Today, the real competition’s on the asphalt, not the AstroTurf.

Americans are obsessed with tailgating, especially during football season. And if we didn’t inherit legacy sideline tickets or stadium parking passes, no problem. We’ll just host a party at home with epic seats, beats, and eats.

10 Tailgating Tips

• If you’re a frequent tailgater, develop a master list/check-off system and laminate it. (Be sure to include “tickets” and “parking pass”!) You can’t retrieve a forgotten item once you’ve parked and set up at the venue. Strategically pack your vehicle from front to back with the items you’ll want first near the rear.

• Ideally, you’ll own duplicates of critical grilling equipment—tongs, grill gloves, chimney starters, etc.—so you don’t have to cannibalize your home collection every time you host an off-site tailgating party. Store in a multi-drawer toolbox or clear plastic bin.
• Invest in your own comfort and that of your guests by acquiring at least some seating, tables for food and beverages, and a pop-up tent or canopy for protection from the elements. (Consider rentals if tailgating is an infrequent event.)
• Assess your resources before you develop your guest list and menu. Most portable grills are relatively small; many have less than 150 square inches of cooking space versus 363 square inches on a standard 22-inch kettle grill. These compact units are best for direct grilling foods that take 30 minutes or less to cook; they aren’t well suited to indirect grilling. Our advice? Practice using your tailgating grill at home when the stakes aren’t so high. Decide for yourself what it’s realistically capable of, then determine if you need a larger grill, or perhaps a second grill in your tailgating arsenal. Alternatively, you can build your menu around a large hunk of meat, such as brisket or pork shoulder, that you smoke or barbecue at home and bring to the party for reheating.

  Hedgehog Hot Dogs

  

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• Foods that can be eaten out of hand work best for tailgating. You know what we’re talking about: chicken wings, jalapeño poppers, nachos, or bruschetta. For the main event, think tacos or fajitas; pulled pork sandwiches; hamburgers or sliders; sausage subs; brats; kebabs; burritos; chicken or turkey legs; individual beef or pork ribs; cheesesteak sandwiches; you get the picture. Carry the portable theme into the dessert course as well: everyone loves s’mores.

  

• A restaurant supply house is a great source for disposable foil pans, which are indispensable for transporting and reheating foods carried from home. While you’re there, pick up some beverage and take-out containers—handy for packing leftovers—plastic cutlery, and sturdy garbage bags.
• Accept offers from your guests to contribute a dish to the meal. This invests them in your party and takes some of the burden of entertaining off you.
• Bring more fuel than you think you’ll need. If burning charcoal, be prepared to douse and safely dispose of the ashes. (Do not leave any lit grill or live coals unattended.) Transport propane tanks, which tend to be tippy, in plastic milk crates.

  Salmon Candy Bites

  

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• If the party’s in a parking lot or infield, let guests know where to find you. Make sure they have your cell phone number. A conspicuous helium balloon on a long tether helps. Confirm tailgating regulations and protocol at the venue well in advance of the party (these are often posted online). They can change from year to year.
• Welcome guests with a beverage when they arrive. We’re partial to Smoky Marys. Strips of homemade Sriracha Beef Jerky make great swizzle sticks. And don’t forget nonalcoholic options, especially bottled water. (Experienced tailgaters freeze bottles of water and use in lieu of loose ice in their coolers.) Keep cold beverages in a separate cooler (not the one you use for perishable foods) and tie a bottle opener to one of the handles.

Smoky Mary



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Get ready to take your tailgating game to a whole new level with this lineup of grill-worthy recipes that’ll have your partygoers coming back for more. From a smoky twist on classic cocktails with our Bacon Bourbon, to the irresistible Maple Sriracha Glazed Drumsticks that add a fiery kick to your snack game, we’ve got your pre-game feast covered. For the breakfast lovers, there’s the hearty Beer Can Breakfast Burger, a satisfying start to your day at the stadium. And for those who crave the classic stadium dog, don’t miss out on the Hedgehog Hot Dogs, complete with a crisp smoky crust that’s a real game-changer. But that’s not all – we’ve even got a surprise dessert in store with Brisket Chocolate Chip Cookies, combining the savory allure of brisket with the sweet indulgence of chocolate chips. So, whether you’re cheering in the stands or hosting a tailgate at home, these recipes are here to make your game day celebration unforgettable. Let’s dig in!

