Really Rare!

Sometimes it doesn't take much to make me giggly happy. Finding really rare roast beef at a deli counter would do the trick.

The other day I had such a craving for it. I stopped at my local Key Food's deli counter and asked to see the roast beef. The counterman showed me what looked to be red beef in the center. Good enough but I still only asked for a quarter pound. When I got it home and really looked at it...I practically swooned and could have kicked myself for not getting more. I made my perfect sandwich using lightly toasted Ciabatta bread...crusty on the outside...light on the inside. A smear of mayo, field greens, thin slices of tomato and some slices of American cheese. Lightly salted the slices of beef and at first bite, did a happy little jig.

I went back the next day and ordered half a pound. Same results.

The third time I showed up at Key Food, the deli man smiled like we were old friends. I had to tell him I loved his roast beef and ordered another half pound. He said he had to ask me if I ate it just like that or did I cook it? COOK IT?? I was horrified! And it showed on my face. Blasphemy! But he said he couldn't ever eat it that rare but he found many people did ask for it. So after trying to sell pre-roasted meat from Boar's Head - he found it was always too well-done for most of his customers. He decided to buy the meat directly and roast it in the store himself and I said he made it perfectly. I think he's going to be one of my best friends!