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The cold-cut wrapping topic


Fat Guy

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Recent discussion of the thickness of cold-cut slices led to a discussion of the best way for a deli to wrap and package cold cuts.

To my way of thinking, there are two major offenses:

1- Cold cuts poorly wrapped, such that they'll dry out in the refrigerator unless re-wrapped by you. I like the idea of the zipper bags a lot of places are now using, but they're of such inferior quality that often they're not as good as a plain old plastic bag with a twist tie.

2 - Cold cuts piled high such that they stick together into a big clump, or can't easily be separated without tearing. Part of the solution here is to slice to the correct thickness -- this problem occurs mostly with thinner slices. But some cold cuts are still more prone to clumping than others. For these, pieces of wax paper between each set of slices make sense.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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2 - Cold cuts piled high such that they stick together into a big clump, or can't easily be separated without tearing. Part of the solution here is to slice to the correct thickness -- this problem occurs mostly with thinner slices. But some cold cuts are still more prone to clumping than others. For these, pieces of wax paper between each set of slices make sense.

Are they too high to bend?

A "Taste of Home" tip...If you buy packaged sliced bacon, you can roll the package into a circle to help "unstick" the slices from each other.

So I am wondering if that would work with a large stack of cold cuts.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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Dave, the aforementioned One-Eyed, Left-Handed, Former Rodeo Bull-Riding Butcher, (retired), would wrap cold cuts and cheese loosely in thin waxed paper and then again in taped kraft (aka "butchers") paper.

If I was going to use the meat/cheese within two or three days I just left it in this original wrapping, which seemed to allow it to "breathe", and thus maintain a fresher flavor than if it was tightly wrapped or bagged in plastic.

Dave also had "freezer paper", which is polyethylene coated on one side, he would use if you told him you intended to freeze your purchase.

SB (prefers plastic/foil combo for freezing)

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This is why I usually buy the pieces whole and slice at home. I've gotten pretty good with getting thin slices with a knife but I've been contemplating getting a meat slicer.

Now just wait one second... do you mean to tell me that the sausage king of eGullet doesn't have a meat slicer? For shame. :raz:

David aka "DCP"

Amateur protein denaturer, Maillard reaction experimenter, & gourmand-at-large

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  • 2 weeks later...
This is why I usually buy the pieces whole and slice at home. I've gotten pretty good with getting thin slices with a knife but I've been contemplating getting a meat slicer.

I've been toying with the idea of a meat slicer for over five years. I have no idea why I just haven't broken down and purchased one other than the maddening fact that I research myself into a stupor, can't decide and head back to the deli and listen to the gentleman complain about how hard it is to take the wax off the Gouda.

I'd love to know if any of you have one and if it is really worth it.

Whoever said that man cannot live by bread alone...simply did not know me.
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I have a cheap Krups and I use it all the time.

Bread, cold cuts and cheese bought in one piece,oranges sliced , piled on a plate and covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for snacking, leftover hunks of pot roast,you name it.

Onions and apples to slap on the paninni maker or little Foreman grill. Great with pork.

Get one.

And you will probably ditch your mandoline. Leave it accessible on your overcluttered counter for two weeks. You'll end up keeping it there.

I love mine.

You'll use it a lot more than you realize.

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