| Lebanon bologna | |
| Type: | Sausage |
| Course: | Appetizer |
| Place Of Origin: | Lebanon County, Pennsylvania |
| Associated Cuisine: | Pennsylvania Dutch |
| Year: | Cold |
| Main Ingredient: | Beef |
| Minor Ingredient: | Spices |
| No Recipes: | true |
Lebanon bologna is a type of cured, smoked, and fermented semidry beef sausage; it is not, in spite of its name, a pork-based bologna. Similar in appearance and texture to salami, it is somewhat darker in color, and is typically served as a cold cut or appetizer.
Lebanon bologna has a distinct, tangy flavor, more so than other generally similar fermented meat products such as summer sausage. Hardwood smoking imparts a strong smokiness to the traditionally prepared versions of the product; increasingly, liquid smoke is used as a substitute for this costly time- and labor-intensive process.
Lebanon bologna was developed by the Pennsylvania Dutch of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, prior to the 1780s[1] and was a common item by the early 1800s, reflecting the slow-cured and smoked sausage traditions of Western Europe. Still produced primarily in that area, it is found in markets throughout the United States and typically served as a cold cut and as an appetizer. In addition to the original, a sweet version is made.
Typically, curing salts are added to the ground and spiced beef to control microbial growth during processing.[2] The blended and stuffed sausage is then aged for 10 days prior to smoking to enrich lactic acid bacteria and allow for the reduction of nitrate to nitrite.[3] Fermentation occurs during a slow cold smoke (kept at a temperature below 120°F) that can last for up to four days.[4] A one pH unit (or more) decline is observed during this step, as well as the development of nitrosohemochrome, the pigment responsible for the red color of cured meats.