Tailgating Recipes

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The Chili Dog – A Little History

Just like chili, the chili dog has regional variations. The traditional chili dog is served in a bun topped with meat chili or chili con carne and cheese. And then there is the Coney dog, a European-style frankfurter topped with a meat sauce, onions, and mustard.

There are several people and regions that claim to have invented the chili dog. Art Elkind (Los Angeles) claims to have invented the “Texas-style” chili dog in 1939. George Todoroff (Michigan) founded the Jackson Coney Island restaurant in 1914 and created his famous recipe for Coney Island Chili Sauce.

Coney Island-style restaurants, popular in the northern United States, are named after the Coney Island hot dog. Bill and Gust Keros of the American and Lafayette Coney Island restaurants in Detroit reportedly created their first coney dog in 1910. In Ohio, Thomas Kiradjieff claims to have invented the Cincinnati cheese-covered coney island dog in 1922. Regardless of who has the rights to the first hot dog with chili or meat sauce on top, the dogs have not gone away.

I must confess I have never eaten a chili dog! So here is my first attempt at making chili dogs.

Grilling Chili Dogs

I want to thank the Holy Grail Steak Company for sending me their American Wagyu chili dog pack to create my chili dog. It included eight American Wagyu beef hot dogs, two pounds of Tajima American Wagyu ground beef, and one package of Santa Carota-finished filet mignon tips. I anticipated the combination of tender and sweet Carota-finished filet tips and the marbled Wagyu ground beef would take my chili to new a level.

There is a base chili recipe that I follow, but sometimes I modify it and adjust the heat (spiciness) depending on whom I’m serving. I usually add beans to my chili, but felt beans might be too much on top of the hot dog. I also didn’t want the beans to distract from the tender and flavorful meat in the chili.

First, I started by browning the ground beef in a skillet, then drained it on a paper towel. While the ground meat browned, I seasoned it with some of my homemade chili rub: It consists of kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, cayenne, cumin, and coriander.

Next, I sliced the filet tip into smaller pieces to make them easier to eat and fit on top of the hot dog. The filet tips were quickly browned. I sweated two diced onions in a cast iron pot and seasoned them with additional chili rub.

I returned the ground beef and the filet tips to the pot, then added three cans (14.5 ounces each) of diced tomatoes. From one can of chipotle chilis in adobo, I add three tablespoons of the adobo sauce as well as four chiles, seeded and roughly chopped.

To give a smoky aroma to the chili, I moved the cast iron pot to my Big Green Egg XL (BGE) to simmer for the 2 to 3 hours.

I grilled the hot dogs, placed them in the buttered and toasted buns, and topped them with the chili. I topped each chili dog with cheddar cheese and then placed them back in the BGE to melt the cheese.

The Results

The hot dogs had the snap I enjoy when I bite into a hot dog. The hot dog had a nice beefy flavor. The chili had some heat, a smoky aroma, and was not overpowering. The filet tips were tender, and due to their size, they added a different texture to the chili compared to the ground beef.

The buns were crisp and buttery. The cheese was creamy and helped to hold everything together.

I’m feeling like my first chili dog was a success. How will you take your next chili dog to the next level?

Recipes for Hot Dogs

• Hedgehog Hot Dogs
• Samba Dogs
• Grilled Hot Dog Challenge – The Recipes

Also Read:

• Man Bites Dog! Plus, 10 Top American Hot Dogs.

