Fall Slaw
Here’s a twist on the traditional coleslaw. My version has some shredded apples in it, and a vinegar and oil based dressing. The apples add a little sweetness, and without mayonnaise, you can keep this salad out of the fridge all night. It’s perfect for tailgating. Go Bucks!
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Tailgating is a blast. Good friends. Good food. Good drinks. Good times. Is it game day? I’ve cooked mega meals like this more than a few times , so I know first hand what kind of challenge they can be. If you’re new to this, here’s some general tips:
-Be prepared. Running to the UDF for aluminum foil while cooking at a stadium parking lot is a pain.
-Keep the number of dishes down. If you’re cooking five things at once it’s easy to get lost.
-Prepare as much as you can beforehand.
-Relax, you’re supposed to be having fun.
Here’s my mental checklist of good tailgating grub:
-easily made in large quantities
-preferably eaten by hand
-cooked on a grill or smoker
-something with a little pizazz
-transports well
-something that won’t break the bank
One of my favorites for this is my Cilantro Beef Kabobs. It’s marinated meat on skewers so it both transports and cooks easily. It’s served on lavash or pita bread so you eat it sandwich style. The flavors are awesome and different. You use chuck roast which is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat. Good on all fronts.
I hope you try this sometime, let me know if you do.
Click here to see Cilantro Beef Kabobs
Pitawurst
I come from the self-proclaimed “Bratwurst Capital of the World”. We have an annual festival in August, and this is my take on a popular festival tradition. It’s fun to take to potlucks, because the flavors are familiar, and yet it’s a bit of a novelty. Just put the meat mixture in a slow cooker and the sauce in a squeeze bottle. Set the out the pitas and let folks make their own. I always come home with an empty crock.
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Garlic Crab Legs
My family goes to Topsail Island, N.C. every June. When I say family, I mean the whole lot of us: aunts and uncles, grandparents, kids, friends, etc. All in one big house right on the ocean. We like to visit the Crab Shack in Surf City while we are there. This year, Nana and Papa kept the kids. My sister, brother-in-law, husband, and I all went to the Crab Shack. It’s a total hole-in-the-wall with great seafood. I ordered the garlic crab. It was insanely garlicky, and we loved it.
The only thing that might have been better than the crab was the music. We were just getting ready to leave the restaurant when a wizened old man in a deep baritone said, “You might want to hang around a while, I’m just getting ready to play some blues”. We had the pleasure of hearing Charlie and Rose Lucas. They were amazing. It was one of those nights you can’t plan, they just happen.
You can, however, plan an amazing crab dinner. Just click here to read more.
Back about a decade ago, my friend Tracy let me borrow a cookbook by Chris Schlesinger that he got for Christmas, License to Grill. He said, “You cook a lot more than I do, why don’t you use it.” Use it I have. (I actually still have it, sorry Tracy.) The cookbook is filled with original, vibrant dishes that can really help take a griller outside of the box.
One of our early favorites was his Smokey Chorizo Soup. A zipped up version of the traditional Portuguese classic, it was satisfying to the palate and restorative at the same time.
The health benefits of this soup are superb: kale, sweet potatoes, garlic, and vinegar all in huge amounts. Your doctor will be happy. All right, I know there’s sausage in there, but not much.
Over the years I’ve made some adjustments to the timing of some of the ingredients and their ratios. In a pinch I would certainly experiment with different greens or sausages. It wouldn’t be the same, but it still would be good. I find that a good crusty bread is outstanding with this soup. I have used a variety of hot sauces drizzled on top with great success, too.
Without further ado, I give you Smokey Chorizo Soup.
