Deli counter – Cooked and Cured Meats
ButcherSA explores the delicious selection of cured and cooked meats, available to the deli operator.
We also look at how ingredients and packaging ensure consistent quality, appearance and shelf life of these susceptible products.
As your cold meat selection is fully visible to the customer at the deli counter, an attractive display is imperative. The first prerequisite is that products convey freshness, the second is variety.
There is a plethora of meats available to the deli counter supervisor, most locally produced but many with a continental twist.
Starting with pork products, we are spoiled for choice with a vast array of cured, cooked, baked, oven-roasted and hot-smoked hams on offer.
Worldwide favourite smoked Black Forest Ham is seasoned with pepper, juniper berries, coriander, garlic and other spices. Pepper and Alpen ham are also seasoned with black pepper but the latter has the addition of paprika.
Continental ham is defatted leg of pork, cooked and cured in a round mould, whereas Country ham is made from topside and silverside, leaving a small portion of fat which is cooked and smoked. Gypsy ham retains a thin layer of fat ±5mm cured and hot smoked and oven baked until black in appearance. Hickory ham retains no fat or skin and is cured, cooked and smoked.
Other speciality hams include Pesto ham, a cured leg of pork covered with Pesto sauce and basil leaves, wrapped in a net, slightly smoked and cooked.
On the subject of speciality hams, no article would be complete without the inclusion of Parma ham, this boneless cured and air-dried meat is matured for around 12 months, sometimes up to 2 years. It is imported from Italy where it is almost a national dish. Certain local suppliers have emulated the process some with great success.
Still with pork products, we cannot ignore gammon, although this tends to be a seasonal favourite, there is a steady demand for it throughout the year. This is available in a number of variants, including with bone, deboned, rolled and glazed.
Kasseler comes in cooked and smoked rib, as well as roll shape. Locally made Portuguese Piao Kasseler is guaranteed to be an attention-grabbing addition to the deli operator’s selection. This is pickled pork loin spiced in garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper and black pepper; air dried and smoked.
If all the above is not enough, we should mention the variety of ham loaves on offer, perfect for sandwiches, tramezzinis etc.
Meats set in gelatin remain firmly rooted in South African tradition. In addition to plain or curried pork brawn, be sure to stock ham and chicken in aspic.
Popular beef products include roast beef, smoked beef, pepper beef, tongue and pastrami. Although beef navels are the traditional cut of meat for making pastrami, it is now common to see pastrami made from beef brisket, beef round and turkey.
An interesting combination of beef and pork is the Italian specialty Mortadella which has a fine texture with coarse speck cubes – delicious!
Although salami is a cured, fermented and air-dried sausage, all local salamis are used as cold meats for anti-pasta, sandwiches, pizza toppings and pasta dishes, and are thus incorporated on in this article.
Smoked and matured Brotform salami is a medium-texture salami delicately spiced with garlic added. It is not in a casing but moulded and covered with crushed black pepper coating.
Cervelat, which contains 50% beef and 50% pork, has a fine texture and contains mustard seed. It is naturally matured and smoked.
Smoked and matured Hungarian Salami contains beef and pork and has a medium to fine texture. It is spiced with garlic and white pepper corns.
Naturally matured, unsmoked Italian Salami has a coarse texture and is spiced with garlic and black pepper.
Naturally matured and smoked Pepper Salami, made of 50% beef and 50% pork, has a medium texture with added green Madagascar pepper corns.
Pepperoni is made of 50% fine-texture pork with bacon cubes added. It is spiced with fresh chillies and garlic.
Besides Large White Salami, there is also Milano – a small white salami containing 50% beef and 50% pork with a medium texture filled into a white casing. It is spiced with fresh garlic.
Beef Salami is delicately spiced with garlic and white pepper, while French Salami is made of pure pork spiced with pepper and garlic.
Polony otherwise known as Bologna, is a large smoked sausage made of seasoned mixed meats.
Chicken and Turkey tend to be supplied in aspic as outlined above, rolled or compressed into loaves.
A variety of meat loaves are also on offer containing everything from bacon and egg, olives, pimentos and cheese.
While not everyone’s favourite, no deli counter would be complete without Tongue. The local variety is usually plain or pickled
Deli operators can obtain cold and cured meats of exceptional quality from Feinschmecker.