Check out our 1000+ Recipes section here on Barbecue Bible.Com

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In New England, it is normal to see people boiling and grilling lobsters, making clam chowder (chowdah), shucking oysters, grilling scallops and shrimp, and even steaming crabs. It’s not your average tailgate. So, how can you take your next tailgate to the next level?

In my two previous blogs on the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven I shared how to make pizzas in minutes and how to use the oven for a teriyaki salmon bite appetizer and make wood-fired lobster tails. Today, I going to share how you can use your Ooni pizza oven to elevate your next tailgate.

Tailgating with a Pizza Oven

The Ooni pizza oven can be easily transported for your next tailgate. Or if you watch the game at home and want to impress your guests. The Ooni pizza oven can be fired up on a picnic table, the ground, or even the back of a pick-up truck.

To stick with the seafood theme, I went with one of my favorite Steven Raichlen recipes for clams. I put a twist on Clams Steinhatchee by cooking them in the Ooni.

I started by heating the oven to 450 degrees and then I preheated a 10-ich cast iron pan. This time I was cooking with a combination of charcoal and wood. I used lump charcoal to get a fire going in the pizza oven and then added wood chucks to keep the fire going. My goal was to keep the temperature around 450 degrees, but the temperature spiked depending on how long I had the oven door open.

While the oven heated up, I prepped all the ingredients and washed the clams. I changed some of the quantities in Steven’s recipe since I was cooking less clams.

I added butter and slivered bacon to the preheated cast-iron pan and returned it to the oven. Once the bacon started to crisp up, I added the scallions and dill. I let the scallions cook for 30 seconds in the oven and then I added a cup of white wine and returned the pan to the oven. I should have only used 1/2 cup of wine for the number of clams I was cooking. Don’t be alarmed if you see flames coming from the pan; it is just the alcohol burning off. Once the wine came to a boil, which I could see through the window of the oven door, I added the clams. I knew the clams were done once they opened. No thermometer necessary.

The Results

The clams were garnished with more dill and served with breadsticks I cooked in the pizza oven.

The clams were tender and developed complex flavors due to the bacon, the wood fire, the wine, and the scallions. The clams had a smokiness due to the bacon and the wood fire. The juice from the clams released into the broth and created a subtle salty-briny flavor. The scallions and the dill provided a fresh element to the dish. The crusty breadsticks were perfect for soaking up the flavorful broth.

Try this one-pan clam appetizer to impress your guests at your next tailgate. But, if shellfish is not your thing, here is another tailgating classic…buffalo wings.

Pizza and Chicken Wings

I followed the recipe on the Ooni website for the wood-fired buffalo wings. It starts with a buffalo sauce. Once you make the sauce, reserve one-quarter of it for basting the wings. Toss the wings with the sauce and let them marinade in the refrigerator for an hour. I heated the oven to 475 degrees and preheated a cast-iron pan. Once the pan was hot, I lightly oiled it to keep the wings from sticking. I placed the wings in the cast-iron pan in a single layer and cooked them for 10 minutes. I basted the wings with the remaining buffalo sauce and cooked for an additional 8 to 10 minutes. I served the buffalo wings with Steven’s blue cheese sauce.

The wings were crispy and had a smoky aroma due to the wood fire in the oven. The wings were tender and juicy on the inside. The high heat of the oven created a crusty exterior on the wings. My wife doesn’t usually like spicy food, but even she enjoyed the mild buffalo flavor. Feel free to kick up the spice if you like your wings “hot.” The blue cheese was the perfect match for the wood fired-wings and may be necessary if you kick up the heat on your wings.

Once the wings were done, I added additional wood chunks to the oven to raise the temperature to cook a pizza. Buffalo wings and wood fire- pepperoni pizza are the ultimate tailgating combination.

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The best clambakes, of course, are done by the seaside.   And by firing up your grill.  (Are old-fashioned New England clambakes, with their hand-dug pits, blankets of seaweed, and cooking stones even legal these days?)

