Pork Patties (picture provided by Stephen McFarlane)
Ok Wild Jerkers! Wild Jerk was held in its usual location at Susie’s Bakery in Southdale Plaza yesterday. I decided to heed the call to by the Facebook lobby group – Jamaica Pork Patty Association (JAPPA) and provide pork patties on an order basis. Let me tell you – I have never seen people behave like that over patties before? Even though I specifically stated that I would stop taking orders by Wednesday, I knew that there were people who would turn up even though they did not order. I carried an extra 3 dozen patties with me. Even the ones that crumbled were purchased. One regular Wild Jerk customer who did not know about the patties immediately purchased half a dozen stating that he planned to “curry favor with some people” and that he was “sorry for the people in his office who did not give him any birthday cake”.
We had another case of an JAPPA member and Wild Jerk’s number one fan bantering and negotiating about the patties. Well…negotiation is not really the right word. Number One Fan truthfully asked me to save two patties for him but in the frenzy I had completely forgotten. If ever there was a man close to tears. He then saw the JAPPA official with his dozen patties and offered to purchase one. Well he was flatly refused and there the bantering started. At one point he tried to appeal to his better nature and stated that the situation were reversed then he would share his patties with the JAPPA official. When he was told that the JAPPA official’s family was expecting the patties, Number One Fan’s response was “wha happen – you have 11 brother and sister?” Well Number One Fan was left wanting and the JAPPA official left with his dozen intact and safely tucked under his arm. Number One Fan had to be consoled with a half pound of pork and some cartwheel fried dumplings.
Was I wise to market a product directly to a Facebook Group? Time will tell. The initial report for the people who got their patties was good. Most of whom were planning to freeze theirs and pinch them through the month reported that they are COMPLETELY GONE! Will they spread the word to their members? I can only hope so. That would be why someone would market to a Facebook niche – feedback. One expects page posts and discussion. Was the patty too spicy, not spicy enough, just right? Was the crust to their liking or was there room for improvement? For those who managed to freeze theirs was the quality the same after defrosting and toasting (I recommend a toaster oven versus a microwave – but that is just my prejudice). As I said time will tell if I will have the support to continue this project.
Wild Jerk was finished by 3:12 pm. As we say … from 12:00 noon till de pork done..
PS
FYI – the pork patties were made with regular pork not Wild Jerk
