Go for a walk on a Saturday morning during football season at Reynolds. A certain kind of energy arrives with the first rays of sun. You know what we're talking about. You've felt it.
Flags fly on porches and flap from the windows of cars headed to the store for last-minute additions to the pre-game buffet. They proclaim Saturday allegiance to Auburn, Virginia Tech, Florida, Southern Cal, Ohio State, Penn State, of course Georgia, and everyone please take a few seconds to mentally fill in this space with your team so you don’t feel left out: __________.
“Miami.” The subject of football has made its way to the ears of Reynolds’ Executive Sous Chef Billy Greenwald, and it generates enough fire in his spirit to light a grill. “I grew up in South Florida, so Saturdays were all about the Miami Hurricanes and Sundays were all about the Dolphins. The excitement on football weekends at Reynolds is very familiar to me.”
Billy’s grandfather was a 30-year season ticket holder for both Miami teams. It doesn’t take Billy long to get on a roll talking about going to games with his brother and grandpa, the Hurricanes’ rivalry with Florida State, and a long list of favorite players — Edgerrin James, Gino Torretta, and Warren Sapp, among them. Some of the specific moments are framed in a tint of fog now, but one specific memory is as clear today as it was 25 years ago.
“The smell of marinated chicken,” Billy says. “It would hit us five miles from the stadium. Tailgating has a different flavor, literally, depending where you are in the country. In Miami there’s a Cuban influence. People would use sazon and adobos for grilling. We’d walk past people making tacos and sweet arepas… I get excited just talking about the smells.
They trigger vivid mental pictures of the Orange Bowl.”
When Grandpa began to struggle with dementia, Billy and his brother still took him to games. There was always something powerful in the air.
“Grandpa would become a different person whenever we were around the stadium,” Billy says. “His focus would come back, and he knew what was happening from the moment those first smells hit.”
With that in mind, we asked Billy to recreate the tailgate foods that bring back the strongest memories. For inspiration, he replaced his chef’s hat with a Miami hat. In the kitchen at Eighty8 Kitchen + Cocktails, he began to sound as if he were anticipating kickoff.
“Are you ready to do this?”
Whole Fresh Snapper
Whole Fresh Snapper
The Strategy: The first time we brought a whole snapper to a tailgate, the people around us had to be thinking, “What are they doing?” But then they saw us using it for fish tacos, putting it on crackers, and eating it with a fork. A whole fish is great for a group of fans because it feeds so many people, everyone can eat it their own way, and it’s easy to prep.
Billy’s Coaching Tips: Don’t overthink it. Simply accentuate the taste of fresh snapper with salt, pepper, and citrus. I like to separate the ribcage and make slits, and then stuff them with lemon or lime. Always get the fish ready the night before the game and refrigerate it. We’d always say that on the morning of gameday we want to “kick the tires, light the fires, and be on our way.”
Beef Brisket Tacos
Beef Brisket Tacos
The Strategy: Fans in Oklahoma and Texas are into brisket, big-time. They’ll use cow tongue because it has such great flavor. Whatever beef you use, be patient so you capture a smoky flavor and gelatinous texture. For tacos, I like soft shells that are made of flour (for durability) and corn (for full taste).
Billy’s Coaching Tips: Instead of using foil, I wrap brisket in butcher paper because it doesn’t trap as much steam, allowing for a better bark and letting in more smoke. The meat will braise itself. Just use a little salt and pepper, set the heat to 225-245 degrees, and stay out of the way until the meat is 165 degrees in the middle.
Corn on the Cob
Corn on the Cob
The Strategy: You can’t go wrong with corn on the cob, but there are ways to take it to another level. I prefer roasting corn with husks on until those nice grill marks appear on each side. By the way, the only times we didn’t grill corn on the cob at games in Miami were when the Hurricanes played Nebraska (the Cornhuskers).
Billy’s Coaching Tips: Our family has a finishing touch you should try. We dust each cob of corn with butter, sprinkle on parmesan and chives, and finish it off with drizzles of hot honey (honey infused with dried chili peppers). Every bite is sweet, spicy, and crunchy.
Spatchcock Chicken
Spatchcock Chicken
The Strategy: This is what takes me back to those games at the Orange Bowl. On Friday night, rub the bird with chile lime or sazon mix (cumin, oregano, garlic, onion powder, achiote, coriander, turmeric, and pepper). Salt will cure it, so wait until game day to use salt. The sazon mix gives yellow rice its flavor and hue, and it sends up the delicious smell that would hit us a mile from the stadium.
Billy’s Coaching Tips: It’s easier if you first take out the backbone, clip the backside of the breast, and fold out the chicken. Grill it bone-side down for 70% of the time and 30% on the meat side. For an 8-pound chicken, you’ll grill on low heat (275 degrees) for a total of about 70 minutes. Make sure the thickest area of meat is 165 degrees inside.
Jumbo Pretzels
Jumbo Pretzels
The Strategy: This is the easiest call to make. We buy a big box of soft pretzels at Costco. As a chef, I know a good thing when I taste it — even if it’s out of a box.
Billy’s Coaching Tips: One way to make the pretzels more interesting is to spread butter on them and sprinkle everything bagel seasoning on top. A second option is pimento cheese. But my favorite is a homemade beer mustard sauce, which can be used on pretzels, bratwurst, and any tailgate food that needs a little kick.
Beer Mustard Sauce
Mix to taste: Yellow mustard, mayonnaise, Worcester sauce and horseradish juice.
Heat: Beer. Reducing an IPA or mildly hoppy beer over medium heat for 15 minutes will thicken and caramelize it. Stir the beer reduction into the mustard mix.
Add: Honey. Adjust until the sweetness balances out the other ingredients. Dip those pretzels and let’s go!
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