is used in both the ham and the bacon, and it results in a delicious product!

Smoke Concentrate is actually smoke from a real wood fire that has been captured and distilled in water.

What if my ham isn't the same color all the way through?

This is a small-batch, handmade, artisan product, which naturally results in variation. Sometimes the brine does not quite make it through the entire roast so what you are seeing is a small spot of less-brined pork.

This is purely aesthetic and does not affect the quality of the ham. Your roast will still be delicious!

What ingredients are in the ham?

One Straw Ranch pasture-raised pork, water, sea salt, paprika, turbinado sugar, celery powder, natural smoke concentrate*, spices.

*see further information about natural smoke concentrate in the question above "Is the ham smoked?"

How do I cook the ham?

This ham must be fully cooked. It is not like a partially cooked or pre-cooked ham from the grocery store that only needs to be reheated. In general, you want to cook this ham fairly low and slow until it reaches an internal temperature of about 160 degrees. This will give you a tender, sliceable roast.

At 350 degrees, this takes approximately 30 minutes per pound. If you have the time, cooking as low as 250 degrees will give even more time for the fat to render deliciously through the meat. I like to make sure the ham will not dry out, so I cook it covered with a bit of water and then remove the cover and turn up the heat for the last few minutes. This keeps the meat moist and then browns up the outside for a beautiful finish. You can add a glaze or not, as you prefer.

For a simple recipe for the ham pictured below, click here.

Click here to order a ham now.

Top 3 Secrets for Great Kabobs (Recipe)

Have you grilled shish kabobs yet this summer? I have to say, they’re one of my favorites and something I look forward to making every year as soon as the sun starts to shine. Shish kabobs are simple, healthy and so perfectly suited to the fresh tastes of summer. Quick enough for a weeknight, they can also be prepped in advance for a sunny deck party. Their roots are in multiple culinary traditions. Sometimes they’re just called Skewers. In Greece they’re called Souvlaki, which is what I made this week for my family. So what are they? At the most basic level, shish kabobs are bits of meat and/or vegetables placed onto skewers and grilled. The combinations of ingredients and flavors are endless, so they easily suit dietary needs, flavor preferences, and whatever is fresh for the season. But there are a few ways kabobs can go wrong if you don’t have the right methods in place. To help you get it right and have the best eating experience, today I’m sharing my top 3 secrets for great kabobs. Follow these 3 top rules and I can nearly guarantee you’ll create a delicious outcome every time. 1. Remove any connective tissue from the meat before grilling. Skip this step and you’re going to be disappointed. Connective tissues, like the fascia and silver skin, add a nutritious element to stews - but are enemies to a quick cooking dish like kabobs. Leave them in the kabobs, and you’ll end up with a tough nightmare you can’t chew. So, depending on the cut you choose, make sure to carefully remove any connective tissue before cutting the meat into one inch cubes. Following this advice is especially imperative if choosing a more economical cut of beef, like London Broil, stew meat or Denver steaks. They are delicious and can make great kabobs, but the tradeoff is a bit of extra labor on your part. You don’t have to throw away the trimmed bits, either. Save them in the freezer to add extra flavor and nutrition to your next batch of bone broth. Or cut them up for your dog or cat – best friends for life! Now, don’t confuse undesirable connective tissue with intermuscular marbling. You can tell it’s connective tissue to be removed if the muscle pulls away on both sides (see photo). Marbling, on the other hand, is the thin white veins of fat that run through the muscle. Marbling is delicious and highly desirable in kabobs. Leave it in! For the easiest to prepare and most tender bite, choose a quality steak like the New York Strip, Rib Eye or Top Sirloin. These cuts have very little, if any, connective tissue, so you’ll save the trimming step. Plus the NY and Rib Eye especially have the perfect amount of marbling to make for a super tender bite. Since our steaks are cut at 1” thick, all you need to do is finish cutting them into 1” cubes. Click here to buy steak for kabobs now. If you’re looking for a pork options, pork chops and kabobs are your best bet. They’re both delicious, but make sure to follow the rule on removing connective tissue when opting for the kabob. 2. Place meat on separate skewers from the vegetables. This is important because the vegetables are going to take waaaayyy longer to cook than the meat. Put them on the same skewers like in the pretty magazine pictures and you’re either going to have shoe-leather meat or raw vegetables. Which leads to… 3. Don’t overcook the meat. Overcooked, dried out meat is tough meat. I probably sound like a broken record on this point, but it’s so easy to get this step wrong. And it's important because I want you to enjoy every bite of our premium grass-fed beef - every time. So first grill those vegetables (the ones you placed on separate skewers) until they’re lovely and crisp-tender. Set them aside and THEN throw on the meat skewers. Now, don’t blink. Definitely don’t walk away to fill your drink, set the table, or mediate a kid dispute… In a flash, those succulent meat skewers will reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees. You’ll just have time to turn them and get lovely grill marks on all sides. Take them off the heat and rest them on a plate for 5 minutes. The internal temp will raise another 5 degrees and the meat juices will reabsorb for the most tender, juicy bite. Use a medium (not high) flame, for best results. Bonus Tips Get the family into the action. Cut up all the vegetables, toss them in olive oil, and then let everyone make their own skewers with whatever ingredients they prefer. When we made kabobs this last week, the Farmhands each made their own skewers and had so much fun in the process. Farmhand Vera eschewed the mushrooms. For Farmhand Eli, no onion. Farmhand Grace put on everything because that’s most fun - especially the “vacchinnies” (translation: zucchini). And no one punctured their hand with the sharp skewers! At least after I showed them how to put the veggies on a cutting board instead of the palm of your hand :) Final flavor tip - Be sure to marinate the meat skewers for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. My absolute favorite marinade is from my Greek Souvlaki Recipe, because it complements both One Straw beef and pork without covering up the inherently luscious flavor. And don’t forget to make the tzatziki dressing from the same recipe. Drizzle it over the meat and vegetables on your plate. Then dust with parsley, salt and fresh ground pepper for the perfect finish. Are you hungry yet? I just finished up the last of our kabob leftovers for lunch and I’m wishing I’d made more… Click here to order beef or pork for kabobs now.