Weekly Tailgate Menu: September 26, 2007

This Week's Menu:

- Jerked Wings
- Grilled Potatoes
- Beggar’s Hot Beef Chili
- Rum Cake

I was in Big Ten country last weekend, spending a couple of days in Michigan, including Saturday when Michigan and Michigan State were both winners.

Big Ten fans throw some great tailgate parties and I found when working on The Ultimate Tailgater’s Big Ten Handbook that tailgaters across the conference enjoy many traditional tailgate dishes, but they toss in their own twists. There are a couple of those in this week’s menu, which comes from the book.

The Jerked Wings is one of those dishes. The spices are not what you usually find on tailgate wings but they work well, and every tailgater needs to serve wings at least once a season.

Jerked Wings
15 chicken wings
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup onion
¼ teaspoon curry powder.
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
2 cloves garlic minced

Mix all ingredients except wings in blender. Put wings in 1-gallon ziplock bag and pour in mixture. Marinate 4 hours, or overnight, and then place on hot grill. Cook until juices run clear when pierced. These are especially good on a cool fall day.

Yields 15 wings, or 5 servings

Tim Theisen from Hawkeye Style cookbook, courtesy of the Memphis Iowa Club

Grilled Potatoes
1/3 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 baking potatoes cut into ¼-inch slices
1 large onion, red or white

Mix salad dressing and seasonings in large bowl until well blended. Stir in potatoes and onions to coat. Divide potato mixture evenly among 12-inch squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Seal each to form a packet. Place foil packets on grill over medium-hot coals. Grill 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.

Yields 6 servings

Monica Janicki from From Tailgates Through Celebrations cookbook, courtesy of University of Illinois Mothers Association

Beggar’s Hot Beef Chili
2 pounds beef stew meat
3 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 ½ cups jalapeños
2 (14-ounce) cans tomatoes
½ cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
2 tablespoons ground cumin seed
2 (14-ounce) cans kidney beans

Combine all ingredients except kidney beans in a 10-gallon pot; mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 hours or until the meat is very tender. Add beans and simmer another hour.

Yields 14 – 16 servings

Recipes from The Michigan State University Experience, courtesy of author Bob Bao

Rum Cake
Cake Ingredients:
½ cup finely chopped pecans
1 (2-layer) yellow cake mix
1 (4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
½ cup light rum
½ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

Glaze Ingredients:
¼ cup light rum
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter

Garnish:
Pecans

Cake Directions:
Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the pecans over the bottom of the pan. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, rum, water, oil, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake at 325˚F for 50 minutes.

Glaze Directions:
Combine the rum, water, sugar, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.

To Assemble:
Pour half of the glaze over the warm cake in the pan. Let stand for 10 minutes. Invert onto a cake plate. Pour the remaining glaze over the cake. Garnish with pecans.

Yields 16 servings

Recipe from Always Superb: Recipes for Every Occasion, provided courtesy of the Junior Leagues of Minneapolis & Saint Paul.

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