Cured Meats Category

Cured Meats
Including ham, cold cuts, sausages, and bacon.
abruzzo sausage
abruzzese sausage
This a dry sausage from the abruzzo region of central Italy.
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Alpino salami
Alpino salami
This is an Italian-style salami.
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andouille, Cajun andouille, Louisiana andouille
andouille
This is a spicy smoked Cajun sausage that's used in jambalaya and gumbo. Don't confuse it with andouillette, a French sausage that's made from tripe.
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andouillette
andouillette
This tripe sausage has an unpleasant aroma and an assertive flavor, but while it's definitely not a crowd-pleaser, it's acquired something of a cult following. Larger sausages are called French andouille.
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Ardennes ham
Ardennes ham
This is an air-dried ham that's similar to prosciutto.
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bacon, American bacon, fresh bacon, pork belly, side pork, streaky bacon
bacon
Bacon is a very fatty slab taken from the underside of a pig. The bacon sold in markets is usually cured and smoked, but it's also possible to buy uncured fresh bacon = pork belly = side pork. Smoked bacon is often fried and served with eggs or in sandwiches, or it's sometimes wrapped around lean meats to keep them moist while they're cooking.
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bacon bits, imitation
bacon bits, imitation
This is soy protein that's flavored to taste like bacon. It's cheaper and lower in fat than real bacon.
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banger
banger
Bangers are a mild British pork sausage.
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basturma, basterma, bastirma, pasterma, pastirma
basturma
This Armenian specialty consists of beef that's marinated in spices and air-dried.
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bauerschinken
bauerschinken
The name means farmer's ham.
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bauerwurst, bauernwurst
bauerwurst
This is a chunky German farmer's sausage that's often grilled and served on a bun or cooked with sauerkraut.
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Bayonne ham, jambon Bayonne
Bayonne ham
This boneless French ham is similar to prosciutto.
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bierwurst, beer salami, beerwurst
bierwurst
This is a chunky, tubular German sausage that's usually sliced and served cold in sandwiches. It's made with pork and beef.
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Black Forest ham
Black Forest ham
This moist German ham is smoked over pine and fir, and coated with beef blood to give it a black exterior.
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blockwurst
This is a spicy German pork sausage that's usually served in sandwiches. It comes ready-to-eat.
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blood sausage, black pudding, black sausage, blood pudding, blutwurst
blood sausage
These eggplant-colored sausages are made of pig's blood mixed with fat, a filler like bread crumbs, and other flavorings that vary from region to region. They're usually sold precooked, but most people heat them before serving. Regional varieties include Germany's blutwurst, Louisiana's boudin rouge, and Spanish morcilla.
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blutwurst
blutwurst
This is a spicy and salty German blood sausage made from pork, beef, and beef blood. Germans like to snack on it, or mix it with sauerkraut. It comes already cooked, but it's usually heated before being served.
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bockwurst
bockwurst
This is a mild German sausage made with veal, pork, milk, and eggs, and seasoned with chives and parsley. You need to cook it before serving. Use it soon after you buy it--it's very perishable.
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boerewors, boerewurst, boeries, wors
boerewors
This is a spicy South African farmer's sausage, made with beef, pork, and pork fat, and seasoned with coriander. You need to cook it before serving.
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bologna
bologna
This soft, mild sausage is a sandwich staple. It's made from beef and/or pork and usually smoked. It's usually sold sliced and ready-to-eat.
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boudin blanc
boudin blanc
This is a white sausage made of meat (pork, chicken, or veal) and rice. France produces a very delicate milk-based version, while the Cajun version includes a lot of rice as a filler, making it chewier and more flavorful.
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boudin rouge
This Cajun specialty is similar to boudin blanc, except that it also includes pork blood. Use it soon after you buy it.
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bratwurst
bratwurst
This is made with pork and sometimes veal, and seasoned with subtle spices. It usually needs to be cooked before eating, though some markets carry precooked bratwurst.
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breakfast sausage patty
breakfast sausage patty
These pork patties are heavily seasoned. They're usually fried before serving.
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Calabrese sausage
Calabrese sausage
This spicy dry Italian salami is made out of pork and hot chile peppers.
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Canadian bacon, back bacon, bacon
Canadian bacon
Canadian bacon tastes like ham and is much leaner than American bacon. It's made from pork loin that's been smoked and cured. Note that Irish bacon is also sometimes called back bacon.
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canned ham, spam
canned ham
These are boneless hams that are sealed in a can and then cooked. They're not as flavorful as other kinds of ham, and they have a higher moisture content, which makes them more perishable. Store the unopened can in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it, and use leftovers within a week.
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capocolla, capacola, capacolla, capacollo, capicola, capocollo
capocolla
Italian in origin, this is a sometimes spicy dry-cured pork shoulder.
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chaurice
This spicy pork sausage is used in jambalaya and other Creole and Cajun dishes. It's available either in links or patties, but it's hard to find outside of Louisiana.
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Chinese ham, Xuanwei ham, Yunnan ham
Chinese ham
This category includes the well-regarded Yunnan ham = Xuanwei ham. Chinese hams are dry-cured and resemble American country hams.
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chipolata sausage
chipolata sausage
This spicy pork sausage is used in jambalaya and other Creole and Cajun dishes. It's available either in links or patties, but it's hard to find outside of Louisiana.
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chorizo, Mexican
chorizo, Mexican
This is fresh pork mixed with lots of spices. Don't confuse Mexican chorizo, which needs to be cooked, with Spanish chorizo, which is dry-cured. To make your own: See the Homemade Chorizo recipe posted on RecipeSource.com.
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chorizo, Spanish
chorizo, Spanish
Don't confuse Mexican chorizo, which is moist and needs to be cooked, with the Spanish version, which is dry-cured and ready-to-eat. Spanish chorizo is made from pork, and it's very hot and spicy.
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chourico, chaurico, chouriço
chourico
This is a heavily seasoned Portuguese pork sausage. Look for it in Portuguese markets.
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city ham, boned hams, Boneless hams, brine-cured ham, ham steak, pumped ham
city ham
This is America's most popular ham, the kind that's pink, moist, and sweet. Fresh hams are soaked in brine (or injected with it) and then boiled or lightly smoked. Boneless hams = boned hams are easier to carve, but they're not as flavorful or attractive as bone-in hams. A good compromise is to buy a bone-in spiral-sliced ham, which combines good flavor and convenience, or a ham steak (pictured at right). City hams usually come fully cooked (check the label), but most people reheat them before serving.
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cocktail wieners
cocktail wieners
These are smaller than hot dogs, but larger than Vienna sausages.
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cold cuts, cold meats, cooked meats, lunch meats, luncheon meats, sliced meats
cold cuts
These are precooked sausages or meat loaves that are usually served cold in sandwiches or on party trays. You can buy them already sliced in vacuum packs, or have them sliced to order at a deli counter. Most cold cuts are high in fat and sodium.
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coppa salami, coppa
coppa salami
This has bits of ham in it.
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corned beef
corned beef
This is cut from a beef brisket that's been cured with salt and spices and then simmered in water. It's traditionally served hot on rye bread.
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