Favorite lunch meat

[LindsayAnn]

Ok E-Gulleters - when it comes to making the infamous sandwhich, wrap, hoggie, submarine, cold cut platter, etc...what is your favorite type of lunch meat? Any weird preferences of necessities for the thicknesses/uniformity regarding your protein of choice... or any other weird corks that you admit to having regarding this topic of handheld...uh....what do you call it? I can't call it sandwhiches because we are talking about MORE than just the sandwhich with sliced bread!

Note: you may have different favorites for different types of usages....meaning:

Sandwhiches - I love roast beef on sandwhiches....

Submarines - I happen to prefer roast beef OR salami on submarines....

Wraps - My selection of choice for wraps tends to be shredded chicken.....

Cold cuts - without a doubt prosciutto, salami and salami relatives (per-say)

Hoggies - not sure actually!

I have a weird cork I will admit to, a few actually.

1.) I like more meat/cheese in the middle of my sandwich then on the outside. I guess this is because of my second cork...which is:

2.) I like to eat the outside first, and the middle last...this holds true for sandwiches, subs, wraps, etc.... I also like to eat the outside of oreas first and the cream fileld center last. I tend to save the 'best' for last...hehe

3.) I often re-assemble my sandwiches when they are made by someone other than ME! Its never done right...haha...I get looks when I do this in my grad classes with my subway subs....it all comes off and goes back on. Of course with larger portions of the best stuff in the middle ( which in the case of Subway is the salami, cheese, black olives, pickles...hehe)

If you wanna get really outta control, how about answering "Do you have a favorite type of cheese for each of these varieties (sandwich, subs, hoggie, wrap, etc...)...or do you like the same?

So...???

[srhcb]

Sandwiches - I love roast beef on sandwiches....

[MarketStEl]

I'm glad you left the door open for more than one favorite, for it does depend on the kind of sandwich or snack platter I'm putting together.

For plain old sandwiches on bread, my favorite lunch meat is liverwurst. Sliced thin -- I use a cheese slicer and never let the deli slice it for me, for the slicing machines can't handle slicing it as thin as I like it while a cheese slicer does the job beautifully. On top of this goes either Muenster or Swiss cheese. I even have brand preferences here, which would probably change were I to splurge on what a good German deli carried: Kahn's, Hatfield and Dietz & Watson, in that order.

Lebanon bologna, the praises of which lancastermike sang in his first foodblog, runs a close second. Savory or sweet -- it doesn't matter much to me; there's a time and a place for each. Sweet Lebanon bologna gets a Cheddar variety or American cheese; savory Lebanon bologna gets Swiss.

For a hoagie, give me capacola, Italian hard salami, and bologna or mortadella. If you've got some, toss some sopressata (sweet preferably) and prosciutto on the roll for good measure. Add sharp Provolone and slather the roll with mayonnaise and mustard, then add the veggies (including both sweet and hot pickled peppers) and oregano, and I'm good to go.

Snack platter? Roast beef and turkey with Swiss, Cheddar and sharp Provolone. You can add more cheeses and dispense with the meat entirely for all I care.

[rlibkind]

Since it's impossible to find rolled beef any more, my current fav is rollepolse, a Danish concoction (available in Racine, Wisconsin, and some other heavily Danish populated towns). It's usually lamb breast (though it can be any combination of lamb-veal-pork-beef) which has been rolled with seasonings (allspice usually dominates), tied, brined, then pressed. Slice it about 1/8-inch thick and serve on Danish rye. Yum.

[toweringpine]

My favourite has always been plain old Schneider's bologna on brown bread with lettuce and mustard.

I always enjoy the days after Christmas ( or Thanksgiving or whenever I roast a turkey ) when I am gorging on turkey sandwiches. I pull the meat into tiny little strands and put on lots of mayo and salt. I am not much for using extra salt but it is essential on turkey sandwiches.

[chappie]

When you say "cork," I think you mean "quirk." But I guess I have seen some weird corks.

[CaliPoutine]

I love Boar's Head. I love is to much that I pack a cooler with me when I go to visit friends in Ann Arbor and I bring it back with me.

I prefer turkey. Oven roasted, thin sliced. When I eat at Subway, I make them put the mayo and mustard down first, then the meat, then the cheese. I dont like lettuce/veggies touching my condiments.

[srhcb]

When you say "cork," I think you mean "quirk." But I guess I have seen some weird corks.

←

Or perhaps quarks, an element in particle physics which has an odd food connection in that the name was originally coined by physicist Murray Gell-Mann as a nonsense word rhyming with "pork"!

They "come in six flavours, and their names (up, down, strange, charm, bottom, and top) were also chosen arbitrarily based on the need to name them something that could be easily remembered and used."

I suppose they could easily have used luncheon meat names instead?

SB (like salami, bologna, turkey breast, ham, roast beef and head cheese? )

[SheenaGreena]

When you say "cork," I think you mean "quirk." But I guess I have seen some weird corks.

