BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)–Getting you ready for Sunday’s Bills season opener News 4’s Dave Greber has prepared some go-to tailgating treats that you can make too!
Cocktail Meatballs
Ingredients:
- 1 bag frozen beef or pork meatballs
- 3 TBSP butter
- 1 small jar of grape jelly
- 2 jars Heinz chili sauce
- 3 TBSP dijon or whole grain mustard
- 1/2 onion
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Optional: Cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce
Directions:
- In a medium pot on the stovetop, saute the onions and garlic in butter over medium heat.
- Add and heat the chili sauce and grape jelly over medium heat until jelly is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
- Add mustard and any of the optional hot sauces or spices.
- Pour mixture over meatballs and cook until warmed through in a crockpot or dutch oven. (If cooking in the oven, set it at 325 so you don’t scorch the sauce, stirring occasionally.)
Easy Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
- 1 pork butt, or Boston butt, weighing 12-14 lbs
- 1 onion sliced
- 1-2 TBSP liquid smoke
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- Enough pork or rib rub to coat
- Your favorite BBQ sauce
Directions:
- Dry off the pork butt and coat with your favorite rub.
- Add pork — fat cap side up — to a dutch oven or crockpot on top of a bed of sliced onions.
- Pouring from the sides, add the stock and liquid smoke.
- Cover and cook until pork is fork-tender and the bone comes out cleanly without resistance, 6-8 hours, depending on your weight.
- Lift pork from pot and set on a platter to rest (about 10 minutes).
- Pour reserved stock and other juices into a small pot and boil until reduced, about 10 minutes.
- Keep aside to help moisten the pork as you shred it.
- Shred pork using two forks, discarding fatty pieces and any onions that didn’t disintegrate, and adding juices to moisten.
- Toss with your favorite BBQ sauce, and serve warm.
Easy Ribs
Ingredients:
- 2 racks Baby Back ribs
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- Your favorite rib rub (I make my own or use Stubbs)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- Remove membrane from rib-side of ribs (underside).
- Coat with mustard and rub.
- Wrap with two layers of foil.
- Cook 2-2 1/2 hours.
- Take out of the oven and allow to rest 10 minutes.
- Unwrap and slather on your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Place on a hot grill or medium broiler until sauce is heated through, sticky and glossy, about 6-8 minutes, recoating as necessary.
Tip: To remove the membrane, start at the short end section, using a paring knife to separate membrane from back of meat and bone. Use a napkin or towel to prevent slipping.
Chili
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Chorizo or smoked sausage, removed from casing
- 1.5 lb ground Chuck, browned
- .5 lb Hickory-smoked bacon (reserve drippings)
- 3 jalepeno peppers, roasted/broiled and diced
- 1 large onion, diced1 red pepper, diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, smashed, diced
- 2-3 bottles/cans Negro Modelo (especial or dark/original)
- 1-2 tbls. sparingly add tomato paste
- 1 15oz can tomato sauce splash(es) of balsamic vinegar splash(es) of Worcestershire sauce chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano – all to taste (but add chili powder when browning meat)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
- 1 cans chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (This makes it super hot, so add sparingly).
- 2 cans or 3 cups soaked and cooked beans (kidney or cannellini)
Directions:
- Cook bacon; drain, but reserve drippings.
- Chop bacon.
- To the same pan, add sausage and brown.
- Set both aside.
- Add garlic, onion, red pepper and sauté until onion are golden in the bacon pan.
- Brown beef in pot, adding spices as needed.
- Add liquids: tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes and beer.
- Roast peppers, dice and peel. Add to pot along with other meat.
- Taste, and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
- After about an hour, add balsamic and Worcestershire sauce, then add to the pot.
- Again, bring to a slow boil.
- This time, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for another 3 hours.