A cold cut are those yummy, chilled slices of meat you get at the deli. You might pop them in sandwiches, you might have them drizzled with oil and with a few slices of cheese – whatever way you like them, Cold Cuts Day is all about celebrating all the tasty meats that are somehow even tastier when served up in slices.
You might know cold cuts as luncheon meat, sliced meats, smallgoods, Colton or simply cold meats. You can usually buy them packaged up and ready to eat at the grocery store or at your local deli, and depending on where you go you might be able to get them sliced to order. Because meat like this is pre-coooked, usually into sausage shapes or loaves, once it’s sliced its ready to eat right away. Perfect for getting your savoury fix in a hurry!
History of Cold Cuts Day
Luncheon meats have been around for generations. Their simple preparation and ease of use has led to them being a favorite sandwich filling, and these days its not uncommon to find them served alone or with bread in swanky restaurants and bars.
Cold cuts can be simply slices of meat straight from a cooked joint, which is then packaged and served up. These are known as whole cuts, where the meat is solid muscle and no other meats were added to the product. However, other cold cuts like salamis and sausages are processed with other meat proteins to make a super tasty, usually quite tidy-looking block of meat. The slices of pastrami and the like that you see on your deli counter have been made this way.
How to Celebrate Cold Cuts Day
This is an easy one! All you need to do is visit your local deli, and get yourself a selection of cold cut meats to try!
There’s so many types of cold cuts that you’re spoiled for choice – unless you’re vegetarian, of course. Bresaola, chicken loaf, corned beef, dutch loaf, prosciutto ham, meatloaf, mortadella, pork roll, a wealth of different salamis, bierwurst, bologna, chorizo, saucisson, teewurst, pastrami, even tongue – and that’s not even all the types of cold cuts you can get hold of!
Slip them into a sandwich for a quick and easy meal, or serve them up with fresh raw veggies and a little dressing for a healthy alternative. And don’t worry about the calories – they don’t count when its a day of observance!
