A deli platter is a terrific way to offer a delicious lunch or early supper without doing any cooking!  Here are our best tips for putting out a great spread:

 

The meat

Arrange meat on a platter, keeping each variety together.  If you can, use lighter meats (such as Turkey Roll) to separate darker ones that may get confused on the platter (such as Corned Beef and Roast Beef).  Navel Pastrami and Fresh Salami are well-marbled; Corned Beef and Turkey Roll are leaner — it’s nice to offer a range of options to suit your guest’s preferences.  In general, we separate the meat and layer it loosely, rather than trying to make perfect rolls of each individual slice.  A smaller platter that is piled high will look better longer than a large platter with meats arranged in a single layer, which will look a bit scrappy as soon as everyone has had their first round.

 

The sauces

You can keep it simple with mayonnaise and deli mustard — the meats are truly delicious with little else.  To get fancy, consider any of these mayo mix-ins: sriracha, truffle oil, diced pickles or capers, fresh herbs.

 

The ferments

Sauerkraut and lacto-fermented pickles are always delicious with deli meats.  Add caraway seeds or hot peppers to your sauerkraut for an extra kick.

 

Other vegetables

Crispy lettuce, a thinly-sliced ripe tomato, even crispy red peppers or cucumbers and red onions are all delicious on a deli sandwich.  Arrange these on a separate platter so the juices don’t make the meat or bread soggy.

 

The bread

Challah is probably not your best choice, since the sweet, doughy rolls will overpower the flavors inside. We prefer a thinly-sliced sourdough or rye bread, something sturdy enough to hold up to the layers inside but not too thick that it makes it impossible to take a neat bite.