Chipped chopped ham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chipped chopped ham is a processed ham luncheon meat, chopped ham, that is sliced razor thin through "chipping" the meat loaf against a commercial meat slicer blade. Chopped ham is a mixture of ham chunks and trimmings and seasonings, ground together and then packaged into loaves. By chipping the meat extremely thin, the meat is more tender and has more flavor than if it is sliced thickly. In Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, the slicing process is also known as "Pittsburgh Style." Sometimes the chopped ham, once chipped, is mixed with barbecue sauce before it is made into a sandwich. Isaly's in Pittsburgh helped to popularize chipped ham.

Chip-Chopped ham reached a broad audience in the post-World War II era when it was heavily marketed as a lunchmeat suitable for packed lunches. Former United States Army soldiers, who had grown accustomed to Spam while in the army, likened it to Chipped Chopped Ham. Its popularity has been furthered by its relatively low per-pound cost.

The product is produced by a few meat packing facilities that process pork products and is marketed under a variety of commercial brand names.

[edit] External links

• Brian Butko’s Isaly Site
• Isaly Products Distributed by Delicatessen Distributing Inc
• Roadfood Discussion Forum on Isaly's Chip-Chopped Ham

[edit] Sources

• Butko, Brian. Klondikes, Chipped Ham, & Skyscraper Cones: The Story of Isaly's. Stackpole Books (July, 2001). ISBN 0-8117-2844-7
• Hinman, Robert B., Harris, Robert B. The Story of Meat Swift and Company. 1939.