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  • Tailgating from A to Z

Tailgating from A to Z

July 14, 2015

A

is for accessories. Have the right grill accessory to do the job. A is also for ambiance. You have to have a setting so find that football, baseball or soccer game and set up the tailgate. Create ambiance with your team colours shown proudly with flags, blankets and branded gear.

B

is for beverages! Keep a wide range of beverages starting with water in bottles for easy portability and designated drives and young tailgaters.

C

is for cold. Cold beer for the adults and cold temperatures for foods like salads and condiments that require temperature control for safety. And don’t forget the coolers to keep it all cold.

D

is for dips and condiments, they help complete the meal. Guacamole, salsas, and all the condiments required to go with whatever meats you are grilling up.

E

is for effort. Plan the tailgate with lists of what you need.

F

is for friends. It’s not a party without friends so send out those emails, texts and calls and gather the party. F is also for food which we will cover in the rest of the tips. Foods should be simple to eat because one of those hands will likely be holding a beverage.

G

is for grill. There’s no party without a way to cook up that tailgate fare! Whether you’re using charcoal or gas, that grill is the centre of the tailgate! G is also for games. You have to bring the game, both mentally and physically. Games should be easy to transport and play. You can should include tossing games which only require one hand, minimal skill but still evoke the competitiveness in your tailgaters.

H

is for heat. Either direct or indirect heat. Whatever your method of cooking is direct-heat grilling which is hot and fast, best used as a high-heat method for thin cuts of meat and foods that cook quickly or low and slow with indirect heat. Know the right temperature to grill at to get the best result for what you are cooking.

I

is for ice. Keeping the beverages cool and the salads safe.

J

is for jerk chicken. Juicy burgers. Jumbo shrimp. All perfect tailgating fare that should be on your list.

K

is for kebabs. Make that tailgate food easy to eat, chicken, beef, pork, vegetable kebabs are are great choice because they include a full meal on one skewer!

L

is for list. Have your list organized before you go.

M

is for music. It’s not a party until the tunes are blaring. And of course, naturally, m is for meat and a lot of it.

N

is for nutrition. Make sure to plan healthy for the tailgate. You can grill nuts or add them as a side dish. Grill vegetables and fruits as healthy alternatives and choose home made rather than store bought sauces and dips.

O

is for oil. Whether you are using a good olive oil for marinating or for basting the grates to keep meat from sticking. a good quality oil is essential for any grilling endeavor.

P

is for planks. If you’re planning a tailgate to include fish you’ll want cedar planks to cook that salmon on to grill it perfectly.

Q

is for que! the barbecue is the whole reason you’re out there, grilling up the meat.

R

is for recipes. Have an idea of what you are grilling and what you need to complete the recipe.

S

is for safety. Keep an eye on food temperatures and always maintain separate cutting boards and tongs for raw and cooked foods.

T

is for tools. The right tong, the right flipper, the right spatula because the right grilling tools make grilling easier and the more efficient your grilling goes the more successful your tailgate party will be.

U

is for utensils. If you’re serving foods that require cutlery, have plastic knives, forks and spoons on hand. Lightweight and disposable.

V

is for vegetables. They help make the meal go further. They are quick. And they are easy. You can grill any vegetable in a foil packet. Choose your choice of vegetables (keeping same density vegetables together for cooking times is best). Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper and wrap in grill about 5-8 minutes on one side (depending on vegetable) and flip and cook 2-3 minutes more.

W

is for wings. It’s a tailgate.Wings are tailgate fare. Pair with sauces, cut up veggies and music and you have a party.

X

is for experience. (ok we cheated, poetic license) but the whole point of tailgating is about the experience isn’t it? Create some memories.

Y

is for YouTube. There are tons of ideas for cooking and tailgating on YouTube. Crown Verity has it’s own YouTube channel with tips and tricks for outdoor cooking. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaBRYHstt24Yimro1U1zH4Q

Z

is for zone. Not just getting in the cooking zone, but also the zones on your grill and how they relate to the food you are cooking. One of the most common mistakes is using too much direct heat. Don’t overcook by having meat exposed to very high heat. It will shrink, lose moisture and become tough and dry. A 2-zone setup allows you to control the temperature for cooking and for holding temperature.