Today’s article is another part of our “Cooking Outside” series. In the past we have discussed cooking with rocks, cooking on a campfire, explained how to make a nice cup of coffee while camping (take a look on campingfunzone.com if you need a reminder), and today we will be revisiting the world of BBQing. Because with the start of this year’s football season and our devotion to BBQ, we wanted to put together a great menu of chow that will wow at your tailgate party.

First up, a shout out to Meathead Goldwyn and his AmazingRibs.com site for posting an excellent Tailgating and Camping Checklist to help you with all the nitty-gritty details.

Add an insulated cooler and a digital thermometer to Meathead’s list, and you’ll have an improvised sous vide bath on location. Or if you prefer, you can do your sous vide prep ahead of time so all you’ll need is a quick sear for perfect steaks and a few minutes on the grill to finish the bark with our Apartment Rib Rub on baby back Apartment Ribs.

Make our favorite potato salad. This American classic is the perfect accompaniment for BBQ and most of the elements can be prepared several days in advance and combined on the big day.

Add a batch of pressure-cooked baked beans to the lineup. We’ve developed our recipe to leverage the speed of pressure cooking, allowing you to churn out perfect homemade baked beans in less than an hour without sacrificing flavor.

Don’t forget the coleslaw! We’ve offered up two kinds: creamy and red. And, if you have something like an electric cool box, you can store your coleslaw safely in it until it’s time to serve.

Our creamy coleslaw features finely–sliced, crisp Savoy cabbage and Walla Walla sweet onion paired with grated carrot and rehydrated raisins for sweetness and contrasting textures. A bit of freshly grated horseradish adds heat and pungency to complement the cabbage and onions. Last, shortly before serving, the salad is lightly dressed with our own recipe for a brightly acidic, savory mayonnaise.

Red coleslaw is common to the Piedmont region of North Carolina, where it’s better known as slaw. In this region, sliced cabbage is lightly salted to soften it, and then dressed with cider vinegar to give the salad a fresh, mouth-watering flavor. We add finely sliced sweet onion and pickled mustard seeds to complement the pungency of the cabbage and grated carrots to balance the tart acid dressing with sweetness. Celery seeds add a distinct aroma that completes the dish.

Have a great season, cook the best food you’ve ever cooked, and enjoy the company of your friends and family. Go team!

Cheers,
The team at ChefSteps