The Ultimate Tailgating Tips

By Stephen Linn a.k.a The Ultimate Tailgater

I don’t know if it’s global warming, but it’s taken a while for that summer heat to turn into a brisk fall this year. But it finally feels like football season and nothing goes with football more than tailgating. And nothing goes with tailgating more than barbecue.

But barbecue takes time. Don’t worry, I’m here to help you pull it off at your tailgate. Here are a couple of tips that help me have fun while keeping my friends and family coming back for more.

Great BBQ doesn’t have to take a lot of time

You’ve heard the barbecue mantra a million times: low and slow. But cooking at temperatures as low as 200ºF means it could be six or eight hours (or longer) before that brisket or those ribs are ready. Most tailgaters don’t have that long. They spend about four hours in the parking lot and during that time they set up, cook, eat, clean-up, and head to their seats. But that doesn’t mean you have to cross-off barbecue from your tailgate menu. Just use a shortcut. One of my top tips for any tailgate party is prep your food ahead of time. I mean, after all, it’s your tailgate party, too. You’re there to have fun with your friends, not be their caterer.

Prep Ahead and Save Time

Prepping ahead is also one of the easiest ways to cut-down on barbecue cooking time. The trick: parboil the meat so it’s pre-cooked (see Quick Grill recipe to learnsee how). You just finish it up at your tailgate. You’ll see this technique in recipes for chicken wings a lot, and as long as you season the meat well, it’ll taste great and be a tailgate hit.

The key to keeping the ribs in the Quick-Grill Barbecue Ribs recipe moist is to keep an eye on them while parboiling. Once the meat begins to pull pack from the bone pull them out of the water. Wait too long and you’ll have tough, over-cooked, dry ribs on game day.

Another trick to cutting cooking time is to cut-up the meat. The recipe may call for a 10-pound brisket and tell you to smoke it for eight hours, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only way to cook it. A 3-pound piece of meat will cook quicker and still have great flavor. So divide that 10-pound brisket into smaller portions before cooking—you’ll be able to enjoy your meal and make it to your seats for kick-off.

So, fire up the grill and have some fun! Here is a Cattlemen’s Barbecue recipe to get you started that will have your guest asking for more.

Stephen Linn’s Quick-Grill Cattlemen’s Barbecue Ribs

5 to 6 pounds spareribs
Spice rub (recipe follows)
Your favorite Cattlemen’s® barbecue sauce

Spice Rub
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Mix all ingredients together in bowl; store in a jar or zip-top bag until ready to use.

Trim the spareribs and rub both sides of the ribs with the dry rub mixture, being sure to get all surfaces and work it into the meat. Put the ribs in a covered, shallow dish or zip-top bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and place the seasoned ribs into it. Boil for about 30 minutes, until meat is just cooked. Refrigerate or store in a cooler until ready to finish cooking.

Heat grill to medium–hot.

Brush the ribs with Cattlemen’s® barbecue sauce to taste and place on the grill. After about 10 minutes flip ribs and repeat, being careful not to let the sauce burn (sugars in the sauce will do that if left on the fire too long).

Serves 6 to 8

Traditional Texas Brisket

1 Beef brisket, untrimmed (about 6 lbs, cut into 2-3 lbs portions)
¼ cup Paprika
2 tablespoons Chili powder
2 tablespoons Salt
2 tablespoons Brown sugar
1 tablespoons Black pepper
1 tablespoons Cumin
2 teaspoons Ground coriander
2 teaspoons Cayenne
2 teaspoons Oregano

Rinse the brisket and blot dry with a paper towel.

Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub the mixture into the brisket on all sides making sure to coat the meat. Wrap the seasoned brisket in plastic and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight (the longer the better).

Pre-heat the grill for indirect cooking at low to medium-low heat and add mesquite wood chips.

Place the brisket in an aluminum foil pan, or on a double-thick sheet of aluminum foil with the edges turned up. Then place the pan on the “cold” side of the grill, away from the heat.

Cook until the meat is tender enough that it can be easily pulled apart by hand, about 2–3 hours (depending on the size of the brisket portions and heat of the grill). Baste the meat and add wood chips as needed during cooking.

Remove brisket from the pan and let rest for 15–20 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite Cattlemen's® BBQ sauce on the side to brush on for more flavor or as a dipping sauce.

Serves 10