Strip malls are a blight on the landscape, and not just because they tend to be ugly and utilitarian, filled with dry cleaners, nail salons, and Subway sandwich shops. So it comes as a shock — in a good way — to find a strip mall tenant in Woodbury (and also in nearby Lakeland) that rises above its humble location.
Jordan Meats and Deli is a suburban version of the small-town butcher shops where family recipes are developed and curated with pride and care. Even better, they have a roster of deli sandwiches, made to order, that are a great bargain ($5), and depending on your appetite are large enough to share.
The corned beef deluxe (above) is a variation on a Reuben with a sturdy-yet-soft bun filled with house-cured corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing. The zingy corned beef more than holds its own against the other ingredients and is melt-in-your-mouth tender.
But the true star of the menu is the pulled porketta sandwich (top). Rather than a traditional barbecued pulled pork, the sandwich at Jordan Meats has a robust garlic and fennel porketta seasoning. The meat clearly was slowly cooked until it fell apart, and it was then served on another of those sturdy buns. It’s the kind of sandwich that if you’re cramming a lunch break into a crazy day, will make you slow down for a moment, close your eyes, and relax (and find yourself oddly grateful for a strip mall).
There are several choices of free condiments, including barbecue sauce, but you don’t need them when you’re talking about good porketta. Now if only more strip malls had these kinds of tenants …
Jordan Meats & Deli, 6445 Lake Road Terrace, Ste 302, Woodbury, MN; 651.578.8677
370 St. Croix Trail; Lakeland, MN; 651.337.2224
