Meat enthusiasts often have a go-big-or-go-home mentality — big steaks, big roasts, big bones. That’s why some of the delectable but relatively smaller slices, links and cuts from the sausage category may go unnoticed. Not so with one sausage that (like revenge) is best served cold. Mortadella may look like a really big and fatty bologna, which it sort of is, but that’s part of the pork tradition in this celebrated Italian cold cut native to Bologna.
The technique for making mortadella is similar to that used in making American-style bologna sausages, but there are differences in the appearance, texture, garnishments and calorie-dense, intermingled cubes of fat (to say it nicely). The net result is a silky and extremely flavorful gastronomic delight. Mortadella can contain a variety of herbs and spices including, but not limited to, pepper, mace, coriander, bay leaf, myrtle berries and garlic. More advanced and regional versions of the cold cut include larger-diameter items such as pistachios, garlic cloves, olives and nuts.