Feinschmecker Deli Meats is a leading deli meat distributor specialising in premium-quality products for the commercial trade. As a trusted cold meat supplier, we offer free nationwide delivery on all orders, ensuring your business gets the best value.
If you’re looking for a deli meat supplier and a wholesale deli meat distributor, Feinschmecker is your go-to choice. As a wholesale cooked meat supplier, we aim to deliver excellence with every order. Partner with the industry leader and experience unmatched service today!
Pork Cooked
Feinschmecker’s Pork Cooked range offers an exquisite selection of premium deli meats, including tender hams, flavorful gammons, and Italian specialties like Mortadella and Prosciutto Cotto. Perfect for sandwiches, charcuterie boards, or gourmet meals, this collection features smoked, glazed, and seasoned options such as Hickory Ham, Gypsy Ham, and Pepper Kasseler, ensuring a delicious choice for every occasion.
Beef Cooked
Feinschmecker’s Beef Cooked range includes: Cooked Beef Silverside, Cooked Beef Tongue, Gypsey Beef, Gypsey Beef Smoked (Half), Pastrami Roast, Roast Beef and Whole Ox Tongue Cooked.
Poultry Cooked
Feinschmecker’s Poultry Cooked Range includes: Fresy Turkey Breast, Fresh Whole Turkey Frozen, Kaiser Turkey Roll, Smoked Chicken Breast, Smoked Chicken Roll, Smoked Cooked Turkey Breast, Smoked Paprika Chicken Roll, Turkey Pastrami Smoked, Unsmoked Chicken Loaf and Whole Smoked Cooked Chicken
Loaves Cooked
Feinschmecker’s Loaves Cooked Range includes: Curry Brawn Premium, Fleischkase/Leberkase, Kaiser Bacon & Cheese Loaf, Kaiser Chicken Loaf, Kaiser Chilli Loaf, Kaiser Curry Brawn, Kaiser Han & Tongue Loaf, Kaiser Mustard Beef, Olive Loaf premium, pepper Loaf/Bake Premium and Pimento Loaf Premium
Sausages Cooked
Feinschmecker’s Sausages Cooked Range includes: Bockwurst Smoked, Cheesegriller Smoked, Chhesegriller Smoked Cocktail, Chourizo Cooded & Smoked, Frankfurter/Knackwurst Smoked, Hollandse Rookwors, Kaiser Smoked Cheese Grillers, Kaiser Smoked Frankfurters, Kaiser Smoked Russians, Russians Smoked ND Vienna Sausage Smoked Cocktail.
Salami
Feinschmecker’s Salami Range includes: Beef Salami Large Smoked, Beef Salami Medium Smoked, Brotform Pfeffersalami Smoked, Cervelat Salami Large Smoked, Cervelat Salami Medium Smoked, Chourizo Curado Smoked, Genoa Style Salami Smoked, Italian Salami Large, Italian Salami Medium, Landjager Salami Sticks Smoked, Milano Salami Smoked, Pepper Salami Large Smoked, Pepper Salami Medium Smoked, Pepperoni Salami Large, Pepperoni Salami Smoked, Pizza Pepperoni Cooked, Pizza Salami Medium, Salami Sticks Smoked, Smoked Hungarian Salami, Smoked Mini Salami and Traditional Salami Large Smoked
Dry Cured
Feinschmecker’s Dry Cured Range includes: Beef Biltong, Beef Bresaola Italian, Beef Droewors, Black Forest ham Smoked, Coppa Italian, pancetta Flat Italian, Pancetta rolled Italian and Smoked Beef.
