"Official Seal of the Meatatarian Army" T-Shirt

Meat-eaters assemble! Show your carnivorous pride with the "Official Seal of the Meatatarian Army." Vegan and vegetarian approved! Well, not really. Barbecue and grilling aficionado approved!

Long before they got their pie ingredients from a Libby's can, Americans got their daily meat from it. Most people who are familiar with the name "Libby's" are thinking of canned pumpkin and other fruits and vegetables. Perhaps you remember the television ads with children singing "Libby's Libby's Libby's on the label label label." The name is synonymous with juice, but it wasn't always that way.

Libby's started out as Libby, McNeill & Libby in Chicago, Illinois, presumably in the 1870s. Founders Archibald McNeill and the brothers Arthur and Charles Libby actually sold canned meat. Specifically, the company sold beef in brine, or corned beef. In 1875, the cannery launched a unique trapezoid shaped can that put them on the map.¹ During this time Libby, McNeill & Libby used print and premium marketing heavily, even going so far as to offer William Shakespeare plays in trading card format to help move the then popular canned ox tongue.

By the 1880s, Libby's was a major player in Chicago's job market with over 1,500 employees. Libby's continued to grow, but was controlled by the Chicago meat-packer Swift & Co. between 1888 and 1920.²

In the early twentieth century, Libby's began selling fruits and vegetables, and yes, its famous juices. You can still, however, get your hands on an authentic can of Libby, McNeill & Libby Corned Beef (direct from Brazil).

Sources:

1. Libby's – Our History
http://libbys.com/our-history
2. Encyclopedia of Chicago – Libby, McNeill & Libby
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2751.html

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That's right...you heard me! I said CARAMELIZED BACON! It's delicious and easy to make too! Here's what you need:

1 pound of your favorite bacon (the thicker the better)
1 cup brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 350. I like to pour the brown sugar into a 9x13 pan. Place the bacon in the pan a few slices at a time. Make sure to coat both sides evenly. Shake off extra sugar and place bacon on a lined baking sheet (foil or parchment paper). Sprinkle what sugar is left onto the bacon. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until crispy. Keep a close eye on your bacon! it will burn FAST! Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the bacony goodness to a wire rack to finish cooling. The longer it sits, the crispier it gets. If you wan to soften it up a bit, just put it back it the oven for a minute or two. Enjoy!

You can spice it up too! Just sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes before you baking.

There's still plenty of BBQ season left and coleslaw goes great with just about everything! I like to make this when I'm making my sure fire pulled pork. It's super simple and there are hardly any ingredients, so it's cheap too! Here's what you need:

7 c. Shredded coleslaw mix
1 c. Mayo
1/4 c. vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
2 Granny Smith apples (pealed, cored, and shredded)
pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. It gets better the longer it sits. I like to make mine after I start the pork. Enjoy!

MEAT!!