I hit 2 local grocery stores yesterday, looking for some thinly sliced ribeye or something. I really really REALLY want to make some cheesesteaks on my new griddle. I've been dreaming about it for 3 years.
First one is on the other side of town it's called "United", there was a butcher behind the meat counter filling some orders or something, it looked like. There was nothing at all that looked like it would work in the meat counter. Choice ribeye was $19.99/lb. Ouch. I spent a good 5 minutes perusing the meat section, wandered off to look at the dogs and sausages (another disappointment), came back and spent several more minutes checking to see if I'd missed anything and the butcher was very pointedly ignoring me, so I decided not to bother him and ask him to cut me anything. I bought a couple packages of sausages from a local company I'd never heard of - hot links, pepper jack, and jalapeno cheese. I tried one of the hotlinks when I got home and they were... ok. The jalapeno one I ate about two bites and tossed it.
Anyways, I move on across town to another grocery, Homeland (owned by the same company, I'm told). They have slightly more selection, but still nothing like what I'm looking for. They have a butcher's case with meats and seafood, etc, and a guy there is working the counter. In the case they have some "Prime" ribeye for $24.99/lb, ouch. Didn't look particularly well marbled, but oh well. So I go up and look around, he actually asks me if he can help me. I tell him I'm looking for something like very thinly sliced ribeye to make cheesesteaks with.
He says, "Oh, so you want like fajita meat."
WHAT???? What the... no. I tell him no, I most definitely do NOT want fajita meat - which would be something like skirt or flank, if I'm on the right planet - I tell him again I'm looking for very thinly shaved ribeye.
He then leads me over to the prepackaged section and picks up a pack of 2 thin ribeyes - these are about 5/8" thick or so. I reiterate, no, I am looking for very thinly SHAVED ribeye. I ask if they can cut me some in the back, as I knew there was someone working on stuff back behind, as another guy was waiting next to the meat case and this guy had come out and told him whatever he was waiting on, "He'll be done with it in a minute."
So he goes back into the back to ask about shaving me some ribeye, comes back out in 10 seconds and says, "The thinnest we cut here is ¼". I think to myself, maybe I could work with that... but that's still 6mm, so I pass. I'm not gonna spend $25/lb on something and not get what I actually want. Then I'll be even more disappointed. I dunno, maybe I shoulda done it.
Lord knows, I ended up disappointed with the sausages I ate for dinner anyways.
So for groceries, that's all we got in this town - 4 Homeland/United stores and WalMart. The actual butchers are closed early on Sat, around noon or 2 for both of them. The "better" of the two, you can't even go inside anymore, for the last 18 months, you have to stand outside on the porch, they come out and take your order from the list taped to the window. No perusing the meat case and pointing out what you want, no talking to the actual butcher - it's just high school kids filling orders and bringing them to the porch. No chance to see the meat you're ordering. Most of the stuff I've gotten from there has been frozen after cutting, or just ordered in from regional packers.
I despair sometimes. <sigh> So that was my disappointing Saturday. Also went to Lowe's looking for a new ceiling fan for the back porch (I broke the original one last weekend whilst putting my Blackstone together... don't ask. Really. I won't ever live that one down), ended up coming home empty-handed. Had to spend an hour looking online and ordered one from Home Depot that will be here in 10 days or so.
The breakfast I made on my Blackstone was pretty good, though! And I watched some videos on how to make hashbrowns on it, too, so I think that may be in the future to try.
First one is on the other side of town it's called "United", there was a butcher behind the meat counter filling some orders or something, it looked like. There was nothing at all that looked like it would work in the meat counter. Choice ribeye was $19.99/lb. Ouch. I spent a good 5 minutes perusing the meat section, wandered off to look at the dogs and sausages (another disappointment), came back and spent several more minutes checking to see if I'd missed anything and the butcher was very pointedly ignoring me, so I decided not to bother him and ask him to cut me anything. I bought a couple packages of sausages from a local company I'd never heard of - hot links, pepper jack, and jalapeno cheese. I tried one of the hotlinks when I got home and they were... ok. The jalapeno one I ate about two bites and tossed it.
Anyways, I move on across town to another grocery, Homeland (owned by the same company, I'm told). They have slightly more selection, but still nothing like what I'm looking for. They have a butcher's case with meats and seafood, etc, and a guy there is working the counter. In the case they have some "Prime" ribeye for $24.99/lb, ouch. Didn't look particularly well marbled, but oh well. So I go up and look around, he actually asks me if he can help me. I tell him I'm looking for something like very thinly sliced ribeye to make cheesesteaks with.
He says, "Oh, so you want like fajita meat."
WHAT???? What the... no. I tell him no, I most definitely do NOT want fajita meat - which would be something like skirt or flank, if I'm on the right planet - I tell him again I'm looking for very thinly shaved ribeye.
He then leads me over to the prepackaged section and picks up a pack of 2 thin ribeyes - these are about 5/8" thick or so. I reiterate, no, I am looking for very thinly SHAVED ribeye. I ask if they can cut me some in the back, as I knew there was someone working on stuff back behind, as another guy was waiting next to the meat case and this guy had come out and told him whatever he was waiting on, "He'll be done with it in a minute."
So he goes back into the back to ask about shaving me some ribeye, comes back out in 10 seconds and says, "The thinnest we cut here is ¼". I think to myself, maybe I could work with that... but that's still 6mm, so I pass. I'm not gonna spend $25/lb on something and not get what I actually want. Then I'll be even more disappointed. I dunno, maybe I shoulda done it.
Lord knows, I ended up disappointed with the sausages I ate for dinner anyways.
So for groceries, that's all we got in this town - 4 Homeland/United stores and WalMart. The actual butchers are closed early on Sat, around noon or 2 for both of them. The "better" of the two, you can't even go inside anymore, for the last 18 months, you have to stand outside on the porch, they come out and take your order from the list taped to the window. No perusing the meat case and pointing out what you want, no talking to the actual butcher - it's just high school kids filling orders and bringing them to the porch. No chance to see the meat you're ordering. Most of the stuff I've gotten from there has been frozen after cutting, or just ordered in from regional packers.
I despair sometimes. <sigh> So that was my disappointing Saturday. Also went to Lowe's looking for a new ceiling fan for the back porch (I broke the original one last weekend whilst putting my Blackstone together... don't ask. Really. I won't ever live that one down), ended up coming home empty-handed. Had to spend an hour looking online and ordered one from Home Depot that will be here in 10 days or so.
The breakfast I made on my Blackstone was pretty good, though! And I watched some videos on how to make hashbrowns on it, too, so I think that may be in the future to try.
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