The Under-The-Radar Deli Meats You Should Try On Your Next Italian Sandwich

Italian sandwiches come in many forms, whether it's a traditional New York hero or a muffuletta from New Orleans, but all of them have some common traits. They're piled high with various deli meats and cheeses. If you're making an Italian sandwich at home and want to venture beyond such typical cold cuts as ham, salami, prosciutto, or even capicola, Owen Han, the author of "Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich" is here to help. The culinary content producer and TikTok star known as the "Sandwich King" has a soft spot for some under-the-radar deli meats, including mortadella, which he enthusiastically endorses.

"I absolutely love it," Han tells Chowhound in an exclusive Q and A. "I call it fancy baloney. Visually, I think it scares some people but it has such a rich flavor, balanced fattiness, versatility, and heritage and tradition to its use." Mortadella is a pork-based cured meat studded with fat cubes, chopped pistachios, black pepper, and myrtle berries. This cold cut originates from Bologna, Italy, and has a history dating back to the ancient Romans. Han is not alone in his love of this deli meat. Anthony Bourdain, the late chef, author, and TV personality, was also a huge fan. Look no further than his mortadella and provolone sandwich for proof. But Han also loves an even more obscure deli meat: bresaola.

Owen Han grew up eating bresaola, but if you're unfamiliar with this cold cut, that may be because it's not hugely popular in the U.S. "For some reason, a lot of American delis don't have it but I think it's a better-tasting version of prosciutto we should all be in love with," Han says. Bresaola, which deserves a spot on your charcuterie board or in your Italian sandwich, is a deep-red colored cured meat made from beef that originates from the Lombardy region of Northern Italy.

Bresaola often gets compared to prosciutto, although the latter is made from pork. Both are sliced ultra thin and salt cured. Bresaola is typically made from the eye of round, a super lean cut of beef, and spiced with white pepper and nutmeg, among other ingredients. Now that you have two new cold cuts — mortadella and bresaola — for your Italian sandwich repertoire, we suggest adding a bit of spice to the mix with Han's Calabrian chili mayonnaise that gives a piquant kick to Italian sandwiches.