There I was this weekend, out in the arena parking lot, about to head in for some PBR action (that’s professional bull riding for you city slickers check it out – www.pbrnow.com), when it hit me. Why am I not tailgating? There were plenty of other people out in their trucks drinking beer, Lynchburg lemonade, or whatever other concoction they could came up with, but nobody was grilling. I looked at my little buddy and told him, next time we’re tailgatin’.
So what makes up a good “Rodeo Style” tailgate? Well, cowboy food of course. Start off with a solid beef course (no, chicken won’t do), throw in a few ranch style sides, top it off with any Jack Daniel’s mixer, and you’re off to the races, or the rodeo in this case.
I start my PBR tailgate with a cold drink, ‘cause you want to keep yourself hydrated while grilling. Big Dog prefers his Jack with Coke: 1 part Jack and 3 parts Coke. It’s as simple as that. If you want, throw a slice of lime in there. Remember, it’s important to start out with the right ratio, because as the afternoon goes on you are pretty much assured your ratios will be heavier on the Jack. You don’t want to be that guy sleeping in the truck while your buddies are enjoying the action. Don’t forget to be prepared, for those of you who prefer something a little different, think Lynchburg Lemonade, here’s a few other ideas for Jack mixers compliments of the great folks at Jack Daniel’s - http://www.jackdaniels.com/Recipes/Cocktails.aspx.
With drink in hand, let’s start the meat. Big Dog’s choice here is tri-tip.
Tri-Tip Barbecue
Ingredients
• 2-3 pound tri-tip steak
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
Get your grill up and running. When the grill is hot, set your rack about 3-4 inches from the coals. Traditionally tri-tip is grilled over oak coals and charcoal grills with adjustable grates. The meat is seared close to the fire then the grate is raised to allow the meat to slow roast until done.
Combine the garlic salt, pepper, salt and sugar and rub over the meat. Set aside and let it marry for at least 30 minutes. Then sear the meat over hot coals for about 6 minutes per side, turning once. Once seared, adjust the rack so the meat is farther from coals, about 6 or 8 inches, and continue to cook meat, turning once or twice, until done to your liking, usually 30 to 40 minutes. Make sure to let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Slice meat across grain and serve.
Once you got the meat going, let’s talk sauce and sides. Seeing as Jack Daniel’s is one of the major PBR sponsors, a Whiskey BBQ sauce will fit the bill perfectly. As for sides, I’m thinking beans, ranch style of course.
Whiskey BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
• 1 onion, chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 cups ketchup
• 2/3 cup cider vinegar
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon pepper sauce
• 1 cup Jack Daniel’s whiskey
Combine onion, garlic and Jack in a saucepan. Cook up the onion and garlic for about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until reduced and thickened, about 15 to 25 minutes.
Adding an additional splash (or two) of Jack just prior to serving will give it a fantastic aroma.
Ranch Style Beans
Ingredients
• 1 pound dried pinto beans
• 1 quart water
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Place beans in a pot (or Dutch oven, if you’ve got one); add water until beans are covered by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain. Then return beans to pot and add about 1 qt. water. Bring to boil again. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for
1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours or until beans are tender. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil a third time. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 1 ½ hours longer.
* It’s a whole lot easier if you prep these at home and just bring ‘em out and warm ‘em up.
You got your beef, beans, beverage and sauce, the rest is a piece of cake that doesn’t need much help from the Big Dog. Here’s a few ideas though to get your juices flowing – corn on the cob. Take your ears of corn, peal back the husk and pull off the silk. Put some butter, salt, pepper and close it up. Wrap it all in aluminum foil and put on the grill with indirect heat for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally. If you’d like, spice it up a little – try garlic salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, Tabasco, the sky’s the limit. Big Dog likes mayo w/pepper sauce, give it a try. Then throw a side salad together with some ranch dressing (this would include lettuce, tomatoes, maybe some cheese, croutons, etc., you get the idea). Grab some form of bread – dinner role, biscuit, whatever suits your liking. Now your set.
If you haven’t been to a PBR event, you don’t know what you are missing. These cowboys put on quite a show and the bulls are no joke. These bulls, White Magic, Big Tex and the newcomer Lincoln Electric’s Bring It, are awesome animals. Stand beside one of these bad boys and see if you’ve got the cajones to climb aboard. These cowboys deserve respect. Granted they are a little crazy, you’ve gotta be, but the athletic ability to ride one of these monsters is incredible. If you’re not up for the ride then just sit back with the Big Dog and enjoy the show.