←

I was gonna say the same, but I'm glad you did first

On my sandwiches I will eat pretty much any cold cut and even vegan deli "meat". I really like the pastrami flavour. When I was younger I would eat the most disgusting sandwich. I took two slices of white bread and placed some deli sliced turkey breast on them with lots and lots of old bay sprinkled on top. I guess that's what happens when you grew up in maryland.

Submarines - I don't really eat submarines but if I did it would probably be of the italian variety with lots and lots of sliced italian cold cuts: salami, sopprasatta (sp?), mortadella, proscuitto, etc. with slices of aged provolone, "hots", sliced onion and tomato, and some oil and vinegar.

I usually order a banh mi when it comes to a sub (but that really isn't a sub) but it does have head cheese on it!

Wraps - don't eat em

Cold cuts - I don't discriminate between cold cuts, anything will do.

aren't hoagies the same as subs? as well as grinders and heros?

[lancastermike]

Lebanon bologna, the praises of which lancastermike sang in his first foodblog, runs a close second. Savory or sweet -- it doesn't matter much to me; there's a time and a place for each. Sweet Lebanon bologna gets a Cheddar variety or American cheese; savory Lebanon bologna gets Swiss.

You said it there, Sandy. Just yesterday I had a sweet bologna sandwich with Muenster cheese and a good slathering of Zatarains creole mustard for lunch. My Dear Lord!! Still one of my favorite meals, ever. Recently when the famous confectioner, Dr. Beal, visited our area and requested tips I told her she needed to try sweet bologna. She did and loved it. I do also think it possible that some may have got back into Canada, however I can't confirm that.

As to other items not much is better than GOOD pastrami.

I like good salami and cappacola ham on my subs.

[DCP]

As others have said, it's all about the charcuterie.

As much as I love a good ham and cheese sandwich, things don't start getting interesting until you throw salt, smoke, and time into the mix. Sopressata and hot coppa add depth to a sandwich. Bresaola is normally eaten by itself with a garnish, and prosciutto isn't often seen in sandwiches, but I find them both pleasant there.

Then, there are the cold cuts from the local German deli that use the scraps and trimmings. I'm quite fond of head cheese (with vinegar), schinkenwurst, mortadella, gelbwurst, and zungenwurst. (Images of some here for the uninitiated)

[MGLloyd]

Sweet and savory bologna? I have never heard of this, and cannot recall ever seeing it here in the Seattle area.

[nakji]

My husband's cork is that he likes to put the mustard between the cheese and the meat - not on the bread (where it would sink in), because he enjoys the mustard as a topping in its own right, not as a condiment.

We go through a lot of grainy mustard.

[lancastermike]

Sweet and savory bologna?  I have never heard of this, and cannot recall ever seeing it here in the Seattle area.

←

Michael,

It is a central PA specialty and am not shocked to hear you have not heard of it. Here's a link to the site of one of the larger producers. It talks about this wonderful stuff.

Seltzers

[Jaymes]

For plain old sandwiches on bread, my favorite lunch meat is liverwurst. 

Me, too. With mayo, sliced homegrown tomatoes, and sweet onions.

My second favorite sandwich is the classic rueben. The thin one where you put the corned beef, swiss, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing on rye bread and then you grill it into greasy crunchiness.

Edited June 13, 2007 by Jaymes (log)

[LindsayAnn]

As MANY of you have pointed out, I meant quirk, NOT cork. My bad - we all have long days where we make rather stupid slip-ups, mis-spellings, etc.... Er right?

as far as the differences between Hoggies, subs, heros, etc... oh yeah and grinders- You will notice in my original posting I mentioned my fav sub, wrap, sandwich, cold-cut platter, I did post 'Not sure' by hoggie - because I was not sure.

meaning - the difference. Is it just a regional name difference. Names are different from place to place but its all the same thing? Who knows, well not me at least.

For some reason I suppose I was under the assumption that there was a difference, most likely a minimal difference. But sometimes, those small differences made a big impact on the end product.

Is the bread different? The process in baking the bread or preparing the sub/hero/grinder/hoggie? Are there differences in the ingredients (meaning the ORIGINAL, politically correct ingredients...if they even exist)?

To all of this I am not sure, which is why I didnt specify my favorite grinders, hoggies, heros. I did post a "not sure" by hoggies, because I am not sure!

Can anyone clear this up for us? I suppose maybe I shouldnt start a new topic on something that I do not know the "ins and outs of". Sorry!

[suzilightning]

i do also have my quirks...

i can't stand bread on a sandwich unless it is toasted and this includes pb&j

my favorite wrap is messy but i love it - buffalo chicken. sauteed chicken tenders tossed with hot sauce on a tomato wrap with shredded lettuce, tomato concasse and crumbled blue cheese dressing

sandwiches - it depends on the time of year, really. august/september - one slice of toasted bread, miracle whip and slices of fresh jersey tomato. lightly toasted white bread with peanut butter and strawberry jam. whole wheat toast with dietz and watson black forest ham, heavenly light swiss cheese, red leaf lettuce and honey mustard.

i am a grinder girl!!!!! slice a good, strong roll in half and excavate some of the excess bread. toast lightly and warm the cold cuts. miracle whip on one side, honey mustard on the other. shingle hot cappacola, banana peppers, honey ham, thinly sliced thin gherkins and provolone. throw under the broiler. close it up, cut and eat.

