Tailgate Season is HERE!

Honestly, when the chill hits the air, so many of us cannot wait to load up our trucks, stations wagons, or SUV’s and head on over to a college or pro football game for the age-old tradition of the tailgate party!

            Good day everyone!

            As usual, I am going to TRY to keep this one a little shorter since this is our “casual” weekend post.

            However, we know me, and as usual I will probably go just as long as when we are committing to longer posts.

            Anyway… let’s not worry about that for right now.  Let’s just discuss the topic at hand.

            The topic that goes with sports jerseys, pig skin, smoke, heat, cold, food, and friendships.

            This is, of course… football season.  And with football season comes the glory of the tailgate party!

What is a tailgate party?

            I am 100% certain that some people, thought not our readers (wink, wink) are imagining a highway where everyone is enjoying riding each other’s rear bumper as tight as possible while on their way to a destination. 

            Or they are thinking about accidents that could be caused by such poor driving behavior.

            However, this is not the case at all… remember that this is a tradition that a large number of people actually do ENJOY and go out of their way to take part in.

            That being said, a tailgate party is a social event that includes alcohol, grilling, and sports.  Usually these are done in the parking lots (or something similar) where a football game is going on. 

How it Works…

            Honestly, it works much like a regular party, with the exception that people generally provide their own alcohol.

            At Wayside, we can get down with that… the last thing you want to do is give someone alcohol that interacts badly with something else that they are drinking… nothing can ruin a good time like you getting accused of poisoning someone (think about a combo like beer and energy drinks; it does not often end well). 

            Back to the topic and away from the potential for doom and gloom – the big thing about this is the exchange of food.

            Normally very hot food – food right off the grill.  You are not going to normally pay someone for something, but people are going to go our of their way to have enough of their own specialty, and food swapping is going to be a thing.

            Do you have an absolutely killer chowder that you do prep and cook on the grill?  Maybe you do, and maybe you absolutely love it!

            But, just maybe you love the smell coming two vehicles over, so you decide to pop over and see what this guy (or girl!) has available.

            You see that the smell comes from homemade sausages that have been expertly prepared  on the grill… and there are even some onions and peppers to go with it (believe it or not, homemade sausage is not all that hard to make).  You start drooling immediately, and the guy is cool and offers you some. 

You accept and come back a short time later with your chowder, which he (or she!) is grateful for. 

And since we all know that food is a universal language, so you have a fast friendship.  It might only be for the day… or for any time there is a game… but it will be great fun while it lasts!

Digging Deeper

            It really is that simple – it is generally a party with people you don’t know that are all after the same thing – the fun of being at the stadium and supporting their team, and trading food and possibly recipes with likeminded people.

            Now the big question is, of course, how this ties in to a meat market.  We at Wayside have no affiliation with a team; we are not sponsored by any teams, we do not sponsor any teams.

            But, we ARE a meat market… so we are all about one key element of this social event…

            Can you guess?

            FOOD!!!

            Specifically, we are all about making sure that you can glean the most social benefit out of these parties. 

            People are going to follow their nose to what smells the most amazing – this cannot be disputed under any conditions.

            That being said, don’t you want to meet the most people?

            Get to try the most interesting recipes?

            Make the most friends?

            If you are at one of these events, then the likely answer is a resounding YES to all of these questions.

            Therefore…

            You want to be grilling something special, unique… and something that has real value.

            You want to provide real, quality, delicious meat to those that approach you.

A Mark of Quality

            Buying quality meat produces a better final product.  I mean, think about it…

·       Have you ever had filet mignon that was made from a substandard cut of meat?

·       What is tastier – random cheap-as-hell hot dogs, or a designer bratwurst?

·       Is the texture of chemically cured bacon as good as naturally cured bacon?

            Seriously, these are not hard questions, and then tell you all that you need to know.

            It does not matter if you are making a glorious barbecue burger, if you are trying out the famous beer-can chicken, or if you are trying a unique take on a classic frankfurter… it all starts long before the food hits the grill.

            Quality food, quality meat, helps produce a quality final product that you and your friends will be sure to enjoy.

            Even if they are only friends on game day, really think about that – would you rather go to this even, be along, and not be offered the chance to sample other peoples’ delicious recipes?

            Or do you want to really try out different tastes, flavors, and different dishes?

            Hey, if you are tailgating, then I already know the answer.  That being said, do yourself a favor and start off with getting someone quality meat from your quality butcher.

Stop in at Wayside, ask us for our advice, and we will get you on the right path to being the King or Queen of your tailgating event!