We’re serious; March 3rd is all about celebrating cold cuts.
You know - those thin slices of meat you find in the deli section of your grocery store. Why do we need a National Cold Cuts Day (and why are we celebrating it Mad Dog Style?) It’s not that strange when you think about it. We all (meaning anyone that eats meat) enjoy these thin slices of ham, turkey, and beef. And yet, they get plenty of bad press.
A Bad Rap
Cold cuts have a seriously bad rap in just about every category except convenience. And, as we all know, convenience foods are typically not the best for you. In addition to the way meat is often processed to create thin, consistent slices, there is a very real threat of germs.
And, the most likely area of contamination is the deli slicer at your local supermarket or sandwich place. Yikes! If not cleaned properly - and regularly, Listeria is likely to contaminate your meat. There is also the threat of E.Coli and Salmonella. But, don’t run away yet. Oddly enough, adding mustard to your cold cut sandwiches kills 90% of the Listera, E.Coli, and Salmonella pathogens. To that, we say, a dash of Mad Dog adds to the flavor of any sandwich.
Cold Cuts Is Another Word for…
Dead Guy. In Chile and Argentina, it’s common to refer to the dead as “fiambre” which is the Spanish word for cold cuts. It’s the same in Brazil, but there the Portuguese word “presunto” is used. Just think of a morgue, and you’ll understand where this word comes from.
However, Guatemala has a traditional cold cuts dish eaten on the first and second of November (not on March 3rd). It forms part of the All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days celebrations. So it’s not all bad news for cold cuts in Latin America.
But We Need to Move Past This
No matter what sort of a terrible time cold cuts have in the media, we just can’t discount them. Bologna, perhaps, and sliced liver loaf too - but cold cuts are good. They’re terrific for picnic lunches where a sandwich can be almost romantic. And, there are incredible continental cold cuts such as Parma and Serrano ham, authentic German Salami, Prosciutto, and Capicola (and, if you want a really good recipe that calls for continental cold cuts, you’ll need to try this Mad Dog pasta).
And, there’s absolutely nothing that says you can’t make your own cold cuts. It’s a simple process really. All you need to do is prepare a roast and slice it thinly. Think homemade roast beef and ham, and you’ll understand the flavor eruption that you can have in your mouth.
Now, imagine you’ve got freshly sliced, homemade roast beef, sourdough rolls, a few pickle slices, a bit of lettuce, that magic mustard mixed with a few drops of your favorite Mad Dog hot sauce. That’s exactly why we can’t do without cold cuts. It may be one of the most delicious foods to have a terrible rap. And, therefore, we’re certain that an entire day dedicated to celebrating cold cuts is not a bad idea at all.
