Taylor Mathis - The Southern Tailgating Cookbook: A Game-Day Guide for Lovers of Food, Football, and the South

The Southern
Tailgating Cookbook

Text and photographs 2013 Jeffrey Taylor Mathis

All recipes developed and tested by Sally James

The author and the University of North Carolina Press have incorporated the depiction of college and university trademarks and logos on products in this publication as illustrative commentary only and not as endorsement of the products by the author or the University of North Carolina Press or endorsement of this publication by the colleges or universities whose marks and logos are depicted. The marks and logos are the property of their respective college or university owners, and use in this publication is not meant in any way to convey affiliation, endorsement, or sponsorship of this publication by the colleges or universities or their licensees.

All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
Designed by Kimberly Bryant and set in Utopia, The Serif,
and Trade Gothic types by Rebecca Evans

The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. The University of North Carolina Press has been a member of the Green Press Initiative since 2003.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mathis, Taylor.
The Southern tailgating cookbook : a game-day guide for
lovers of food, football, and the South / Taylor Mathis.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-4696-1062-7 (cloth: alk. paper)
1. Cooking, AmericanSouthern style. 2. Outdoor cooking.
3. Tailgate parties. I. Title.
TX715.2.S68M3265 2013
641.5975dc23 2013004073

17 16 15 14 13 5 4 3 2 1

For tailgaters everywhere

To the tailgaters whom I met throughout my travels, I cant name you all but Im thankful for all your help.

To Mac Mackie, my agent, thanks for believing in this project from the beginning. To Erika Stevens, thank you for your editing and words of encouragement. To Elaine Maisner and the staff of the University of North Carolina Press, thank you for making this book happen. I appreciate your patience, support, and expertise throughout this process.

To Sean Patton, thanks for a conversation that led to the big idea.

To Dad, thanks for showing me that hard work works.

To Sara, thanks for your love, support, and understanding throughout this process.

To Sally, Mom, thanks for collaborating with me on the recipes. It was an experience I would not trade for anything.

The Southern
Tailgating Cookbook

Fans outside Neyland Stadium before kickoff in Knoxville, Tennessee

Do you enjoy a mouthwatering buffet of your favorite foods? Is your ideal Saturday one spent with your friends and family? Is there a college or university you feel a loyalty toward? Congratulations! You could become a tailgater.

Theres no membership to obtain or test to pass. You have the intangible skills necessary to spend game day tailgating. Now all you need are the tangible skills. Dont worry; youll learn about those later on in the book. Ill share with you the tools, techniques, and recipes that will lead you to a successful game-day tailgate. Consider this a warning, though: once you start tailgating, particularly in the South, you wont want to stop. On Saturdays in the fall, southern campuses are taken over by century-old celebrations that bring fans by the thousands. When youve finished reading this book, youll understand why a game day in the South is unlike any other. And as amazing as game days are, none of this could be possible without you, the fan.

Ive always admired creative and passionate people. The football fans I met as I was gathering the content for this book at college campuses across the South are exactly that. They love their teams and families and enjoy celebrating both. For three months during the fall, many lucky southerners become college football tailgaters. They pack up their cars, RVs, boats, or buses and make their way to the college campuses of their favorite teams. On game day, they gather with friends and family, dress in sacred colors, and cheer their teams. These pre- and postgame celebrations are for everyone. Tailgating is an activity for all ages, from nine months to ninety-nine years, and it appeals to anyone who loves great food, being around loved ones, and supporting his or her team.

For two and a half seasons, I traveled across twelve states to experience the different game-day traditions, food, and fan bases that make southern tailgating unique. On every campus, there were allegiances to different teams, but all tailgaters shared in the same hospitality that the South is known for. When one tailgater was in trouble, the tent next door gladly lent some extra charcoal or offered a roll of paper towels. I never went hungry and was always asked if I needed a drink or a plate of food. The tailgaters whom I met during my trip always made me feel welcome and showed that same respect to one another.

This book is filled with pictures and stories. The recipes include family favorites and dishes inspired by what I saw tailgaters making and serving at sites across the South. Keep in mind that to tailgate is to entertain; these recipes arent great just on game day but can be used year-round. Interspersed with the recipes, youll find sidebars discussing the uniqueness of a game-day atmosphere. Each campus I visited has special and distinctive traditions, but the sociable tradition of tailgating joins fans, families, and friends across the South.

I hope this books leaves you inspired for your next tailgate, backyard barbecue, family reunion, or any other event youre hosting. Remember, you cant control how your team performs on the field. All you can do is throw the best pregame celebration possible. Good luck to you and your team. Happy tailgating!

On game day, fans may do anything from cooking a few burgers on a grill in the bed of a pickup to arriving at their tailgating sites with a trailer-sized pig cooker and two whole hogs smoking away. Tailgating spreads will feed anywhere from two people to more than a hundred. A tailgater does all this not out of the comfort of his or her own kitchen but in a parking space on his or her favorite college campus. Tailgaters are more than just fans; they are on-site caterers who host parties with restaurant-quality food in an environment that was never intended to be a kitchen. Hosting these events requires a crafty and thoughtful approach to menu planning.

At a tailgate, guests typically will spend the day standing with a drink in one hand while enjoying the pregame festivities. Have you ever tried cutting up food on a plate while standing, much less while holding a drink? You end up with more food on the ground than in your mouth. If the food you serve isnt in bite-sized portions or has to be cut with a fork, it should be served between a bun, on a stick, or in a cup or a bowl. Any menu items that require a knife to eat should be carved prior to serving.