Slicing meat or online shopping?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
88
Location
Dayton, OH
In college I worked during breaks at the best little italian deli. We served really good products and really low prices. I now live about 200 miles away, and the deli closed anyway, but for the life of me, I can't find a good, local source of lunchmeat. I work, and like to pack my lunches rather than going out, so sandwhiches are a big part of my week. However I simply can't take shopping for lunchmeat at the grocery stores any longer. It's too expensive, low quality, and goes bad way too fast. And unfortunately, there are no local options with reasonable prices ($8-10 per pound is crazy).

So! I was hoping for an alternative. Would it be a good idea to get my own slicer (I saw a small one at bed bath and beyond for like $100) and find (somewhere) some good meat, whole. I could store it in my freezer (I'd only need two different meats, and my freezer is pretty empy at the moment anyway, so I don't see space being a big issue), thaw it a a day in advance, cut what I need for the week, and re-freeze it.

Does this sound like a viable plan? Would the meat keep well in the freezer, would I be able to buy it bulk, and would it be cost effective?
 
The meat im sure would keep in the freezer for a while.
Longer than the lunchmeat I can assure you.

You can buy big slabs of meat. My it be ham, turkey, brisket, beef, or pork. We have tons at my work. Im sure you can find some at the grocery store. And if it's possible look into ordering from a place like Summit.

I think It would be cost effective. Cause you can get a good ham for dinner that could last your family a few days, for less than the same amount of processed, and pre-sliced meats.

If you want to spend the money for a slicer, and you and whomever you live with can be careful enough, then I would say go for it.
 
I don't think cured meats freeze terribly well for one thing. I can not see the cost effectiveness of this myself just for making sandwiches.
An alternative to keeping lunch meat from going bad is to re-package and vacuum seal it. A FoodSaver might be your best investment at $50.
Have you gone to Dorothy Lane for your meats? I feel pretty sure that Dayton has some decent deli meats. How about Trader JOe's?
I shop for deli meat when it goes on sale and adjust my lunch needs to what I have. Just some ideas. ;o)

It's too bad that the old market in downtown Dayton ARcade is no longer there. WHAT a place!!
 
Last edited:
I order all my deli type meats long distance. There's a place up in Michigan called Kowalski meats that just makes the best stuff you've ever had. It's not terribly cost effective for me (I live in Oregon) but you being in Ohio it might be a viable option.
 
One thing you can't do is thaw and refreeze. You could sliced it all, an decide what you would need for the week, packaging so many slices per bag and freeze. Label so you can tell how long it will keep in the freezer without changing flovor. Good luck ! I freeze bologna all the time, but that is about it.
 
I have some really nice ground beef and ground goat meat. I make a meatloaf and slice it for sandwiches. Slice, wrap and freeze what you need for a week.
 
I have a meat slicer. When I buy meat for slicing, I tend to slice it all in one setting then package it up in small amounts for freezing. That way I only have to clean the slicer once and the meat only thaws once when I'm ready for it. I usually do ham since it is easy to buy already cooked and freezes well. I've not tried to slice a turkey breast or roast beef.
 
I have a slicer too. It's my husbands toy. He bought it to slice hams and I think he used it about twice. I keep meaning to put it in a garage sale or something. You can do what you are suggesting, but it is time consuming.
 
Back
Top Bottom