Small Stone 1/11

You smell the bell pepper more than anything else, and it isn't the sweet crisp scent of a freshly cut red, but the sharp aroma of a bitter green. There is also a hint of sausage, or rather the pungent but not overpowering spice that gives the sausage it's distinct flavor, maybe fennel? Yet, when you bite into the dense slice, it's the BBQ sauce you taste first - a full-bodied blend heavy with molasses, and the sweetness cuts through the fragrant seasonings in the meat, tempering them to perfection. Though you don't notice the small amount of undrained fat that has coagulated through the ground beef and pork you're eating in a cold sandwich, by the time you finish the last bite of your Father-in-Law's gourmet meatloaf, a thin film coats the roof of your mouth.