Mario

Today we went hunting. Urban meat hunting is less gun toting, knife slinging and more iphone mapping and cross walk waiting. We were on the hunt for a roast. James mapped us three local butcher/meat markets and we trekked to all three until he finally found just the right cut. The right cut was at Mario's and it had just closed as we approached. As we looked in through the glass and between the matal bars with disappointment the gate suddenly began to roll up. Somehow the store opened just for James and I. An old man who looked like he just stepped off the boat from Sicily and whom I assume is Mario unlocked the door and invited us in. He was closed but saw us and decided "just one more customer". He asked what kind of meat we wanted and when James said roast he disappeared into the freezer and came back with a roast the size of my Pig. After he told James what cut he wanted and how much of it he wanted, and how to cook it, he prepared the order and started to talk about something other then meat. It was clear to me that Mario's shop has been around a long time, before my parents came to this country, before they were born? So as I deciphered his heavy Italian accent and as he continued to speak I learned the following about Mario. He lives on Staten Island. His son was waiting for him to watch the big game ( the Super Bowl, not the Puppy Bowl) They had a pig and a lamb killed just for today. Who knew Italians sacrificed animals for the Super Bowl? Mario also insists that his customers not use reusable canvas bags. He waved my German save the planet tote bag away and wrapped the already bagged and wrapped roast in another layer of plastic bag. Surprisingly James didn't argue with him like he usually does with the 10 year old bag boy at the grocery store The meat that we bought from Mario cost $17.00 but tasted like a million dollars. He cooked that piece of meat with TLC and it was as soft as a marshmallow and moist as a watermelon.



Pre Cooked Potatoes



Brother brought Pig a fresh batch of wheat grass from the farmers market. Pig finds that wheat grass compliments his weight lifting regime. Since getting on "the grass" he has increased his load two fold. Pig can now bench two cats and a kitten.