This time around, my New York City-based crew and I couldn’t get to the beach, so we found a spot at a local riverside park.  Once we arrived, we set up our field kitchen and fired up our kettle grill.  Workspace, of course, was at a premium. So I strapped on my new GrillKilt. Definitely not your father’s grill apron. Designed by young entrepreneur Yates Dew, who was motivated by the frustrating need to run back in the house for forgotten items, the GrillKilt is like a well-designed tool belt for grillers. (It’s made in the US.) Ten pockets of varying sizes, D-rings, and carabiners accommodate hand towels (included), tongs, bottle openers, basting brushes, salt and pepper, earbuds, a beer, your smartphone, and much more. It’s 360 degrees of usefulness.

GrillKilt Offer!

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Grilling a Clambake

First up on the menu was fresh corn cooked caveman style.  This is always a hit!  I washed the corn at home, then all I needed to do was place the corn on the coals until their husks were slightly charred. Cooked simply like this, they are irresistible!  To take the corn to the next level, you could always have some garlic herb butter (GHB) hanging out. Shuck the corn, brush with the GHB, then lightly char the ears on the grill. To make GHB, melt 2 sticks of salted butter in a saucepan.   Add 2 to 4 cloves minced garlic and 1/3 cup chopped basil, parsley, sage, or other fresh herbs–the bigger selection, the better. 

The next course featured more veggies. I sliced two full zucchinis in half, lightly scored the inside, brushed with the GHB, and placed cut sides down right on the grill grate. I then threw some shishito peppers and red potatoes on there followed by pink oyster mushrooms dipped in the GHB, plus summer squash sliced to be served like burgers.   Delicious!

Finally, we reached the fun stuff! Littlenecks, cherrystones and mussels from a local fish market were placed right on the grill. I would also recommend using the Steven Raichlen Shellfish Rack or Basket for this. Once they started to open, GHB was applied generously with a basting brush. Grill just until the shells open–a couple minutes will do it. 

Then…(crescendo)…time for the lobsters!   First, we cut them in half on the cutting board with the belly side up, not cutting completely through.  Next, I creamed soft butter with minced garlic, onion, scallion and herbs, and spooned the mixture into and over the cut parts of the lobster.

Then onto the grill!   Start the lobsters belly side up to keep all the juice and flavors in.  Pour a little beer on top. Then after a few minutes, turn them over to crisp up the other side. Flip them over once again and brush some GHB all over the entire lobster. Arrange some halved lemons on the grill and squeeze them on top right before serving.   Amazing!

But wait! There’s more! What’s a barbecue without watermelon? This time we had to try grilling some, so I sliced right down the middle for some nice round “watermelon steaks.” No added seasonings here, but a little sea salt, some balsamic glaze or crumbled feta cheese could be nice additions.  The warm caramelized taste of the grilled watermelon was quite satisfying after such an adventurous grill session. The mood was incredibly festive and I got the rest of the crew to model GrillKilts I gifted them!  A rip-roaring time was had by all. We cleaned up (you know–leave no trace); you wouldn’t even know we were there. Good thing we have the pictures to prove it!

Note: when you prepare for your clambake, remember pre-planning is the key to success.   (Hey, packing up the car is half the fun!)   Plan out your list beforehand so you don’t forget anything.

Key Items to have:

• Grill
• Charcoal
• Grilling gloves
• Grilling tools
• Lighter
• Starter
• Chimney
• Pans
• Cutting boards
• Garbage bags
• Cleaning spray
• Paper towels
• Plates
• Utensils
• Cups
• Chairs
• Speaker
• Wagon
• Cooler for the food and drinks
• And above all, don’t forget your GrillKilt

Want a Recipe?

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Did you know that the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) estimates that Americans consume 20 billion hot dogs a year? About 70 hot dogs per person a year!

Steven Raichlen asked me to take on a hot dog challenge. Is there a “best” way to prepare a grilled hot dog? Crowd Cow sent me Pederson’s Natural Farms uncured beef hot dogs for my quest. Thank you!

