# Roast Beef lunchmeat; why is it wet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [June 10, 2021, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981 "2021-06-10T16:17:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/21 "2021-06-10T22:25:37Z")
From Wikipedia, I thought this common knowledge, but apparently not. > **Hogshead**. The **hogshead** of beer and ale was equal to a quarter of a tun, half a butt, a barrel and a half, or three kilderkins. This **unit** is close in size to the wine **hogshead**. In the mid-15th century the ale **hogshead** was defined as 48 ale or beer gallons (221.8 L). Stop the angry PMs. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/22 "2021-06-10T23:08:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The ones in the picture of the New Orleans po’ boy do look like a similar cut to Chicago Italian beefs, so perhaps the pot roast flavor comes from the gravy, which is a more beefy, roux-thickened looking gravy vs the jus-type of thin gravy the Chicago Italian beef has. Yes, the gravy is the main difference, both in flavor and texture or consistency. The beef seemed very similar with the po-boy perhaps a little thicker. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/23 "2021-06-10T23:15:35Z")
What on earth kind of angry emails were you getting? What did they think a hogshead was? Even if they thought it was the head of a hog what were they getting angry about? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/24 "2021-06-11T00:30:00Z")
They thought it was an abbreviation. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/25 "2021-06-11T01:04:21Z")
As the great Abe Simpson once remarked, to hell with metric, his car got 40 rods to the hogshead (which, if you do the math, is unspeakable poor mileage… I mean roddage.) ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/26 "2021-06-11T01:23:21Z")
without checking, I assume that would be roman measurements instead of arabic? I’m sorry, I don’t really have anything to add to the discussion of the OP, I’ll show myself out, the door is just a few unglies this way ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/27 "2021-06-11T01:40:27Z")
There’s a lot of moisture in packaged cold cuts, roast beef, ham, turkey - I used to buy it, separate slices and put on paper towels, roll up, and refrigerate. That was for the benefit of Mr. Salinqmind who liked it that way :-p. Cold cuts don’t freeze well, they’re too full of preservatives and get all soggy. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/28 "2021-06-11T13:19:33Z")
That looks exactly like the Boar’s Head brand freshly sliced roast beef I bought the other day. Ever try Bacon Jam on a roast beef sandwich? ---
**Author:** ![PackerMan2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/packerman2/32/2894_2.png) [@PackerMan2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PackerMan2)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/29 "2021-06-11T17:23:29Z")
Yep. We always have at least one in the pantry as the leftover soup\chili container. Woe be to the person who throws it away in our household. ---
**Author:** ![lum\_s\_husband](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lum_s_husband/32/3698_2.png) [@lum\_s\_husband](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lum_s_husband)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/30 "2021-06-12T19:52:50Z")
Why would you want dry beef? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981/31 "2021-06-12T21:17:08Z")
Good point. For 13.99 a pound though, maybe damp would be better than wet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roast-beef-lunchmeat-why-is-it-wet/943981.md?page=1)