Different Kinds of Sandwich Meats (10 Delicious Varieties)

Different Kinds of Sandwich Meats

The local delicatessen or deli provides a whole range of meats that are delicious when eaten as part of a sandwich.

This article takes a look at 10 different kinds of sandwich meat fillings which are classic to some of the most popular sandwiches eaten around the world today.

Turkey

The good old turkey provides an abundance of sandwich options when it comes to fillings. It’s also a great option for weight and health conscious people.

Besides being a delicious meat, you can buy different processed sliced varieties up to 90 percent free of fat.

Turkey is cooked slowly in the oven and once cold, the leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or pack. Team it with rocket leaves, cucumber for a lunch delight.

Ham

Different breeds of pig lend themselves to an array of flavors. Ham is sliced from the hind leg or thigh.

The juicer varieties get cured with help of sugar and salt solution prior to slow roasting.

Because of moisture presence, it is best to use within 3 days of purchase. The meat blends beautifully with all cheese and vegetable salad.

Chorizo

The famous meat filling chorizo is cured Spanish sausage which is made through garlic, pork, smoked paprika, black pepper, providing it with a red color.

The meat is available with a firm texture and strong flavor. Chorizo can be consumed raw as well but it tastes a lot better when cooked.

It can be sourced from the deli counter mainly in packets kept in the chilled section.

Why not try our Chorizo Sandwich recipe to experience this delicious meat to its fullest.

Tips for using

Chopping and slicing chorizo and then serving it as a starter, or pan-fry and enjoy it as a tapas-style dish. You can add it to breads, omelets, pasta dishes, casseroles and soups.

Storage method

The meat can be kept in an airtight container inside the fridge for more than five days. Follow use-by date once opened. For pre-packaged chorizo, consume it within five days.

Prosciutto

The meat filling prosciutto is quite similar to pancetta, but it has less fat and is available from pork leg. After it gets salted, the ham is left to age under low temperatures for around nine to 18 months.

Some of the strongest flavored prosciutto is cured for anything up to three years. In Italy, Prosciutto is known as prosciutto crudo, meaning “raw ham”. Shaved or sliced prosciutto can be sourced from a chilled counter at your local deli.

Usage tips

The meat prosciutto is best when uncooked. You can arrange slices over cooked pizza, or it can be wrapped around wedges of melon as part of an antipasto platter.

Storing

It’s best to store prosciutto in an airtight container in the fridge will allow it to stay fresh for up to 10 days.

Pepperoni

Pepperoni is a favorite meat topping on Pizza and is spicy flavored cured sausage which is made from beef or pork, or it can be a combination of both meats.

With added spices along with pepper to the meat, the strong flavor combines well with cheese and tomato. The packaged pepperoni sausages can be available through the deli section.

Usage tips

You can slice pepperoni thinly and use it as topping for bought pizza bases or you can chop finely and pan-fry to add to pies, frittatas and pastas.

Storage method

Pepperoni can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for more than two weeks.

Mortadella

Mortadella is a certain type of cooked salami and is one of the largest of all sausage meats.

This is made through minced pork mixture, peppercorns, olives, pork fat and pistachios.

Traditionally, mortadella can be cut in paper-thin slices and can be enjoyed in an antipasto platter.

Shaved plain or sliced, green olive, pepper and mortadella can be bought from the deli counter.

Usage tips

The lean cut can be enjoyed on its own, or you can eat it wrapped around grissini or on a crusty bread slice.

Storage

Keep it inside an airtight container and it can be stored inside the fridge for more than two days.

Salami

The sandwich meat salami is cured sausage made from pork, veal or beef and flavored with various spices and herbs along with garlic.

The raw sausage goes through different stages of salting, drying, smoking and fermentation, as part of the curing process.

The meat found its name from Italian word sale, meaning salt, but cured sausages have been consumed across most parts of Europe for hundreds of years.

Usage tip

The meat salami is mostly added as pizza toppings, pastas, canapés, and sandwiches.

Storage method

You need to place it in an airtight container and then store in the fridge for more than two days.

Turkey Breast

Turkey breast is a 100 percent breast meat which is roasted in the oven. The meat is low fat compared to other sandwich meats.

The meat is an ideal healthy choice for lunch boxes. Shaved or sliced turkey breast can be available from the deli counter.

Using tips

You can add shaved and sliced turkey breast to wraps and sandwiches. Alternatively, you can chop or slice the turkey breast and then use it in canapés, salads or in pizzas.

Storing

You can place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for more than two days.

Pancetta

The meat is widely consumed across Italy and other parts of the world and is commonly known as the Italian version of bacon.

Pancetta has been dry cured in spices like nutmeg, fennel and pepper, and is left for aging for more than three months. You can find sliced pancetta at the deli counter mostly in packets weighing 100 grams from the chilled section.

Usage tips

It’s best to coarsely chop pancetta and then add it to casseroles, soups, homemade pasta sauces. Also you can use it as an alternative to bacon.

How to store

It’s best to store the meat in the fridge. Once you’ve opened the meat you can consume it within four days.

Beef Pastrami

Beef pastrami is prepared through covering corned beef with spices and pepper then smoking it for added extra flavor.

The word pastrami is from the Yiddish language and it reached the US in the late 19th century when the Jewish people migrated from Eastern Europe.

Now this renowned sandwich meat is very popular in New York where it’s served on the rye bread. You can pick up the meat from the many deli counters across the United States.