Where's the Beef? (in China)

I have to say off the top that I'm a big fan of the beef rib. When cooked properly they are just great. You have to slow cook them and use just the right sauce. If you get it right, it's a great meal.

There's only one problem. The beef rib is getting pretty hard to find. The other day I was at the market and asked the guy at the meat counter what happened to the good old beef rib? He said "we don't carry them anymore." Being the curious type that I am I asked him if people don't want them anymore. He said "no, lots of people still ask for them." Well now my curiosity is really taking over.

"So, if lots of people still want them, why don't you carry them?" He said "we don't carry them because they are all getting shipped to China." With a perplexed look on my face I asked "why are they all getting shipped to China?" He said "because they really like them there." I just couldn't believe that some guy in China was eating MY beef ribs.

Wanting a second opinion I went to a small meat market today and bellied up to the bar. "Do you have any beef ribs today?" The butcher looked me in the eye and said "we haven't sold them now for about a year." I said "China?" He said "yup, China. They are buying them all up." He told me he could get them, but the price is so high that no one here would buy them.

I thought those folks in China all made 50 cents an hour, which is why we have them make all that poison stuff that gets shipped back here. How can they afford my beef ribs at 50 cents an hour? Seems to make more sense to me that they keep the poison dog food and toys and we keep the beef ribs.