I might eat one hot dog a year and it is usually at Fenway Park. It’s steamed and served with mustard from a vendor hustling through the park. I knew I could improve on the steamed hot dog.

I wanted to test the traditional hot dog served with mustard and relish against nontraditional preparations. Here is what I came up with after researching all the creative ways hot dogs are prepared around the world. I even put my own twist on a few.

Grilled Hot Dogs

To grill the hot dogs, I used the Nomad Portable Grill and Smoker. If you would like to learn more about the Nomad, check out my blog “Outrageous Brined, Smoked Pork Chops On the Portable Grill and Smoker from Nomad”. Hot dogs are often cooked at the beach, during camping trips, and at tailgate parties, so the Nomad was the perfect match for my hot dog challenge.

I prepared all the topping and accoutrements for the hot dogs while I heated up Nomad-brand charcoal in a chimney starter. When the charcoal was ready, I loaded up the Nomad and set it up for direct grilling.

I buttered and toasted the buns for each of the five hot dogs. The Nomad grate creates cool-looking grill marks. Now for the hot dogs. Three of the hot dogs were grilled as usual, but two were dressed up for the grill. One hot dog was wrapped in bacon and seasoned with barbecue rub, while another was split open and stuffed with mozzarella cheese and wrapped in prosciutto. I used toothpicks to secure the bacon and prosciutto.

Once the hot dogs were grilled it was time for the fixings.

In no specific order, here are the results. No surprise here; the barbecue dog was tasty. I liked the kick of the spicy barbecue sauce and the tangy pickles. The bacon was crispy, and I still got the snap you expect when eating a hot dog. I enjoyed the texture the sauerkraut gave the Reuben dog, and it balanced the creamy dressing. The Italian dog was the biggest surprise.

The freshness of the basil was fantastic. The crispy prosciutto balanced the creamy mozzarella, and the spice of the mustard was a perfect pairing for the beef hot dog. The avocado dog was a creation of available resources. I made an avocado salsa for fish tacos the night before and I didn’t want it to go to waste. The avocado salsa added a creamy and crunchy texture to the hot dog and the hot sauce put it over the top. The traditional dog did not disappoint, either. The spice of the mustard, the sweet relish, and snap of the beef hot dog was spot on!

So, what was my favorite? First place goes to the Italian dog since it was such a nice surprise, and second place goes to the traditional dog. If I only had to cook a few hot dogs, it would be the Italian or the barbecue dog. If I was cooking hot dogs for a crowd, it would be the traditional hot dog.

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Three years ago, my family and I moved across the country to Raleigh, North Carolina. Right off the bat I could tell that when it comes to sports, the scene here is much different. The people here tailgate! Not only in the parking lot of the PNC Arena, but in the neighborhoods as well. I thought now is a good time as ever to start getting into tailgating. I’m a huge fan of the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team and It looks like a lot of fun.

Lucky for me, I happen to be the website producer for BarbecueBible.com and work with Steven Raichlen directly on creating content for this website. In doing my own research I found a plethora of articles right here to get me started. I found these articles extremely helpful and I hope you do as well.

Top 5 Tailgating Articles

• Game On! Our Top Tailgating Tips
• Best Tailgating Recipes: What to Grill this Tailgating Season
• 9 Must-Have Tailgating Accessories
• 8 Tips for Gold Plate Tailgating
• The Ultimate Tailgating Food: Wings

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Visitors to this website—and Barbecue University®—are no strangers to journalist and travel and food writer Larry Olmsted. Larry wrote the must-read exposé Real Food, Fake Food (Algonquin) and his numerous articles about Barbecue University in publications like Forbes.com make you feel like you’re right in the front row of the class.

So when Larry told me about his new book, Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Understanding from Algonquin Books, it reminded me of the intimate and enduring connection between sports and barbecue. For me, that connection starts with the seminal book, Alice Let’s Eat, in which Calvin Trillin introduced the world to the burnt ends at Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City, and continues today with the extravagant tailgating that has become such an essential part of the football experience across the U.S.

