Cured Meats Category
Including ham, cold cuts, sausages, and bacon.
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.
Learn moreandouillette
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.
Learn morebacon
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.
Learn morebacon bits, imitation
This is soy protein that's flavored to taste like bacon. It's cheaper and lower in fat than real bacon.
Learn morebasturma
This Armenian specialty consists of beef that's marinated in spices and air-dried.
Learn morebauerwurst
This is a chunky German farmer's sausage that's often grilled and served on a bun or cooked with sauerkraut.
Learn morebierwurst
This is a chunky, tubular German sausage that's usually sliced and served cold in sandwiches. It's made with pork and beef.
Learn moreBlack Forest ham
This moist German ham is smoked over pine and fir, and coated with beef blood to give it a black exterior.
Learn moreblockwurst
This is a spicy German pork sausage that's usually served in sandwiches. It comes ready-to-eat.
Learn moreblood 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.
Learn moreblutwurst
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.
Learn morebockwurst
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.
Learn moreboerewors
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.
Learn morebologna
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.
Learn moreboudin 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.
Learn moreboudin rouge
This Cajun specialty is similar to boudin blanc, except that it also includes pork blood. Use it soon after you buy it.
Learn morebratwurst
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.
Learn morebreakfast sausage patty
These pork patties are heavily seasoned. They're usually fried before serving.
Learn moreCanadian 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.
Learn morecanned 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.
Learn morechaurice
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.
Learn moreChinese ham
This category includes the well-regarded Yunnan ham = Xuanwei ham. Chinese hams are dry-cured and resemble American country hams.
Learn morechipolata 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.
Learn morechorizo, 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.
Learn morechorizo, 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.
Learn morechourico
This is a heavily seasoned Portuguese pork sausage. Look for it in Portuguese markets.
Learn morecity 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.
Learn morecold 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.
Learn morecorned 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.
Learn morecotechino
This is a mild and fatty Italian pork sausage. The links should be pierced before cooking to allow some of the fat to drain out.
Learn morecountry ham
These are made by rubbing salt over a fresh ham and then hanging it out to dry. They're often smoked as well. They tend to be salty, but gourmets often prefer them over city hams. You cook them either by simmering them in water or frying them. Some people soak them in water first to leech out some of the salt. Mold often forms on country hams, but it's harmless and should simply be scrubbed off. Country hams are common in the Southeast; elsewhere you can get them by mail order, or at Chinese markets. Varieties include Virginia ham and Smithfield ham.
Learn morecsabai
This is a Hungarian smoked sausage that's heavily seasoned with paprika. Rings of it are sold in German delis.
Learn moreculatello
This expensive, dry-cured red ham hails from Parma. It's usually sliced paper-thin and served like prosciutto. It's hard to find in the United States.
Learn moreCumberland sausage
This British pork sausage is usually displayed in markets as a long coil, and it's sold by the length rather than by the link. It's often baked in the oven with cabbage and potatoes.
Learn moredeviled ham
This is a dip or sandwich spread made with chopped ham, sour cream, and various seasonings.
Learn morefatback
This is a slab of fat that runs along the back of a pig. You can render it into lard, cut it into barding strips to wrap around lean roasts, or use it to line terrine or pâté pans. It you're cutting it into sheets, it helps to put it in the freezer first until it's firm. It's also sometimes cured like bacon. It's hard to find, ask your butcher.
Learn morefoie gras entier
This pricey French delicacy is simply goose or duck liver that's been lightly cooked. When aged, it becomes very rich and flavorful. Goose livers are tastier and more expensive than duck livers. Some people refuse to eat foie gras because the animals are force-fed to enlarge their livers.
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