I stopped by Country Mart for a few groceries. Cheese sticks, Vidalia onions, instant oatmeal, store-brand potato chips, Roasted Garlic Triscuits, frozen fish, and Farmer H's individual ice cream cups with the strawberry and chocolate swirl. As I walked by their hot food counter, I spied some BBQ Pork Steaks.
Let the record show that Gassy G is dead to me. Also dead to Farmer H, dead to the world. He can no longer perform. So we've been without barbecue all summer! When I was still teaching, my mom brought me a BBQ pork steak from Country Mart one evening when I had to stay for parent conferences. It was delicious. So of course I wanted a BBQ Pork Steak when I saw one. They don't have them every day.
I stepped up to the counter and asked for one. No sides. I didn't want a meal. Just a pork steak. The gal put it in a foam container, and wrote on top of it when I asked to pay at the main register when I was done shopping. Farmer H has eaten there before. He's even had the pork steak meal, sitting in their seating area with The Veteran. I, myself, do not go there to eat. Not just because they had that unfortunate case of E. coli a while back.
Anyhoo... I got in line and put my groceries on the conveyor. I held up the foam container. I didn't need it in a bag, but I wanted the cashier to see it so I didn't accidentally steal it. She looked at the number written on top...
... and said, "Nine sixty-one."
"Whoa! That seems like a lot!" No way did I think a single BBQ Pork Steak cost that much.
"Oh. It's just a number. We need it to put in the register. It costs $3.99."
"That's good! I was worried for a minute!"
I'm sure I'm not the only person ever to make that mistake, but it was embarrassing. It will be a while before I open my mouth there again. I even waited until I was back in T-Hoe before I checked the receipt to make sure they gave me the $1.49 discount on my mozzarella string cheese, and the two boxes of Triscuits for $5.00. They did.
In case you're interested in that pork steak hiding inside the container,
I didn't plan on sharing, but I cut it in half for Farmer H, and we paired it with SLAW and Loaded Potato Salad that I got earlier in the week from the Devil's Playground deli.
Surely you didn't think I would actually prepare anything with my own two hands.
6 comments:
I think most everybody would have reacted in the same way when the cashier said, "Nine sixty-one."
Was Farmer H truly 1/2 pork steak-worthy?
Sioux,
Meh. I could have saved the other half for my lunch the next day, but then I would have had to make something for Farmer H to eat for supper. So I would have been cutting up my pork steak to spite myself.
I can see actual meat under what I assume is gravy or BBQ sauce that looks like plastic it is so smooth. Did you eat it cold or heat it up? I think it would be more appetising heated, but that's just me. I haven't had barbecued anything for several years now. I've had an occasional rotisserie chicken from Foodland, the better supermarket, but always cut it in half and give half to a neighbour, because a whole chicken is too much for me. A half will feed me for three days. I've worked checkout (maybe I've mentioned that once or twice) so I knew the 961 was a code.
River,
I heated it in the oven. It was very tender. I make them sometimes myself by first boiling the pork steaks, then putting them in the oven with sauce. Much more tender than off the grill. I'm sure Country Mart didn't use an actual grill. Probably had some liquid smoke flavoring. Still, it was tasty after having no Gassy G all summer.
Every now and then I'll get a rotisserie chicken from The Devil's Playground deli. They seem to inject them with saline. Whether plain or lemon pepper, the ones I get have a salty taste all the way through. They're okay occasionally.
When I saw that 961 written on the top I wondered about it. I knew it must be a register code and thought you were going to tell us that the cashier charged you the wrong amount. Maybe you should get a new grill for Christmas? That is what HeWho would do, he would give it to me because he wants one and it is a big gift. He has learned not to do that over the years. He did, after all, give me my charming Eddie!
Kathy,
Now I want to go back and get another pork steak! I never thought about a register code. I figured they'd put the price on there.
Farmer H can go get a new grill any time! I will authorize that! I've already told him to watch for one at the auctions. If we wait until Christmas, I'll have to wait too long for him to use it.
Your charming Eddie is my original rolly chair! It's the best present Farmer H ever gave me. He kept it over in the BARn, and brought it in Christmas morning, through his basement workshop. I like my OPC, but the rolly chair has my heart.
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