I asked Larry if he’d be willing to write a guest blog for barbecuebible.com and he graciously obliged with this fascinating article called Sports and Smoke. So fire up your smokers: game on!

Sports and Smoke

Gates BBQ is not only a Kansas City classic, but one of America’s most famous slow smoking eateries, since 1946. Three quarters of a century later, it stands out among the city’s many great BBQ joints for one unique claim – crafting the only pulled pork sandwich to have been sold at both Royals baseball and Chiefs football games, in Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums respectively.

Gates’ story is hardly unique, and increasingly, fans can enjoy local barbecue – often from the city’s top joints – while watching live sports. Lion’s fans can partake in Detroit’s home grown Slow’s BBQ, Cincinnati Reds fans the Montgomery Inn, Braves supporters Atlanta’s beloved Fox Brothers BBQ and Houston Texans fans Goode & Co. brisket and sausages. In baseball season, the Houston Astros go one better with outposts of two different local faves, Killen’s and Jackson Street BBQ. While the Big Apple recently lost its flagship Blue Smoke, one of the pioneers of the modern barbecue renaissance, the concept lives on at the Mets’ Citi Field. And as if Yankees fans didn’t have enough going right for them, they now get Mighty Quinn’s excellent smoked brisket, pork, wings and ribs. National chains are represented as well, with Coors Field offering Famous Dave’s and LA Angels stadium Dickeys BBQ.

Open Pit at the Salt Lick

But it’s not just slow smoked meat – all kinds of fiery cooking are adored by sports fans, some of whom happen to be celebrity chefs. TV food star Andrew Zimmern’s planned Canteen Rotisserie for Minneapolis’ new Bank of America stadium, will be serving rotisserie beef, lamb, poultry, pork and goat. Zimmern’s stadium spot in Kansas City offers his take on Montreal smoked beef, aka Canadian pastrami.

But arguably the most famous pit master in all of sports has a niche specialty, Baltimore Pit Beef. At the old Memorial Field, Orioles MVP first baseman Boog Powell become revered by teammates for his post-game backyard-style grills after games and practices, and when Camden Yards was built, he went public with a dedicated open air fire pit take out stand. Camden Yards was the groundbreaker that ushered in the modern stadium concept 30 years ago, and Boog’s BBQ was there when it opened. It has long been a rite of passage for fans – and athletes – to eat there, and in his late seventies, Powell still often mans it himself. In 2016, Orioles star Adam Jones walked up and ordered smoked turkey, only to find himself chastised by the legend, who exclaimed, “You can’t hit no damn home runs on turkey! I’m gonna give you some beef.”

Jumbo Beef Ribs at the Salt Lick

Most nights the visiting team orders enough from Boog’s to feed the starting lineup, and its success spawned a genre of retired players turned fiery cooks, including Pittsburgh Pirates Manny Sanguillen, San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, and legendary Philadelphia Phillies slugger Greg Luzinski, whose Bull’s BBQ serves pulled pork, chicken, ribs, turkey legs, and kielbasa.

Current BYU star Quarterback Zach Wilson is projected to be the first or second pick in the NFL Draft, but he didn’t wait to go pro to sign a multi-year partnership with Traeger Grills, known for popularizing the now burgeoning pellet smoker category. Wilson was born and raised in Salt Lake County, where the company is based, and comes from a large, close-knit family where backyard cookouts around a Traeger were an integral part of his youth.

Zach Wilson

The smoky revolution in the new generation of stadiums is just a microcosm of the larger connection between smoke, fire and sports fans, which go together like – well like baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet. The heroes of Homeric Epics regularly feasted on roast lamb, pigs and goats, and when the Olympics rolled around, whole animal sacrifices were often followed by the Ancient Greek equivalent of a luau. One story recounts two prominent Olympic athletes devouring an entire bull in a single day, and the options for sports related dining have only gotten better since.

