# Why no roast pork in American delis? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754 "2013-11-12T21:50:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/21 "2013-11-13T12:41:21Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes. We pretty eat only four meats: chicken, beef, pork, and turkey. The average American eats about 110 pounds of meat in a year and less than eight ounces of it is lamb (and that’s an average - the reality is most Americans don’t eat any lamb). To put it in perspective, the average American annual consumption of lamb is lower than the average Israeli annual consumption of pork. I’ve always found that quite surprising and didn’t know if it was true, as lamb is so popular in many countries, including the UK and Italy where many Americans can trace their heritage. They also don’t eat much lamb in Germany – I wonder if German immigrants have influenced US cuisine to that extent? Many British people have fairly conservative meat likes too (chicken/beef/lamb/pork), but other meats are readily available in even mainstream supermarkets (duck, turkey, pheasant, grouse, venison etc). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/22 "2013-11-13T16:17:27Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > How much effect do we think the Jewish delis of the the world have had on delis in general? Do the delis you’ve looked in have a reasonable selection of other pork products? I’m assuming you’re not looking for roast pork in a kosher deli… For some reason, I’m having a helluva time finding halal carnitas. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/23 "2013-11-13T17:00:07Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > I’ve always found that quite surprising and didn’t know if it was true, as lamb is so popular in many countries, including the UK and Italy where many Americans can trace their heritage. They also don’t eat much lamb in Germany – I wonder if German immigrants have influenced US cuisine to that extent? > > Many British people have fairly conservative meat likes too (chicken/beef/lamb/pork), but other meats are readily available in even mainstream supermarkets (duck, turkey, pheasant, grouse, venison etc). Lamb is, indeed, not very often eaten here, but more often than not, supermarkets, at least around here, will carry at least lamb chops. Stuff like duck, goose, rabbit, etc., will usually take a bit of digging. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to find some bison these days, too, at least in ground/minced form. As for pheasant and venison (I don’t think there’s much grouse around here)? I would have to research where to find those at retail. I’ve only gotten the raw meat from hunters in the past. The pork thing is curious, though. Pretty much every deli here will have ham, roast beef, and roast turkey. So we eat roasts as deli meats very commonly, and it’s not really a kosher thing, as most delis carry ham (unless, of course, you’re specifically at a kosher or halal deli). But roast pork is generally found in ethnic delis. I have no idea why it hasn’t caught on in the mainstream. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/24 "2013-11-13T18:42:51Z")
If you want game meats like venison or pheasant, you have to look for a specialty butcher. Any reasonably large city should have one. There’s one near me (suburbs north of Seattle) that even carries ostrich and alligator along with the more obvious options like bison, elk, deer. In regards to lamb, I’m an American who loves it, but it’s so expensive here. At my Costco, a rack of lamb is $16/lb. I can get lobster for $20/lb! Meanwhile, even the boneless leg of lamb is $6/lb. Ribeye steaks are only $8/lb and a roast like tri-tip is $6/lb. Compare all this to pork at about $2.50/lb and chicken at $1.20/lb. So lamb is something I get when I want something nice, but it has a lot of competition in the nice category. In the end, I only eat lamb about a dozen times a year. Going back to roast pork… I do roast pork sandwiches when I have leftovers from dinner. It’s OK… but only OK. It has all the potential for dryness as turkey and even less inherent flavor. You can always add flavor to pork… but I’m pretty sure that’s what I call ham. 🙂 So color me as an American who would never even think to order roast pork from a deli. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/25 "2013-11-13T18:51:32Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > In regards to lamb, I’m an American who loves it, but it’s so expensive here. At my Costco, a rack of lamb is $16/lb. I can get lobster for $20/lb! Meanwhile, even the boneless leg of lamb is $6/lb. If you have a Middle Eastern or South Asian (Indo-Pak) part of town, you might get have better luck with prices. I don’t know what rack goes for, as I generally buy the slow-cooking cuts, but shoulder goes for about $2.50-$3/lb around here. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/26 "2013-11-13T19:41:40Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If you have a Middle Eastern or South Asian (Indo-Pak) part of town, you might get have better luck with prices. I don’t know what rack goes for, as I generally buy the slow-cooking cuts, but shoulder goes for about $2.50-$3/lb around here. I’ll have to look into that. I don’t know of anything off the top of my head, but the guy down the hall at my office building is always trying to get us to try Indian foods. He would certainly know. