I’ve had a love affair with Mortadella going on three decades and I’m always looking for the tastiest local version. If you’re lacking Italian-American roots or preferences, Mortadella is a large, finely hashed pork sausage made which incorporates cubes of pork fat from the neck. And pistachios. And sometimes olives. I had been buying several brands of the store bought pre-packaged ones (like the Citterio brand above), but I couldn’t find any that had a fresher taste, not just Bologna flavored or at the very least: distinctive. I was in the East Village and I bought some at Whole Foods, which I don’t have a picture of, but it looked pretty much like the store bought image above. It was expensive and tasted exactly like Citterio but said it was handmade. Whatever that means.
I headed back to Brooklyn and bought this selection above from Marlow & Daughters. This place has amazing sandwiches and a great selection of meats and cheeses. The Mortadella was distinctive but not special. It was too salty and I never finished it as it was slowly pushed to ther back of the fridge.
And finally, I went to my old standby, the Meat Hook and finally tried their own homemade Mortadella. This is the the winner. The pork is seasoned with distinct fresh nutmeg and coriander and it’s not too salty. It’s a completely different meat than the other three that I’ve had. And I ate half a pound, slice by slice, in just a couple hours. I would love to hear where you get your favorite Mortadella, too. Anyone? I know, you ain’t sayin’ shit. It’s cool.
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