Tailgating, which has been given a big upgrade by better portable grills, smokers and high-efficiency coolers like YETI, revolves around live fire cooking, and so do Game Day backyard cookouts across America. Consider the humble chicken wing, perhaps the most iconic sports bar menu item. The true Buffalo original is deep fried, fine for restaurant kitchens, but less user friendly at home, so most home sports fans make wings – millions annually – on the grill or smoker. Ditto for the most ubiquitous stadium food item, the blasé boiled water hot dog, which almost no one enjoys that way at home – whether you prefer Nathans or Fenway Franks or any of the other Big League brands, a touch of fire is as necessary a condiment as ketchup or mustard. And for sports fans cooking at home there is virtually no limit to the pro or college team logo accessories you can ensconce yourself in, from vinyl grill covers to aprons to laser engraved spatulas.

Ñuke Gaucho Asado at My House

I have spent the past few years studying sports fans around the country, and few are as passionate as followers of college football. This history and decades of alumni traditions is inseparably wrapped up in food. There are few more ardent examples of fandom than the followers of the University of Alabama, and no food more closely associated with “Roll Tide,” than the uniquely superlative grilled-not-smoked ribs at Tuscaloosa’s Dreamland BBQ, a gameday tradition that goes back six decades. Generations of UT fans have flashed the “Hook ‘em Horns,” symbol while lining up for the wagon-train inspired open pit cooked brisket, sausages and signature jumbo beef ribs at the Salt Lick, and lucky LSU supports hit the Baton Rouge outpost of 110-year-old legend Acme Oyster for its famous chargrilled bivalves.

Tuscaloosa’s Dreamland BBQ

Everyone loves good food, but not everyone is a sports fan, so the eating, cooking and socializing is as big a part of the festivities as the game. More than the sum of their parts, these combine to create excuses for gatherings and fiery indulgence.

Where there’s sports, there’s smoke!

Larry Olmsted is an award-winning journalist, TEDx speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and BBQ enthusiast who has written USA Today’s regional food column, Great American Bites, for many years. His newest book, Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Understanding, examines the many surprising benefits of sports fandom to us as individuals and to society, was released in March 2021.

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We had no idea, in 1967, when the phenomenon started, that this annual sporting contest would engage millions of Americans, football fans or not, or become the second biggest eating day behind Thanksgiving. Just as we had no idea that the 55th Super Bowl would look so different from the 54th.

For starters, only 14,500 fans and 7,500 healthcare workers will attend the game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (For the record, the stadium can accommodate up to 75,000 fans.) At least one ticket broker is selling tickets for $407,000 each, with customers buying tickets in socially-distanced pods of six to eight preferred. Yup. We don’t want to do the math, either.

The current situation just affirms what we’ve always said, and that is, the best place to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday is in your own home where there is comfortable seating (and convivial seatmates), fewer distractions, cheaper parking, shorter lines to the bathroom, and above all—better food, preferably hot off the grill.

What to Grill If You’re Rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs

In honor of the Chiefs, we’ll be making Kansas City-style burnt ends. Though they have an unfortunate name and were once considered scrap by KC pit masters, these crusty, smoky, irregularly-shaped nuggets of the fatty brisket point are one of this city’s greatest contributions to barbecue and are a great choice for game day. Renowned journalist and Kansas City native Calvin Trillin immortalized them in live-fire circles in 1972 when he wrote in Playboy magazine:

I dream of those burned edges. Sometimes, when I’m in some awful overpriced restaurant in some strange town—all of my restaurant-finding techniques having failed, so that I’m left to choke down something that costs $7 and tastes like a medium-rare sponge—a blank look comes over my face: I have just realized that at that very moment someone in Kansas City is being given those burned edges free.