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/27 "2013-11-13T22:06:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes. We pretty eat only four meats: chicken, beef, pork, and turkey. The average American eats about 110 pounds of meat in a year and less than eight ounces of it is lamb (and that’s an average - the reality is most Americans don’t eat any lamb). To put it in perspective, the average American annual consumption of lamb is lower than the average Israeli annual consumption of pork. More lamb for me 😃 Though yes it is a pain in the ass to find lamb, though one time you will find it is around Easter. > [@dracoi](#): > > If you want game meats like venison or pheasant, you have to look for a specialty butcher. Any reasonably large city should have one. There’s one near me (suburbs north of Seattle) that even carries ostrich and alligator along with the more obvious options like bison, elk, deer. > > Going back to roast pork… I do roast pork sandwiches when I have leftovers from dinner. It’s OK… but only OK. It has all the potential for dryness as turkey and even less inherent flavor. You can always add flavor to pork… but I’m pretty sure that’s what I call ham. 🙂 So color me as an American who would never even think to order roast pork from a deli. And for some damned reason there really isn’t a butcher shop around that carries game anywhere short of either Boston or NY, I am in the desert between them. Anything other than the basic boring 4 is fairly expensive. And thank the morons who are breeding low fat pork for the dryness. If you luck out and can get some of the heirloom fatty pigs, you can still get moist pork, although not cooking it into well done leather helps the moistness - the FDA has actually determined that you can have rare or medium pork … ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/28 "2013-11-13T23:11:33Z")
I just bought some sliced pork loin in a deli, not a week ago. I don’t know the brand, but it was pork loin (not a solid ‘white’ but white and a darker piece), tightly packed in a long round roll and sliced thin. It’s not common, like the dozens of hams, salamis, pastramis, bolognas, chicken and turkey, etc. but it’s in the deli case. This was in a big grocery store deli. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/29 "2013-11-13T23:53:28Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > If you want game meats like venison or pheasant, you have to look for a specialty butcher. Any reasonably large city should have one. There’s one near me (suburbs north of Seattle) that even carries ostrich and alligator along with the more obvious options like bison, elk, deer. > . Minneapolis has a big Somali population. Within three miles of me I can get camel and goat. I suspect part of the deal in the U.S. Is that there it is such a melting pot. Mainstream grocers can’t carry everything, so they pick what sells. In a large city specialty markets will meet the need for camel. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/30 "2013-11-14T00:17:58Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Minneapolis has a big Somali population. Within three miles of me I can get camel and goat. No kidding? Didn’t realize camel got sold in the US. Goat I can find relatively easily (although a lot of it isn’t–apparently–really goat, but mutton. However when you go to the grocery and see the big goat head there for sale, you figure it’s legit. ETA: Actually, to be precise, I should say what is sold under the name “chivo,” which means “goat” in Spanish, is sometimes actually mutton.) Wonder what camel is like. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/31 "2013-11-14T01:13:31Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > I’ve always found that quite surprising and didn’t know if it was true, as lamb is so popular in many countries, including the UK and Italy where many Americans can trace their heritage. They also don’t eat much lamb in Germany – I wonder if German immigrants have influenced US cuisine to that extent? . Nope, the anti-lamb thing goes back to WWII when many U.S troops were in the South Pacific and got sick of mutton. Vile, not like lamb. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Lamb is, indeed, not very often eaten here, but more often than not, supermarkets, at least around here, will carry at least lamb chops. > [@dracoi](#): > > In regards to lamb, I’m an American who loves it, but it’s so expensive here. At my Costco, a rack of lamb is $16/lb. I can get lobster for $20/lb! Meanwhile, even the boneless leg of lamb is $6/lb. Ribeye steaks are only $8/lb and a roast like tri-tip is $6/lb. Compare all this to pork at about $2.50/lb and chicken at $1.20/lb. So lamb is something I get when I want something nice, but it has a lot of competition in the nice category. In the end, I only eat lamb about a dozen times a year. > [@aruvqan](#): > > More lamb for me 😃 Though yes it is a pain in the ass to find lamb, though one time you will find it is around Easter. I’m pretty sure I’m telling you mainstream info on the availability of lamb in mainstream U.S. I live in Akron Ohio, about typical mainstream. I can go out to my two mainstream groceries(Giant Eagle and Acme) and get, on any given day, ground lamb, lamb chops for sure, leg of lamb, shoulder chops, sometimes sirloin chops(a bargain) and rack of lamb. Rack of lamb is almost always from New Zealand, as are the other cuts. This is the cheapest lamb in the US. Lamb that is from Colorado and points West is more expensive than imported NZ lamb. But, worth it. NZ rack is $16 US. Domestic rack is $22-25/lb. Worth every penny. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/32 "2013-11-14T01:42:24Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I live in Akron Ohio, about typical mainstream. I can go out to my two mainstream groceries(Giant Eagle and Acme) and get, on any given day, ground lamb, lamb chops for sure, leg of lamb, shoulder chops, sometimes sirloin chops(a bargain) and rack of lamb. That actually is pretty impressive. I’m in Chicago, and I have to know where to go to get most of that. I wish my local grocery had ground lamb always. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/33 "2013-11-14T09:17:47Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That actually is pretty impressive. I’m in Chicago, and I have to know where to go to get most of that. I wish my local grocery had ground lamb always. Can’t make a shepherd’s pie without it! Of course, you could always grind your own. I use one of those manual meat grinders you attach to your kitchen work surface. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/34 "2013-11-14T11:50:32Z")
