Surprising Supermarket Find - Boar's Head All-Natural

by Amy McDaniel, Posted Jan 27th 2009 @ 7:01PM

As a kid, I thought that sliced-to-order Boar's Head-brand deli meats seemed like a huge step up from pre-sliced Oscar Meyer. But then a whole world opened up before me of gourmet shops selling heritage ham and restaurants who cured their own salumi. I've partaken of true, two-foot-diameter Mortadella from a shop in Bologna and buttery, beefy pastirma--the original pastrami--from Turkey. When I thought sliced meat, Boar's Head was the furthest thing from my mind.

Unfortunately, my wallet can't keep up with my expensive taste, and I've recently resolved to do most of my food shopping at a regular supermarket instead of gourmet shops. Combine with that a commitment to preparing my own lunch instead of purchasing it out, and I was headed to the old deli section of the store for turkey sandwich fixin's. I stared at the many standard options, all unappealing despite their supposed selling points: no glaze or rub could transform ordinary, mass-produced sandwich meat.

But then a few much smaller specimens caught my eye, all labeled "Boar's Head All-Natural." No nitrates, no hormones, no 17% water added. I sampled one called "Tuscan Style Turkey," swathed through and through with an appealing, and non-artificial mixture of herbs like rosemary and oregano. The meat itself lacked any of that weird slickness found on some sliced meat; in fact, it actually tasted like sliced fresh turkey. Imagine! I took home a half pound (some pictured here awaiting sandwich duty) and have enjoyed every bit. Next I'll try "French Country Style," which throws lavender into the mix. It may not beat something small-batch and handmade and $30/pound, but it will most certainly do.

Filed Under: Ingredients, New Products
Tags: all natural, all natural turkey, boars head, boars head turkey, BoarsHead, poultry, sandwiches

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-28-2009 @12:24AM Freezer said... Want to get rid of that slick watery feeling in "store bought" lunch meat? Freeze it and thaw it with paper towels in the bag. The freezing pulls out the water and the paper towels lap it up during defrosting. The meat feels and tastes better...like meat should.
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1-28-2009 @12:50AM doodoolemonque said... living in Western North Carolina it is impossible to get Boar's Heads meat or any other higher quality sliced meat in the chain grocery stores. It requires an extra stop, or 2. Both the Ingles grocery stores and the Bi-Lo stores carry Dietz Watson, a lower end brand. I'm not sure why one or the other doesn't upgrade for a competitive edge over the other. Ingles has newer, brighter, better stocked and managed stores, but are hardly the caliber of a Publix. God, I miss Publix.
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4-09-2009 @10:16PM Low Fat Jen said... I had no idea boars heads existed. I wonder what they will cut up next LOL
http://www.lowfatchickenrecipes.info
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