Not Ham, Not Turkey: This Is Publix's Best Deli Meat, Hands Down

Publix is a grocery chain with a cult following for its prepared foods, bakery items, and the famous, fully customizable Pub Subs. Of course, a main feature of the Pub Sub is deli meat, and there are dozens of varieties available from both brand names and private-label brands. While you can customize with name brands, Publix's own private brand offers delicious and cost-effective options as well. When our taste taster tried and ranked 13 different Publix deli meats based on saltiness, savoriness, and tenderness, it was the Spanish Pork Roast that was ultimately crowned the winner.

While multiple types of ham and turkey appear in this ranking — and applauded for their unique flavor combinations — the sweeteners added to them made them both less versatile than the Spanish Pork Roast. According to our taster, this pork offering, which is found on Publix's Cuban sandwich, is bursting with unique flavors thanks to a wealth of herbs and a marinade that the other meats largely lack. That marinade accounts for the melt-in-your-mouth juiciness of the meat, while the herbs really brighten and deepen the ultra-rich umami of the roast pork, which offers more depth due to the slow roast. Its depth of flavor and balanced savory and salty profile will make it the star of many different types of sandwiches.

Customers online have given the Publix Deli Spanish Roast Pork glowing reviews. One Redditor noted they generally prefer the private label and consider this roast pork to be the star of the show on the Cuban sandwich. Likewise, another reviewer on Facebook lauded the flavor of the pork on the warm pressed Cuban sub. However, when our same taste tester ranked several Publix Pub Subs, the Cuban fell on the lower end of the list.

While you can blend the Spanish Roast Pork with ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard in a classic Cuban, you can use it in countless other types of sandwiches. One Redditor recommended a sandwich with "marinated sliced onions with some salt, pepper, and garlic, and lime juice." Publix's sub rolls are some of our favorite fresh bakery items, and this roast pork would certainly make an excellent sub sandwich on one with cheese, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles.

You could also use the herb-infused roast pork in a sandwich with bitter greens and a sharp type of cheese like white cheddar or an aged Swiss to cut through the richness of the pork. As with a Cuban, roast pork tastes best in warm sandwiches. And you can keep the meat moist by first dipping it in chicken or pork jus or broth before adding it to your sandwich. A bitter or acidic element like pickles, pickled peppers, or vinegar-dressed arugula would also complement this Publix Spanish Roast Pork.