By chipping or shaving the meat loaf against a commercial meat slicer blade, the resultant thinly sliced product has a different texture and flavor[1] compared to thickly sliced ham.
In western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio, the slicing process is also referred to as "Pittsburgh style".
[2] Sometimes the chopped ham, once chipped, is mixed and heated with barbecue sauce before it is made into a sandwich.
[2] The chain Isaly's helped to popularize chipped chopped ham.
[1][2] Chipped chopped ham reached a broad audience in the post-World War II era when it was heavily marketed as a luncheon meat suitable for packed lunches.