Beef loaf can refer to different types of beef-based products, including jellied beef loaf and canned ground beef roast. It is served as a luncheon meat and can be difficult to find in stores. It was popular before refrigeration and is now considered a fun food, but is still recognized for its quality in some regions.
Beef loaf can refer to several types of beef loaf. Some people call meatloaf, if made with ground beef, meatloaf. More frequently, what you’ll find in some stores is a product called a jellied beef loaf or jellied corned beef loaf. This is considered a sausage, but it is very different from sausages made with casings.
Beef loaf and a number of other beef meats are canned. In this case, the beef loaf consists of ground beef roast, seasonings, and preservatives. It is tightly packaged in jars and may require refrigeration. Some varieties don’t need to be refrigerated until opened.
The beef loaf is served as a luncheon meat. It is cut into thin slices and can be sandwiches or any kind. There are several types of beef loaf. Some beef loaves are specifically made from beef tongues. When sliced, it looks like a rectangular white food, mostly from gelatin, which is studded with tongue slices. Other breads such as the olive or allspice loaf can be made with beef, although more commonly they use pork as the main ingredient.
Unless you can find a loaf of beef at a deli or grocery store — it’s quite popular in some regions of the United States — you may be having a hard time trying to find it. The emphasis on foods with fewer preservatives often makes delicacies that are cooked whole, rather than formed and frozen, now more popular. This is especially true in delicatessens where the meat is sliced fresh to order.
Like spam, the beef loaf had a lot of popularity before the ability to refrigerate meats. Being able to keep corned beef meant you could have meat, no matter the weather. The beef loaf can be found on old-school menus dating back to the 1920s. Tomato soup and a slice of beef loaf might be standard fare before large-scale refrigeration.
Today, you’re far less likely to find a loaf of beef, and it could be considered an inherently fun food. Most internet references to it, simply mention it as a joking matter. In areas where a lot of beef is grown, the beef loaf is no laughing matter. Wisconsin meat scientists regularly recognize people who have been known for their quality meat loaves or other types of sausage.
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