I got together with a couple of old friends last week that I had not seen in a while. Jimmy was one of five guys (not to be confused with the hamburger place) that I went through a doctoral program with at New Orleans Baptist Seminary. We all became good friends and dubbed ourselves The Fab Five (not to be confused with the Fab Four from Liverpool). In seminary we attended classes together, studied together and ate together. Last Monday, Jimmy, Jean and I got together for lunch. Through the years, all five of us have occasionally gotten together.
The other friend I had not seen in a while was not another member of The Fab Five, but all five of us have had him for lunch a few times. Truthfully, sometimes when we get together, we may eat like pigs, but the other old friend I got with last week really was a pig. No, seriously, literally a pig. He joined us for lunch, but he didn’t eat with us…we ate him! Those of you who know me well, well, you know that I love barbecue. Someone once told me they thought I loved all barbecue. They were incorrect. Not all barbecue is good barbecue and not all kinds of barbecue are my favorite. There are many different kinds of meat that we barbecue, but here in Alabama, there is one that many of us consider to be the real deal. That one is pork. I have had some really good beef brisket, especially in Texas. That’s what they call barbecue, but beef doesn’t come from a pig, and in the Southeast barbecue doesn’t usually come from a cow! I do occasionally love a good smoked brisket, but that’s not what we mean when we say barbecue.
I am approaching the one-year anniversary of my heart surgery. For the past year now, I have not had hardly any beef or pork. I have eaten so much chicken that I don’t snore anymore at night…I crow! I’ve sworn off the red stuff and eaten mostly chicken, turkey and fish. No, none of that was fried. But last Monday, I fell off the wagon and pigged out on some pork. It was the best barbecue I had tasted all year.
Jimmy had asked me to build him one of my cigar-box guitars. He ordered one with a big Georgia Bulldog “G” on the front of it. Yes, he’s a Georgia boy who now lives a few miles east of Atlanta. Since I had not seen my old friend in a few years, rather than shipping his guitar to him, we decided to meet halfway and I would deliver it. Of course, we decided to meet at lunchtime. Jimmy asked if I still ate barbecue. I answered, “Yes, but chicken or turkey these days.” He suggested we meet at The Oink Joint in Newnan. With a name like Oink Joint, I knew exactly what kind of restaurant it was and figured it had to be good. It did not disappoint! I’ve eaten so much white meat this past year, and especially since Thanksgiving, that I just couldn’t do it. Since my ole friend ordered the pork plate, I didn’t want him to make him feel bad as he watched me eat a heart-healthier lunch, so I indulged. Yes, I pigged out at The Oink Joint, but I did not eat the lemon pie!
There’s nothing like time spent with old friends and family. The holidays are a good time to do that. I hope you get that chance really soon!
Bill King can be reached at bkpreach@yahoo.com or 334-728-5514 (office).
