Making lunchmeat this weekend

apinion said:

Where can you get that netting around the turkey breast?

No idea. The breast came with it on it already. I hope someone chimes in with a source, as having a few around would be nice. Yea, twine works just as well, but sometimes it just wants to slide.

pgprescott said:

Do you need my address, so you can drop those off?  Looking awesome. Sammiches to follow this week?

Thank you.
Sandwiches, yes, but probably nothing special or post worthy.  I am still cutting back to lose my last 4 lbs, so most of the things that make a sandwich great is going to be left off.  But the sandwiches that I do make will still be good to me because lunchmeat you make yourself is 100 times better than what you buy at the store. 

@texasrig thank you.  It will last us a week.  I will also use it in my eggs in the morning and perhaps a dinner as well. 

gijoejd said:

This on ham:

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1133627/maple-bourbon-ham

Its really good stuff. 

Yes, I had some at an eggfest in FL last year. It was delicious. I will certainly be making that at easter.....  if not sooner.

@NDG and @Froman ,
First off, thank you. I did not see many posts about lunchmeat, so I thought I would post one and maybe, possibly help someone in some way.

About the slicers...
First off, I want to say that The ChefsChoice was not a bad slicer at all, but as soon as I used it for slicing one batch of bacon, I knew it was not going to satisfy all my needs or wants. I am a firm believer in buying the best you can reasonably afford when factoring in how much you are going to use it, and you always want to use the right tool for the right job.

Pros of the CC slicer:
Small footprint
Cost was reasonable
Could slice bacon as long as it was less than about 7 inches (I cut mine into 6") so it was not a problem.
Super light to carry
Super easy to clean
Seemed powerful for its size

Cons:
With all the plastic, I was concerned with durability over time.
The blade was small. If you wanted to do something with some height, you would be limited.
It came stock with a serrated blade, and I think you should have a smooth blade for most slicing needs, so you have to pay more for the blade you will use most of the time. Grrrr.....
No sharpener. What would happen if they stopped making this model and blades?

So I started to look around and I found there is a pretty big gap between the CC level slicers and the true commercial models. The biggest point of course was cost. I did not want to spend anywhere near $500. Nor did I want to wait for something on CL. Then I found this link:
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/avantco-sl310-10-manual-gravity-feed-meat-slicer-1-4-hp/177SL310.html

I found that there is a store somewhat near me that is a sister company to the one in the link, so I went to look at different models in person. I was able to see the models side by side. I was shocked at the size difference between the 9, 10, 11 and 12" models. Each one was about 15% bigger than the smaller one. When factoring everything in, the 10" was perfect for me.
It was still small enough that I did not need to keep in the kitchen, was able to easily carry it (and so can my wife), footprint is reasonable, and it was powerful.  No plastic on this except the black knobs. It will slice a 5" high roast, which I do not think the CC could do, though I did not try it. It also has a sharpener which they say you will only need to use once a year if under normal use (1 hour of slicing a day) so I might use it in 3-4 years, but if I want to use it sooner - it is there.  This thing is a small version of the real deal you see at the deli.

However, there are a few drawbacks. It did cost more. It is bigger, but not too big, and it takes me about 20 mins to clean - opposed to 3 or 4 for the CC. None of these were showstoppers, so I picked it up. I have no regrets getting this. 

If you have any questions, fire away!

theyolksonyou said:

So how long a piece of bacon can you slice now?  Vs the 7" cc. 

I do not know what the length of the slide is, or whatever the technical measurement is called, but it is probably listed in the specs. The belly I get I end up putting into quarters, then slicing to about 6".  The biggest difference is the height of a roast to slice and the power. I sliced the full height of a bottom round roast, which I think is about the largest thing I would slice with no problem at all, and was able to do so very thin. Almost chipped.
Not saying this is is the perfect slicer for everyone. I just think this one is perfect for me and any needs I might have.