BolognaBologna sausage, also known as
baloney, boloney or polony, is a sausage derived from and similar to the Italian mortadella, a finely ground pork sausage containing cubes of lard, originally from the Italian city of Bologna. U.S. Government regulations require American bologna to be finely ground and without visible pieces of lard.
Bologna can alternatively be made out of
chicken,
turkey,
beef,
pork, venison or soy protein.
It is a popular alternative to more expensive sliced meats such as roast beef, corned beef or smoked turkey. While bologna is often accused of being composed of "mystery meat," it is actually made from either beef, pork or a combination of both meats. Some higher-end products may contain more exotic meats such as
veal,
goat or even moose. Meat used in its production is generally ground to a fine paste before processing, then extruded into a natural or artificial casing.
The original recipe for the sausage called for scraps of beef or pork to be mixed with spices such as
salt,
pepper and
garlic, then cooked and stuffed into natural casings made from animal intestines. Italian butchers still create such a sausage, but it is known as
mortadella.
