The Unique Type Of Bologna That's Associated With Western Tennessee

Bologna is a delicious lunch staple that's kept us fed for far longer than Oscar Mayer has been around. There are plenty of different types of bologna as well, including one with its roots in Western Tennessee known as rag bologna. Even though rag bologna is hard to find outside of the Volunteer State, you might just find it in a specialty store and can still buy it from retailers online and have it delivered if you want to try this Tennessee staple for yourself.

Rag bologna is made from basically the same ingredients as what makes up a hot dog, much like regular bologna, but has more filler in the mix, like flour, milk proteins, and lard. It also uses lactic acid, which has antibacterial properties and a tangy taste, as part of its curing process, and a wax coating as a preservative. Traditionally, it was sold wrapped in cloth, hence the name. Today, however, you're more likely to see it sold in plastic just like any other lunch meat.

Compared to typical bologna, rag bologna has a saltier taste and smoother texture thanks to its inclusion of the above filler ingredients. That doesn't mean that it's not still tasty, however. Rag bologna is widely considered to be a regional lunch classic that most certainly has a place in your refrigerator whether or not you're a Tennessean.

Bologna, including rag bologna, is a more versatile ingredient than we give it credit for. Bologna sandwiches are a classic, and yet they can be so much more than just meat and cheese on white bread if we put a little more effort into them. Fry your bologna on the stove, add a fried egg, and put them on brioche with your favorite condiments to make a gourmet-tasting sandwich right at home. You can also glaze your bologna to make that sandwich deli-worthy on top of it all. Another great rag bologna meal is salad. Just cut up your bologna and mix it together with your favorite ingredients, be it a pasta salad base or even one with more greens involved.

If you want to take your rag bologna like Tennesseans do, you can barbecue or smoke it. Barbecuing bologna is simpler and easier than you might think at first, though you will need to get it uncut, in what's called a chub. Peel off the casing, score it diagonally, brush with your favorite BBQ sauce or dry rub (for extra authenticity, try some Blues Hog Tennessee BBQ Sauce), and put it on the grill. Once it's done, you'll have a delicious cut of rag bologna that tastes like it came straight from a Tennessee barbecue.