#beefburp

MEAT MEAL #21: Beefburp

Play this song while reading this post.

Immediately after inhaling my food at Hot Doug's, my great friends, Courtney and Ian, picked me up and brought me to Rub's Backcountry Smokehouse.  On the way, Ian played his Meat Week playlist, consisting of the above song and Meat Shake by Ugly Duckling.  We arrived and were met by my great friend Meghan, all of us ready for a feast.

This place was awesome.  We started with a round of root beers, brewed in-house, just like their many different soda varieties.  Without even opening their menus (which are made out of old vinyl album covers), Courtney knew that I would be getting the Big Guys Meal - 1/4 lb of pork, 1/4 chicken, 1/4 brisket, and 3 rib bones, all of which was smoked over wood, no gas or electricity.  We also ordered a huge side of meaty beans and a gigantic piece of custard-filled cornbread.  This was an insane amount of food and every ounce of it was outstanding.  I thought I was hungry enough, but I wasn't even close.  I made a good dent in it, but ended up taking a lot of food home, so now I get to enjoy this wonderful place a second time.

I was very happy to schedule this meal near the end of Meat Week.  The very first people I saw upon arriving in Chicago back in January of 2010 were Courtney and Ian.  They selflessly showed up to help my parents and I unload the truck into my new apartment and, due to our exhaustion from the long drive to Chicago, we pretty much just ditched them right afterward to go to a hotel and sleep.  I don't think I've ever repaid them for that huge favor, but man was it nice to know I had such great friends already in this new and intimidating city.

I also hadn't seen Meghan in a long time.  She recently got married and, as marriages go, that kept her pretty busy, but her husband, Mike, is also a great friend and I couldn't be happier.  If there were a trophy for nicest married couple, they would likely win.  She and I reminisced about the time Mike told me he was going to propose and then panicked the next day that the secret might get out.  Meghan, of course, didn't find out about this until later, but I have a very clear memory of being so happy to hear the news.  Truly, two of the best people I know.