Chef Tom talks about Tailgating Tips for this weekend's BIG game!
Food Safety: The cardinal rules of picnicking apply here as much as ever.
-Hot foods should be eaten within 1 hour of cooking.
-Cold foods should be kept below 40 degrees F until it's time to serve, and then thrown away after being out for more than 2 hours.
-Uncooked meats get separate plates, utensils, and coolers. One of the easiest ways to ruin the big game is to cross contaminate your meat.
-Bring lots of ice
-Bring LOTS of ice
-BRING LOTS OF ICE
Division of Labor: Your big party will go a LOT smoother if you split jobs up among your trusted friends. Sample jobs I've seen include:
-Tent (wo)man: Responsible for getting there as early as possible to save a perfect spot
-Grill (wo)man: This person's sole responsibility is to make sure the brats are always hot, the burgers are cooked to perfection, and that there is plenty of food to go around.
-Condiment Queen/King: Makes sure the side dishes are filled, and ready to roll
-Entertainment Guru: One of the most important jobs. This is the person that brings out the football, the TV, the radio and/or whatever traditional game you choose to play, while standing around awaiting the launch of the big game.
Keep the food simple: Although there is a time to make rosemary smoked chicken wings with a fennel beurre blanc, this is not the place. When the food is gone, you want to be able to clean up and get to the game in a hurry. If it can't be cooked on a grill, or served in a plastic container, keep it at home.
Be prepared for disaster: Remember the first aid kit, antacid, jumper cables, ponchos, and sunblock. Offense may sell tickets, but defense wins games!
Tom's Easy Grilled Wings:
3-4 lbs chicken wings
2 Tbsp. Vegetable/Corn/Canola oil
1 bottle BBQ Sauce
2 Tbsp. melted butter
Salt and Pepper
Heat your grill to high, toss chicken wings in oil.
Place wings on the grill, and cook 4-5 minutes a side until completely cooked through.
While the wings are cooking, combine the butter and BBQ sauce, and mix well.
Remove the cooked wings from the grill, and place them in a clean serving dish. Pour sauce over the top, and serve!
For more of Chef Tom's ideas, visit:
http://www.cookwithtom.com.
