mystery meat

mystery meat (countable and uncountable, plural mystery meats)

1. (informal, derogatory) Any processed meat product whose animal source is not readily identifiable.
   • 1999, William Gibson, All Tomorrow's Parties (Bridge trilogy; book 3), New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, →ISBN, page 151:

     It was strange how this kind of shaved, basically overcooked mystery meat, which he guessed really was, probably, beef, could be tastier, under the right circumstances, than a really good steak.

   • 2015, Jon Bassoff, The Disassembled Man:

     A few minutes later, Ruth handed me my breakfast: burnt toast, runny scrambled eggs, and a mystery meat.

   • 2023 July 5, Erik Piepenburg, “In ‘The Horror of Dolores Roach,’ the Empanadas Are to Die For”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     Justina Machado and Aaron Mark went uptown to sample the savory pastries that play a central role in their new horror-comedy — minus the mystery meat.

2. (slang, derogatory) An individual of unknown or undetermined racial or ethnic origin.

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