Knowing When To End Your Tailgate

The tailgate is a given right and a time-honored tradition for sports fans that should never be fully sacrificed. But it’s important to remember that the tailgate isn’t the only thing on the docket when spending hours in the stadium’s parking lot.

Grilled food and cold beverages with close friends are merely a precursor to what matters most: the game. Pulling away from the grill and ending the party is tough. Shuffling through the crowd to enter the stadium is a tedious affair and, therefore, understandably postponed. The problem is that it’s unfair to the home team.

Read more: http://tailgatefan.cbslocal.com/2011/10/06/knowing-when-to-end-your-tailgate/

Auburn Fans Turn Casket into Tailgating Grill

Seen on the Auburn Family message boards, here's a nice charcoal grill out of a CASKET!

There is grilling space, a hot box, and condiment storage section on the left.

First one of those that I've seen!

Source: http://www.aufamily.com/forums/topic/75567-ive-seen-it-all-now/

Tailgating Fail: You're doing it wrong

This person is clearly doing it wrong!

Atomic Buffalo Turds

Atomic Buffalo Turds are a great appetizer at a tailgate (or anywhere).  The true ABT has the bacon wrapped around the pepper, but laying the bacon on top saves a lot of time and yields the same result.

INGREDIENTS

• 20 large jalapeno peppers
• 20 pieces of thick cut bacon
• 1 package of little smokies (your choice of flavor)
• 2 cups fine shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 package cream cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix cream cheese and cheddar cheese together in a bowl. 
2. Cut jalapeno peppers in half, leaving stems in, and remove all seeds and core.
3. Fill jalapeno half with cheese mixture, put a smokie in the middle and top with a half piece of bacon.
4. Secure bacon with a toothpick thru the center of the smokie and pepper.
5. Put on a grill or smoker over low heat until the bacon is to your liking.  The peppers will look over cooked but that is the way they should be. 

Weber Ranch Kettle Grill

With a cooking area clocking in at just over 1,100 square inches, The Ranch ($1,100) is the Weber Kettle Grill on steroids. This mammoth of a grill is able to accommodate multiple turkeys, roasts, chickens, or up to 19 Cornish hens! Originally designed for caterers and country club chefs, the Ranch Kettle is perfect for extremely large tailgate crowds.

Rugged, yet easy to use, this 37-1/2-inch-diameter grill features a patented tuck-away lid that slides conveniently into its holder. Two weather-resistant thermoplastic handles remain cool to the touch when you move the lid. A hinged cooking grate gives you easy access to coals and a removable ash catcher assures easy cleanup. With the same solid construction of all Weber grills, the Ranch Kettle has locking casters that allow for easy movement and the porcelain-enameled coating to prevent rust.

Best of all, the massive cooking area lets you have any number of different heating combinations, such as high heat for searing meat, a medium area for cooking it, and a low area for keeping food warm on the grill.

Chili-Lime Chicken Kabobs

There is nothing like throwing down some kabobs on the grill before a little football action.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into
• 1 1/2 inch pieces
• Skewers

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and limejuice. Season with chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish with the sauce, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear

Campfire In A Can is Guaranteed to Heat Up Your Tailgate

With late fall and early winter peeking around the corner, it’s never too early to start to get ready for some cold weather tailgating. So, we know that taking down swigs of Jack will help you stay all warm and fuzzy inside, but to truly beat that cold chill you need to check out the Campfire In A Can ($240), the portable propane fire pit.

The Gas Can’s precision craftsmanship and 3-spoke burner design produces a good old-fashioned, roaring fire. Certified and tested to CSA standards, it produces up to 64,000 BTUs; it is literally the hottest campfire on the market. The product’s high-efficiency propane regulator and adjustable shut off valve allow easy control of desired fire size. Safe to burn on a wood deck or patio carpet, The Gas Can is the only campfire with a certified zero clearance to combustibles underneath it.

The Gas Can’s innovative pedestal style base provides safe and easy internal storage of the 10-foot propane hose and regulator. A realistic ceramic one-piece log set with super glow ceramic woodchips gives the fire an authentic wood burning appearance. The Gas Can’s aluminum canister top functions as a stand and a protective carrying case, and its collapsible handle folds flush for easy storage. It has a removable cooking grate that is perfect to throw down a skillet for those morning tailgate omelets.

Steak Station: Monitor Four Steaks At Once

As far as I’m concerned, you can split “grill masters” into two categories. Those that love gadgets, and those that really love gadgets. The Steak Station ($23) is a great little device that any “grill master” will love. It can monitor four steaks at the same time, allowing those commanding the grill to confidently cook multiple steaks, and attend to more pressing matters, like taking down a cold beer. The colorful Steak Station probes measure from 115°F to 170°F, indicating a complete spectrum of doneness while helping you remember whose steak is whose. The adjustable foldout kickstand on the back pops out into various positions, and it feels very sturdy when sitting on the grill.

Designed for cooking in the trenches during a hectic tailgate when the crowd is clamoring for steaks of all different doneness, the no-nonsense interface makes grilling them about as easy as it can be.

The only feature that we would like to see in the future is a numerical read out of the current internal temperature.

Tailgate Beer Brats (Bratwursts)

We want to give a big thank you to Milly from Philly for sending in this recipe (yes, that’s her real name, we just made it rhyme). It’s no secret that bratwursts and beer are quite fond of one another, and there is perhaps no greater tailgate food than Beer Brats. Below is a different take from the traditional fashion. The prep work would have to be done the night before the tailgate for this recipe to really boom.

Note: This recipe is intended for 6-8 brats.

Marinade Ingredients
1 12 oz. bottle of a pale ale beer
1 tablespoon minced garlic

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SMU Mustang Trailer Takes New Shape

After speaking with Robert Mims from Imagi-Motive a few weeks ago, I realized that they are way ahead of the curve when it comes to customizing tailgating vehicles. Take for instance, the SMU Tailgating Trailer, which is their newest model. In the past, tailgate trailers have always been designed around the standard box-trailer design. This is fine, if you are using the trailer to haul around some lawn mowers or a couple of Harleys. But when you want to use a space for a particular purpose, you need to start from scratch. Imagi-Motive has decided to forgo that old boxed-in design, and construct these trailers to spec. Some of the features of the SMU Tailgating Trailer shown above include a flat screen TV, satellite dish, surround speaker system, keg tap system, cup dispenser, wet bar, and swing-out grill.

Check out the full story to learn more and view the photo gallery.

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