Raichlen - Raichlens tailgating!: 31 righteous recipes for on-the-go grilling

31 Righteous Recipes for On-the-Go Grilling

By Steven Raichlen

Workman Publishing, New York

Copyright 2011 by Steven Raichlen

Barbecue! Bible is a registered trademark of Steven Raichlen and Workman Publishing Company, Inc.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopyingwithout written permission of the publisher.

Raichlens Tailgating is a compilation of selected recipes previously published in The Barbecue! Bible, How to Grill, and Planet Barbecue!, all by Steven Raichlen. The Introduction and Game Plan text material has been written for this book.

Cover design by David Matt

Cover photos (clockwise from top left):
Skewers Greg Schneider
Football Denis Pepin/Fotolia
Number one Lisa F. Young/Fotolia
Author photo by Sylvia Pedras/Courtesy of Steven Raichlen and Primal Grill
Sausage Greg Schneider
Barbecue sauce Greg Schneider
Hot coals on grill Eric Schnakenberg/Getty Images

eISBN 978-0-7611-6346-6

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Long before NASCAR and the Super Bowl, there was tailgating. This distinctly American institution dates back to 1869, and probably earlier, when Rutgers and Princeton played their first intercollegiate football game. Students gathered before the contest to drink and socialize, so legend goes, serving their picnics on the lowered tailgates of horse-drawn wagons.

Fast-forward to today. Weve all seen or heard about elaborate tailgating setupsthe limos and silver candelabras, the plasma screen TVs and military-strength sound systems. Theres even a company in California that will customize your pickup truck with built-in grills and refrigerated beer kegs. Tailgating has been embraced not just by football fans but by baseball, soccer, and racing enthusiasts. According to the American Tailgaters Association, more than twenty million Americans participated in these over-the-top parties last year.

To the casual observer, tailgating would appear to be little more than a big, rambunctious party in a parking lot. But scratch beneath the surface of the beer- and brat-fueled conviviality and youll discover a raw desire to win. Yes, tailgating itself has become a competition sport: Is the real contest on the Astroturf or on the asphalt? This book will help you, er, smoke the competition.

The first thing you need, of course, is a vehicleideally with a real tailgate. Equally essential is a sturdy transportable grill. I prefer charcoal grills for tailgating because theyre well suited to smoking and grilling. (They also give you the high testosterone thrill of playing with live fire.) You may even want to bring multiple grillsone for grilling steaks or burgers directly over the fire, for example, and another for indirect grilling or smoking chicken and ribs.

Bring all the fuels and tools youd typically use when grilling at homecharcoal (preferably natural lump) or, if youre a gas griller, an extra tank of propane. Youll also need a chimney starter or two when grilling with charcoal; heavy suede grill gloves and insulated rubber food gloves; a long-handled stiff wire brush for cleaning the grill grate; long-handled, spring-loaded tongs; spatulas; basting brushes; foil drip pans; and an instant-read meat thermometer for checking when food is done. These tools and more are available at my Web store: www.barbecuebible.com/store. Its also important to bring a metal ash can or an extra aluminum drip pan so you can dispose of hot coals safely. Oh, and dont forget the matches or butane lighter.

Tailgating has a lot in common with camping. The success of the adventure depends on being well prepared. So before you pack up a single item make a comprehensive list of everything youll need for cooking, serving, and yes, cleanup. Check it again. (Some people keep a laminated copy of the list with their tailgating gear.) Once youre at the stadium, you cant run back to the house and grab a forgotten item. Speaking of which, dont forget to bring a fire extinguisherwe hope you never need it.

More Tips for Competition-Quality Tailgate Grilling

• Build your menu around a large hunk of meat that serves lots of people but needs relatively little tending. Beer-can chicken is a good candidate. It cooks from start to finish in an hour to an hour and a half.
• Everyone loves ribs. Baby backs are quicker and easier to prepare, typically requiring less than an hour and a half of indirect grilling, and are more intrinsically tender than spareribs. Invest in a rib rack so you can cook up to four whole slabs of ribs on a single grill.
• Going the low and slow route of true barbecue? When grilling pork shoulders, briskets, or spareribs be sure you have enough time to finish before the kickoff. (Some stadiums have restrictions on when tailgaters can start setting up.) Check in advance, and as an alternative, smoke roast the meat at home and reheat it at the party.
• Bratwurst is the ultimate sausage for tailgating (just ask any Wisconsin cheesehead). Sure you can grill bratwurst directly over a moderate flame but youll likely spend the afternoon dodging flare-ups while at the same time trying to keep the casings from splitting and burning. I prefer to use the indirect method and grill the brats with a handful of soaked wood chips. The resulting sausages are a lot plumper and juicier and the smoke flavor adds a whole new dimension. (Ditto for Italian sausage and chorizo.) To hold cooked sausages until halftime, use a bratwurst hot tuba large aluminum foil pan full of gently simmering beer flavored with sliced onions and melted butter.
• What about burgers? For many people no tailgate party is complete without them. I like to fold a disk of herbed butter into the center of each patty before grilling. That way you can cook the burger through (to a safe internal temperature of 160F) without drying it out, something you really should do given the omnipresent risk of salmonella. Contrary to popular practice, never press a burger with a spatula when grillingthis forces out the juices and dries out the burger.
• Dont let the last play distract you from food safety. Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Cold food should be kept at least as cold as 41F and hot food should be no cooler than 140F. Wash and sterilize your hands often. Use separate cutting boards, knives, and utensils for raw and cooked meats to avoid cross-contamination. Beware of leftovers that have been sitting at room temperature for more than an hour. Remember, room temperature on hot asphalt can be 95 degrees!

A Few Final Tips for Tailgating

• X marks the spot. Tie a helium-filled Mylar balloon to your car so everyone can locate your party easily.
• Pack plenty of aluminum foil drip pans (I buy them by the case). You can use them for marinating meats, for indirect grilling, as serving platters, and for holding leftovers. When youre done grilling, dump the hot embers or ashes in an empty pan and then douse them with water.