Imports
Feinschmecker’s Imports Range includes: Jamon Serrano Imported Spanish and Prosciutto Crudo Imported Italian
Full Pre-pack Range
Feinschmecker’s Full Pre-pack Range includes: Alphen Ham Smoked, Beef Bresaola Italian, Beef Salami Large Smoked, Black Forest Ham, Bockwurst Smoked, Brotform Pfeffersalami Smoked, Cervelat salami Large Smoked. Chourizo Curado Smoked, Chourizo Cooked & Smoked, Continental Cooked Ham, Cooked Beef Silverside, Cooked Beef Tongue, Cooked Ham, Coppa Italian, Country Ham Smoked, Curry Brawn premium, Frankfurter/Knackwurst Smoked, Gammon Boneless Smoked, Cooked & Glazed, Gypsy Beef Smoked, Gypsey Ham Smoked, Hickory Ham Smoked, Hollandse Rookwors, Honey Mustard Ham Smoked, Italian Salami Large, Italian Salami medium, Jamon Serrano Imported Spanish, Kasseler Roll, Landjager Salami Sticks Smoked, Mortadella Italian Speciality, Pancetta Rolled Italian, Pastrami Roast, Pepper Ham Smoked, Pepper Salami Large Smoked, Pepperoni Salami Smoked, Prosciutto Crudo Imported Italian, Roast Beef, Rosemary Ham, Smoked Beef, Smoked Chicken Breast, Smoked Chicken Roll, Smoked Cooked Turkey Breast, Turkey Pastrami Smoked, Zeeheim Bacon & Cheese Roll, Zeeheim Beef & Mustard Roll, Zeeheim Cervelat Salami, Zeeheim Chicken Roll, Zeeheim Chilli Roll, Zeeheim Cooked Ham, Zeeheim Curry Brawn and Zeeheim Ham & Tongue.
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Addressing freshness, pre-packed deli products are suitably cosseted from contamination, but meats that are displayed, for example in roll form, must be protected from elevated temperatures and oxygen as well as ultraviolet light, which either turn the meat grey or green, or causes the colour to fade.
When customers request sliced meats, they should be cut in paper thin slices or as the customer dictates and packaged in deli wax or grease proof paper or placed in plastic, polystyrene or pulp trays and covered in shrink film.
From a meat producer point of view, the retention of the correct colour of the meat is crucial and starts in the production chain – from animal genetics to nutrition and correct carcass transportation to housing at the abattoir.
The colour of cured meat depends on the type of meat used (meat colour is determined largely by the amount of myoglobin a particular animal carries – the more myoglobin present, the darker the meat), the amount of nitrite used and the period of curing, and cooking temperature.
The sodium salts of nitrate (NaNO3) and nitrite (NaNO2) are used in the curing and preserving of processed meats for three purposes: to preserve colour, especially the pink colour for hot dogs; to enhance flavour by inhibiting rancidity; and to protect against bacterial growth.
Cured meats develop a particular pink-reddish colour due to the reaction that takes place between meat myoglobin and nitrate/nitrite. If insufficient amounts of nitrate/nitrite are added to the meat or the curing period is too short, the final cured colour will be poorly developed. This will be less noticeable in products where the meat is ground and stuffed, but slicing a larger piece, like a ham, will reveal the unacceptable grey-and-pink colour.
Colour presentation – the most important single factor affecting consumer acceptance – is further enhanced by the correct packaging employed by meat processors. Additional packaging requirements involve the vapour transmission rate (VTR) and the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) required.
Processed products require more sophisticated and extensive packaging because they will be stored at higher temperatures for longer periods than refrigerated products.
Much of the research for extending the shelf life, safety, and quality of foods has shifted from manipulating the product to controlling the packaging system. The emphasis remains on controlling the atmosphere, particularly the presence of oxygen, a major factor in food deterioration through aerobic pathogens.
The meat industry has embraced the development of Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), which flushes packaging with nitrogen (N2) or carbon dioxide (CO2) before sealing the package tray with a plastic lidding stock. AGQPE and Ulma Packaging supply a wide variety of MAP packaging machine solutions (Thermoforming, Tray Sealing and Flow Wrapping) for sliced cured meat. Another alternative used by many processed meat suppliers is shrink bags or laminated metallic pouches, plastic films or foils.
Cured meats have special requirements as opposed to fresh meat. Shorter shelf-life fresh meat requires the presence of oxygen for maintaining colour for consumer appeal. Cured meats degrade in the presence of oxygen, which plays a negative role in both the colour stability and shelf life of RTE (ready-to-eat) meat products. Consequently, removal of traces of oxygen has a major impact on the appearance and shelf life of vacuum or MAP sliced meat products.
Exim International, Crown National and Freddy Hirsch supply complete curing ingredients, including additives to preserve food colour and prolong shelf life.
