TAILGATE LIKE A PRO
From Football to Racing, sports fans know the best way to kick off any game is with a pre-game tailgate party. Though grilling food and showing your team’s spirit is essential, the most important part lies in preparation. Jay “The Tailgate Guy” DiEugenio, author of I Got Your Tailgate Party Right Here!, has learned the art of tailgating from those who do it best – the fans. Jay offers these tips for setting up a supreme tailgate party:
TAKE COVER: As any avid tailgater knows, the pre-game party goes on rain or shine. To keep the grill lit and your socks dry, pack tents and tarps to serve as shelter. Also, space heaters can prove to be your best friend during cold winter tailgates and might help you gain some extra tailgaters!
GET READY TO GRILL: Before you begin grilling, make sure to set up the tailgating area with tables, chairs and the all-important serving line. For maximum convenience, use folding tables from Lifetime Products that are lightweight, durable and easy to transport. Bring fold-up picnic or banquet tables for guests to eat on, and use adjustable-height tables that allow you to customize the table height to fit your grilling needs. And of course, you’ll want a good folding chair that has a contoured backing so you’ll be sitting comfortably.
FIRE IT UP: Invest in a portable, modular cooking system that allows you to grill, boil, fry, bake, steam, and sauté all with the same basic set-up. Once the grills fired up and ready to go, try one of these tasty recipes:
Southwest Turkey on the Grill
- 1 large roasting chicken
- 1 can sunkist orange soda
- 2 cloves garlic, slivered
- 1 lime, quartered
- Kosher salt
- Crushed peppercorns
- Chili powder
- thaw, remove giblets and trim fat from turkey.
- Thoroughly rinse and pat dry.
- Pour soda into turkey cannon.
- Squeeze one lime quarter into cannon drop in rind.
- Squeeze one lime quarter onto turkey, rub into skin.
- Squeeze remaining lime quarters into turkey cavities, leave rinds inside.
- Place slivers of garlic inside turkey cavities under skin and into cannon.
- Sprinkle salt. pepper, and chili over entire bird, rub in.
- Place Turkey onto cannon spout with breasts upward.
Place cannon on grill and roast at medium until internal meat thermomanometer reads 170 degrees.
or...
Remove all but bottom rack from conventional oven, move it to lowest level. Place turkey cannon on baking sheet or aluminum roasting pan to catch drippings. Roast at 325-350 degrees until internal meat thermomanometer reads 170 degrees.
Approximate cooking time for 14 pound turkey 2-4 hours.
Da Essential Bears Brats
These are very simple, yet the smell comming from your grill will make people think they are actually at Soldier Field.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Large white onions, sliced thin.
- Bratwurst
- Six-pack Blonde Ale
- Spicy mustard
- Fresh rolls
Simmer:
- In a cast iron Dutch oven, cover bottom with olive oil and put onion slices to cover the bottom.
- Place brats on onion and cover with ale.
- Turn Grill on to medium-high heat and poach brats for 30-45 minutes. Be careful not to let the beer completely evaporate.
Grill:
- Remove brats and place directly on grill grate. Brown all sides.
- In a dutch oven, let the beer reduce to a thick syrup and add just enough mustard to change the color to yellow. Saute until brats are done.
Serve it up:
- Serve brats on rolls with onions piled high.
- Add a touch of mustard and Frank's Xtra Red Hot.
Indy’s Own Pork Loin Sandwich
This takes a little prep, but they are sooo good! Be sure to use your own flair and add some spices to the marinade or even the breading.
Ingredients:
- 6-8 boneless pork loin chops
- Rolls or Burger buns.
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Onion
- Ketchup, Mustard, Franks Chili and Lime Sauce.
- Breading
- Marinade
- Vegetable, Canola or peanut oil.
Breading Ingredients:
- 3 cups Japanese bread crumbs
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
Marinade Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 quart of milk
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 2 TBS Joe's Stuff(Joe Cahn, the commissioner of tailgating, has his own spice blend. Thanks Joe!)
- Mix well in a large enough container to hold the marinade and the pork.
Prep:
Trim excess fat from pork. Using a meat hammer, flatten pork to about a 1/4 or 1/2 inch thick. Place flattened pork in marinade and refridgerate overnight
Fill a cast iron dutch oven or deep fry pan with about 2-3 inches of oil. Turn on burner while prepping the food. The oil should be ready when pork is ready to be placed in the pan. Mix breading in a large container. A large square plastic container works well here. One at a time, take pork from marinade and let any excess marinade drip off. Place pork in breading and really press the breading on the pork. Do both sides.
Fry It Up:
Once all the pork is breaded, your oil should be ready to go. Place 2-3 pieces in at a time. You'll want to use tongs to turn pork a few times. Pork is done when the breading is golden brown on both sides.
Remove from oil and build your sandwich. Be careful, these babies are hot!
KEEP IT HOT:
Invest in a portable, modular cooking system that allows you to grill, boil, fry, bake, steam, or sauté all with the same basic set-up. To keep food hot, use disposable aluminum roasting pans with fuel canisters underneath. For cold items, fill a tub or bucket with ice and place bowls of salad, condiments, beverages, and other items in this instant fridge.
SHOW YOUR SPIRIT:
Don’t forget the most important part of your tailgate: showing support for your team! Use large, inflatable novelties and high-flying flags to show team spirit, and to help guests find your tailgating spot.
PACK IT UP:
Water is scarce in a parking lot and can make clean-up time difficult. Minimize the need to wash dishes by using disposable pans, plates, and serving platters whenever possible. Use zippered plastic storage bags to marinate, organize, store and dispose of food and other items. After the game, pack your reusable supplies in rubber tubs, so you can avoid the need to pack and repack for each game.
For more information on setting up your tailgate party, visit YourTailgateParty.com.