They like us! They really like us!! Recently Shelf Life found ourselves at a Loblaws cash register with something new in hand: President’s Choice gift certificates. The PC people had invited us to try some of their meat products, gratis, so we took them up on their offer, starting with this Greek-style pork. We were slightly mystified at the size of the package – why 3 steaks and not four? – but by way of compensation the portions looked fresh, big, and saucy. 3 preparation methods are suggested: BBQ, stovetop, or broiler; we chose the latter. Out of the package, both the steaks and the marinade proved to be more generous – in the case of the sauce, way more generous – than we thought. Say what you like about this product, it isn’t stingy. During cooking, both the marinade and the fat drippings threatened to swamp the proceedings, so we had to re-pan. When it all came together on the plate – upgraded with our own salad, pita bread, and wine – the results were moderately delicious. The souvlaki seasonings seemed a bit fainthearted, as if not wanting to scare consumers with genuinely Mediterranean amounts of garlic and seasoning. The steaks could have seared up more (next time we’ll start by removing some of the sauce; then we’d opt to cook on the grill or in a cast iron pan on the stove top). A few of our own flourishes – say, grilled onions, and Tzitziki sauce – would have brought Athens closer to Toronto. So what do we think of Shelf Life’s very first full disclosure Impulse Buy? Our verdict: with a little tweaking, this one could go far.

THREE AND A HALF STARS***1/2