Fall and Football Bring Out the Creative Culinary Juices
It’s fall and, for many, that means football. Of course, what’s the point of going to a game if you’re not going to enjoy the tailgate parties. There’s something about the whole experience, though, that appears to a foodie’s creative impulses. Regardless of where you travel or what team you support, there’s likely to be an unusual food offering. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts:
- Hot manifold pot roast—This one is legend at the big house in Ann Arbor. It requires the right-sized piece of beef, carrots, onions and potatoes. Advocates say the ideal distance for perfectly cooking a meal is about 120-130 miles, about the distance from Ann Arbor to Grand Rapids.
- Beef Barbacoa de cabeza—Yes, that’s correct…the cabeza is the head. In this case, it’s the whole head of a cow. Not surprisingly, this tailgating treat is often found in South Texas. Look for pitmasters to arrive at the crack of dawn and slow-roast the steer head (including tongue and cheek meat).
- Crow medallions with jalapeno, wrapped in bacon—This specialty comes from the Ozarks and can often be found when the Arkansas Razorbacks are at home. The medallions are dusted with brown sugar, marinated in soy sauce and then grilled over wood or charcoal.
- Whole smoked armadillo—Not the faux armadillo eggs, typically made with sausage, this is the real thing. Go to a game at Central Florida University, just outside of Orlando, and you might get to sample this delicacy, where the armadillo is cooked in its own shell with special seasonings and vegetables.
- Bacon-wrapped Oreos—Legend says this delicacy was first served at the Orange County Fair in California about 10 years ago, but it’s become a staple at tailgates across the country. Some people fry them and others smoke them, but all that’s required is a bag of Oreos, a package of regular cut bacon and some toothpicks.
- Smoked shotgun shells—No, don’t get the 12-gauge shells out. This tasty treat uses manicotti shells. It can be a little labor intensive but requires that you stuff the shells with your preferred meat and cheese mixture—Italian sausage and cream cheese is highly recommended—then wrap the shell in regular cut bacon for at least four hours (to soften the pasta shell), then smoke for about an hour. About 10 minutes before you pull them off, brush them with your favorite BBQ sauce. Cut into one-inch pieces and watch them disappear.