Today, you can find recipes for burnt ends featuring chuck roast or pork belly, and both are delectable. But the Chiefs, defending champions from Super Bowl LIV, deserve authenticity. (For more on burnt ends, click here.) Last year, we made Kansas City-style ribs for our guests; there was nary a bone left. Find the recipe here.

What to Grill If You’re Rooting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Now, if you’re a Tampa Bay fan, we have a couple of suggestions for you, too.

First up is Sugar Cane Shrimp with Spiced Rum Glaze. This recipe, long one of our favorites, makes the most of bounty from Florida and the Caribbean. Succulent jumbo shrimp are skewered on lengths of fresh sugar cane (we use sugar cane swizzle sticks from melissas.com, available at many supermarkets or online), then grilled over high heat and brushed with a glaze that summons Floridian vibes. And like the burnt ends above, these skewers are perfect party fare, easily eaten even while fist-pumping. You can even deputize a party-goer that doesn’t know what a Hail Mary pass is to help you grill so you don’t miss a play. (The kebabs only take 2 to 4 minutes to cook, meaning they can be easily replenished.)

If you’re watching alone or with a small group, here’s another option—one you may not be familiar with: Cuban-Style Steak with Mojo, also known as bistec de palomilla.

Thin sirloin steaks are soaked in a citrusy marinade with chips of fried garlic, then grilled with slices of sweet onion. If desired, you could easily turn this dish into kebabs. Simply soak cubes of beefsteak in the marinade, then thread with pieces of onion on bamboo skewers. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

For Other Super Bowl-Worthy Recipes… 

• Just In Time For Super Bowl LV: How To Cook Brats Like A Pro
• 10 Super Bowl-Worthy Recipes For Your Party At Home
• Bring Your Best Rib Game To Super Bowl Sunday

Who are you rooting for on Super Bowl Sunday? Share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Instagram!

The post Super Bowl Sunday at Home: Kickass Recipes for Kick-Off appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

The bratwurst came to Wisconsin with German and Austrian immigrants in the late 1800s. The sausage become synonymous with the Badger State’s culture when an Austrian-born butcher named Ralph Stayer created the Johnsonville bratwurst, named for a village west of Sheboygan.

Stayer’s genius lay as much in branding and marketing his brats, as bratwurst are affectionately known in these parts, as in formulating the perfect ratio of lean pork to fat, salt, pepper, and nutmeg or mace (for a sweet note) stuffed into a natural casing. When served with German-style hot mustard on a crusty roll, the sausage becomes nothing less than gustatory nirvana. Especially when paired with a German beer like Leinenkugel.

How to Cook Brats Like A Pro

If cooked too fast, brats have a tendency to split, leaking juice and hot fat and causing monumental flare-ups on the grill. Oftentimes, the casing burns and bursts before the interior of the sausage reaches a safe temperature of 165 degrees.

But you can avoid the problem using our tips:

1. Parboil the brats. 

Parboil the brats in water, beer, or even apple cider for 10 to 12 minutes before transferring them to the grill to finish cooking;

2. Work over a moderate heat.

Over high heat, the brats are more apt to split as the fat and juices expand.

3. Don’t crowd the grill.

Leave yourself a large safety zone with at least 30 percent of the grill grate fire-free. That way, you can move the sausages away from the flames.

4. Use tongs.

Use tongs, not a barbecue fork, for turning the sausages. Stabbing them repeatedly will cause the flavorful juices to leak onto the fire.

5. Indirect grill the sausages using medium heat.

The sausages come out with crackling crisp casings and an extraordinarily moist interior. No splitting. No bursting. No flare-ups. For extra flavor, throw some wood chips on the coals.

6. Put your brats in a “hot tub” until ready to serve. 

If you want to hold the brats for a period of time, say until halftime, transfer them to a pan of warm beer or cider with a few sliced onions and bell peppers. We like to call this “brats in a hot tub.”

What are your Super Bowl plans this year? Share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Instagram!

The post Just in Time for Super Bowl LV: How to Cook Brats Like A Pro appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.