Meat Expert Explains The Differences Between Quality And Cheap Deli Meats

By no means am I an expert on deli meat. I enjoy eating meat, and occasionally grilling up a hot dog or two, but my expertise is as limited as what I see in the butcher section of my Italian deli.

There’s always a nagging in the back of my head when I buy meat, whether or not it’s actually quality stuff or just older cuts the store is trying to get rid of to customers who don’t know any better.

Well, Epicurious brought in meat expert Eli Cairo to point out the different between cheap and expensive deli meats in a fascinating YouTube video.

The meats Cairo covered included salami, ham, bologna, hot dogs, and prosciutto. In the video, he talked about the things you should look for when purchasing those meats, such as colors, regulated labels, and marbling. Cairo was given two meats, and was tasked with deciphering which of the two was more expensive through the sense of sight, smell, and taste.

Pretty useful if you’re one who frequents a deli, or simply enjoys snacking on deli meats. Check out the video and perhaps you’ll be a little wiser on your next meat run.