Review: NYPD Deli Patrol All Natural Roasts

When Kendra became pregnant with Addison, she avoided deli meat. In solidarity, I stopped eating Italian subs… in front of her. Once Addie was born, we started paying a lot more attention to what we were putting in our bodies, and hers. We did our best to buy locally grown, organic produce and dairy products, and began eliminating as many processed foods as possible – including deli meat. Most cold cuts are high in sodium and fat, often pumped full of extra water, nitrates and nitrites, and are heavily processed – all things we did not want to put in our baby’s body.

Processed cold cuts… yum

Fast forward almost four years later, we still rarely eat deli meats. However, when the folks at NYDP Deli Patrol contacted us about reviewing their all-natural products, we decided to jump at the opportunity.

NYPD Deli Patrol’s founder Dan Estridge (right) with son Sam Estridge.

NYDP Deli Patrol was founded by Dan Estridge, a former high-tech worker wanting to recreate the deli meats of his New York City childhood. I learned more about NYDP Deli Patrol when speaking with Dan’s son Sam, who has since joined his father’s business. Starting with Pastrami, Dan Estridge slowly built his company and line of deli meats. Every deli roast is one cut of meat hand-rubbed and slow-cooked on open oven racks, and not in a bag like many of today’s deli meats.

The latest additions to the line are the All-Natural Apple-Glazed Uncured Ham and All-Natural Holiday Roast Turkey. These particular roasts are low in sodium, contain no added water-weight, and are free of nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, gluten, and chemicals. Additionally, they are made from only vegetarian-fed animals raised without antibiotics or hormones. We couldn’t wait to try them!

All-Natural Apple-Glazed Uncured Ham

All-Natural Holiday Roast Turkey

My sister, Kim, and her three kids joined us for our taste test. Kim is the family expert on all things organic and healthy. If food is processed or infused with chemicals, Kim knows. The plus side of this – I don’t have to do my research, I just call Kim. The downside is that she knows something bad about almost everything I eat. Just this weekend I was slugging down a decaf latte when she informed me that the process to decaffeinate coffee involves lots of chemicals. Mid-sip I lost my taste for decaf lattes. Awesome.

Anyway, I told Kim about NYDP Deli Patrol, and after thorough researching, she gave her approval. Woot! So we gathered all six kids and had a sandwich making party!

My rockin’ turkey sandwich stuffed with NYPD Deli Patrol All-Natural Holiday Roast Turkey

The kids loved the deli roasts – even the twins! Addie liked the ham so much she pulled it out of her sandwich and ate about ten slices. I was shocked – she’s not a big eater, so when she chows down on something, we take notice.

Addie liked the NYPD Deli Patrol Ham so much she ate ten slices!

Kim and I liked it so much, we’ve both been back to the grocery store to buy more. Unfortunately, right now you can only get NYPD Deli Patrol deli meats in New England. Visit the NYPD Deli Patrol website to see if a store near you stocks their products. The only other downside is the price – roughly $9.99 per pound – but given the quality of the product, and the peace of mind knowing that my kids are not filling up on processed, chemical-laden food, I am happy to spend that kind of money on deli meat.

Eoin chowing down on a sandwich filled with NYPD Deli Patrol all natural deli meat.

Kate loved the NYPD Deli Patrol turkey with avocado on the side!

Want to try out NYPD Deli Patrol All-Natural deli roasts? Check out these great recipes! (Keep in mind – since the NYPD Deli Patrol All-Natural deli roasts are not pumped full of preservatives, you need to make sure you consume them within a few days.)

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Ultimate Summer Turkey Club

– Rustic artisan bread
– NYDP All-Natural Holiday Roast Turkey
– Thick-sliced bacon
– Brie or semi-soft cheese
– Apricot jam, honey or local preserves
– Arugula or seasonal greens

Toast three slices of bread for each sandwich. Spread jam, honey or preserves on one side of each slice. Build triple-decker sandwich with layers of turkey, cheese, greens and enjoy

School’s Out Grilled Ham and Cheese Paninis

Let kids choose their favorite cheese, bread, and other ingredients and build their own sandwiches. Butter both sides of completed sandwiches and griddle in a non-stick pan until golden and cheese is melted.  Press down gently on sandwiches while they cook.

Plowman’s Lunch

Arrange hearty, rustic bread, artisanal cheeses, sliced apples, grapes, pears or other favorite fruit on a plate with NYDP All-Natural Apple-Glazed Uncured Ham and All-Natural Holiday Roast Turkey.  Pair with a nice green salad and glass of wine for an easy mid-week meal.

Summertime Farmers’ Market Salad

Lightly toss washed fresh lettuces or greens from the local market with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Top with NYDP All-Natural Apple-Glazed Uncured Ham and All-Natural Holiday Roast Turkey, edamame, fresh berries, radishes and other seasonal ingredients straight from the market.[/box]

Though NYPD Deli Patrol provided us with samples of their All Natural Deli Roasts, our review of the product is based on our own opinions.