> [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > Of course, I generalize. I’m sure there’s a deli out there somewhere that has roast pork. But in this area, if you go to the deli counter at any local supermarket, you’ll find roast turkey, roast chicken, roast beef, and numerous varieties of ham, but no roast pork. Indeed, looking at the Boar’s Head [product list](http://boarshead.com/products/) confirms that the most prominent deli meat producer doesn’t even make it. Closest thing they have is porketta. > > I love a good Cuban sandwich, but I can only make them when I have roast pork leftovers because it seems the only way to get roast pork is to make your own. > > What’s the deal? Not enough demand? Too difficult to make a good product with a decent shelf life? Why no roast pork in the deli? When I moved from NYC/NJ to NC I also had trouble finding roast pork for Cuban sandwiches. My local grocery now offers a chunk of roasted pork loin a few days each week in the hot section of the deli, along with the rotisserie chicken. I’ve found that makes fantastic Cuban sandwiches. > [@SanVito](#): > > Nah, it’s very common here in the UK ([supermarket sample](http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/groceries/frameset/redirect.jsp;GROSESSIONID=SDvT0CTLL1QbpHFrCYMJGtW0wTQrF9CHnryM0mFRkYJlc2RvhJ1r!2102069887?bmForm=deep_link_groceries_search_javascript&bmFormID=1384345518685&bmUID=1384345518685&screenWidth=2560)). It sounds like a US thing. Is it true you guys also don’t eat much lamb? I never had lamb growing up in NJ. It was just not a meat my parents ate. My ex-wife’s family is originally from Spain and they eat a lot of lamb, so I have grown to really appreciate it. My kids love it too. They prefer burgers made with ground lamb to ground beef. It is pricey here though. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/35 "2013-11-14T12:46:47Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I never had lamb growing up in NJ. It was just not a meat my parents ate. My ex-wife’s family is originally from Spain and they eat a lot of lamb, so I have grown to really appreciate it. My kids love it too. They prefer burgers made with ground lamb to ground beef. It is pricey here though. It’s roughly equivalent in price to beef in the UK (depending on the cut of course). Pork and chicken are a lot cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/36 "2013-11-14T12:51:46Z")
My ground lamb in Akron costs $6.99 lb. U.S. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/37 "2013-11-14T13:10:09Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > My ground lamb in Akron costs $6.99 lb. U.S. I pay roughly $5.40 for ground lamb. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/38 "2013-11-14T13:22:47Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I’m pretty sure I’m telling you mainstream info on the availability of lamb in mainstream U.S. > > I live in Akron Ohio, about typical mainstream. I can go out to my two mainstream groceries(Giant Eagle and Acme) and get, on any given day, ground lamb, lamb chops for sure, leg of lamb, shoulder chops, sometimes sirloin chops(a bargain) and rack of lamb. Rack of lamb is almost always from New Zealand, as are the other cuts. This is the cheapest lamb in the US. Lamb that is from Colorado and points West is more expensive than imported NZ lamb. But, worth it. NZ rack is $16 US. Domestic rack is $22-25/lb. Worth every penny. Same here. Well, I’m not sure about prices, but lamb is very easy to find in Atlanta grocery stores. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/39 "2013-11-14T14:58:25Z")
$7.99 for a shrink-wrapped 1lb. package here. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754/40 "2013-11-14T15:16:23Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Can’t make a shepherd’s pie without it! Of course, you could always grind your own. I use one of those manual meat grinders you attach to your kitchen work surface. You’re one of those “cottage pie” people aren’t you? 🙂 (That is, shepherd’s pie isn’t shepherd’s pie unless it has lamb. With beef, it’s cottage pie.) I’ll take it either way, but I certainly prefer it with lamb. Grinding would be fine if most of the groceries carried good cuts to grind. Mostly, if I see lamb, it’s just chops and possibly leg around Easter. (I mean, if I don’t go to the Middle Eastern neighborhood or the Halal butcher a few miles from my house–then you can even find whole lamb carcasses if you want them.) > [@samclem](#): > > My ground lamb in Akron costs $6.99 lb. U.S. Holy crap. It’s like $3/lb here when I find it. (ETA: I should add that when I find it, it’s typically at the places that sell all sorts of lamb. No idea what it goes for at a regular supermarket, as I don’t see it often there.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-roast-pork-in-american-delis/673754.md?page=3)