[mzrb]

Mmmmm...veal loaf. hot veal loaf made by a local german butcher shop. esp when it gets a tad overheated and the ends crisp up. rye bread is a nice accompaniment...but just rolled up with a touch of mustard is delicious.

[petite tête de chou]

A well-seasoned dry salami is, easily, my favorite sandwich-type meat. Especially if it's a bit gamey and contains whole spices. Paired with bit of mustard, a thin slice of stinky cheese, pickled onions on the side and a pint of ale is a bit(e) of heaven.

[ghostrider]

For making sandwiches at home:

Thumann's Black Forest Ham - well smoked, full of flavor & texture. Sliced thin but not prosciutto-thin. Current fave cheese accompaniment = taleggio.

Subs from the deli where I work:

Their own porchetta, sliced thin. Don't like it with cheese.

(Now, if this were a cheese thread, then I'd have to go with their prosciutto/mozz/arugula sub, but t's not.)

[SheenaGreena]

As MANY of you have pointed out, I meant quirk, NOT cork. My bad - we all have long days where we make rather stupid slip-ups, mis-spellings, etc....  Er right?

as far as the differences between Hoggies, subs, heros, etc... oh yeah and grinders-  You will notice in my original posting I mentioned my fav sub, wrap, sandwich, cold-cut platter, I did post 'Not sure' by hoggie - because I was not sure.

meaning - the difference. Is it just a regional name difference. Names are different from place to place but its all the same thing? Who knows, well not me at least.

For some reason I suppose I was under the assumption that there was a difference, most likely a minimal difference. But sometimes, those small differences made a big impact on the end product.

Is the bread different? The process in baking the bread or preparing the sub/hero/grinder/hoggie? Are there differences in the ingredients (meaning the ORIGINAL, politically correct ingredients...if they even exist)?

To all of this I am not sure, which is why I didnt specify my favorite grinders, hoggies, heros. I did post a "not sure" by hoggies, because I am not sure!

Can anyone clear this up for us? I suppose maybe I shouldnt start a new topic on something that I do not know the "ins and outs of". Sorry!

←

I grew up in maryland and we called them subs or hoagies (I think?). I don't think there is a real difference except for regionality. However I feel like a grinder is something with cooked meat in it as opposed to deli meat?

[DCP]

My husband's cork is that he likes to put the mustard between the cheese and the meat - not on the bread (where it would sink in), because he enjoys the mustard as a topping in its own right, not as a condiment.

←

I've often done the same - not to specifically focus on the mustard, but to avoid the dreaded syndrome that sometimes occurs wherein the cheese, condiment(s)/spread(s), and bread become one sticky layer on the roof of one's mouth.

Perhaps it's just me. Only happens with certain combinations of ingredients.

[Kerry Beal]

Lebanon bologna, the praises of which lancastermike sang in his first foodblog, runs a close second. Savory or sweet -- it doesn't matter much to me; there's a time and a place for each. Sweet Lebanon bologna gets a Cheddar variety or American cheese; savory Lebanon bologna gets Swiss.

You said it there, Sandy. Just yesterday I had a sweet bologna sandwich with Muenster cheese and a good slathering of Zatarains creole mustard for lunch. My Dear Lord!! Still one of my favorite meals, ever. Recently when the famous confectioner, Dr. Beal, visited our area and requested tips I told her she needed to try sweet bologna. She did and loved it. I do also think it possible that some may have got back into Canada, however I can't confirm that.

As to other items not much is better than GOOD pastrami.

I like good salami and cappacola ham on my subs.

←

I did indeed bring back 3 vacuum sealed packages, the sweet, the regular and the beef stick I think it is. I picked them up at the factory outlet. They are still in the fridge downstairs awaiting an opportunity to pick up a lighter meat slicer than the behemoth that is in the basement. The meat slicer is too heavy to get up on the counter - if I had a counter to lug it up onto. Once I get that little problem solved a whole bunch of other people are going to get to try it too.

I enjoyed a sandwich made of 1/2 sweet and 1/2 regular Lebanon bologna on a crusty roll with some american mustard. Nothing else required. Also easy to assemble straight from the grocery store in the car. That's what I got for lunch on the way home from Hershey.

I also love german salami, 6 slices, yellow mustard on a fresh rye roll. Gotta have caraway seeds.

[Dave Hatfield]

Unless I missed it nobody has mentioned my favourite;Smoked French Garlic sausage as a cold cut. Yummy with cheese (cheddar by preference), Dijon mustard, ripe tomato between halves of a cut baguette.

I buy it there for about $1.49 per pound in the supermarket.

[miladyinsanity]

If bacon isn't a lunch meat, then I don't think I've a favorite lunch meat.

Though on second thoughts, I do have a soft spot for turkey sandwiches. Cheese, meat and bread. That's it. I don't do veggies in my sandwiches.