While it is easy to run to the nearest deli shop and get the best looking, best tasting bologna, salami, or ham, nothing beats homemade cooking especially if you will have guests to entertain for lunch or dinner. What more, plastic wrapped meats that were reproduced on a mass scale sound haunting and offishly scary.
If you wish to have a do-it-yourself roast beef or a homemade bologna, then here is a list of five Albertsons deli meat recipes that will be great for house parties, cocktail parties and the like.
1) Perfect Roast Beef
This recipe from Saveur notes of the slow cooking process of the roast beef which in turn makes way to a delicious, mouthwatering, and tender deli meat.
To make the roast beef, choose a top sirloin, a cut that will give a full flavor but does not require too long of a cooking time. Have your butcher tie it so it will be cooked evenly then season it with salt and pepper before tucking in the oven at 200 degrees for three hours and 20 minutes.
The low temperature will help achieve the uniform pink color going from the center to the crusty edge. Cool the roast beef in the refrigerator before thinly slicing it for your cocktail or intimate party tonight.
2) Duck Prosciutto
This Michael Ruhlman recipe uses duck breast for a less taxing task, saving you time in the cooking and preparation time. Watered, salted, dried, and hung for seven days, this magret duck breast is perfect for foie gras and delicious when served medium rare. It can also be thinly sliced for salads with Dijon mustard and croutons.
3) Big Daddy’s Pastrami
From The Food Network box of recipes, this great Sunday afternoon concoction will be a great way to start the week and can be eaten as part of a sandwich, pizza or anything else up until the weekend.
To make the pastrami, a brine solution made from water, kosher salt, garlic, brown sugar, bay leaf, and pickling spice must be used. A gallon would do to submerge the entire pound of beef brisket. Boil it over high heat then pat dry to rub off the spice mixture of ground coriander seeds and black peppercorns.
Bake in a 300 degree oven for four hours before slicing. Serve it on rye bread with a Thousand Island dressing to make a delicious sandwich fit for any parties.
4) Baked Country Ham
From Leite’s Culinaria, this recipe creates a succulent ham that is perfect for holiday gatherings and any meals. Best served with wine, the delicious porky goodness will also work well with sandwiches, crackers, and even salads.
To make the ham, soak an eight-pound country ham in a solution made from cider vinegar, cloves, brown sugar, mustard seeds, and bay leaves for 24 hours, changing the solution every six hours or so. Bake it on a 375-degree oven for about an hour then let it rest for 15 minutes. Serve it as is or in slices.
