In day 3 of our Tailgate Party Coverage, I'll cover several fabulous recipes that go beyond the average.
Pomegranate Chicken Wings
Found at your local Mediterranean or Middle-Eastern store, Pomegranate Molasses is a thick syrup that blends well with walnuts and can add a tart and pungent flavor to beans, poultry, fish, salads and lamb or pork.
Dipping Sauce (Prepare the day before):
- 4 cups plain yogurt
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place a sieve over a bowl and pour the yogurt into it. Let drain for an hour. Throw out the juice and dump the thickened yogurt into a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, oil, oregano, garlic, a pinch of salt, a good amount of pepper. Cover and let stand for an hour.
Wings
Grill about 48 chicken drumettes (about 6 lbs) directly over the heating elements and turn every 3-4 minutes. After 10 minutes, use approximately 20 oz of pomegranate molasses and brush chicken wings with pomegranate molasses and continue turning until glazed and tender, about 20-25 minutes.
Serve with yogurt dipping sauce on a large tray.
Sesame-Hoisin Baby Back Ribs
Smaller than spareribs, baby back rigs are smaller and more tender and take half the time to cook, so they are perfect option for a tailgate.
Sesame-Hoison Sauce (Prepare the day before)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon Asian chile-garlic sauce
- 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 8 lbs baby back ribs, in slabs
Stir together soy, hoisin, vinegar, peanut butter, ginger sesame oil, chile-garlic sauce, lime juice, and garlic.
Several hours before you leave for your tailgate party, place ribs in a shallow glass baking dish, and brush a thin coating of the sauce over the ribs. Cover and refrigerate. Also cover and refrigerate the remaining sauce, as you will use this during grilling. When you're ready to leave, pack the dish and sauce in a cooler.
Once you are set up and have fired up the grill, you'll want to get these started because they'll take about an hour to cook. Start by placing the ribs on the grill away from the heating elements over medium heat, brush with sauce and grill this way for approximately 30 minutes, making sure to continue brushing with sauce and turn at least once or twice. Next, move the ribs directly over the heating elements and continue to grill, brushing with sauce and turning. Continue until the ribs are fork-tender and crispy brown on the outside, about another 30 minutes.
Let cool a few minutes and then cut ribs between each rib bone. Serve by standing them upright in paper cups and drizzle with a bit more sauce.
Asparagus with Soy and Sesame Seeds
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons bottled oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
- 3 teaspoons peeled and finely minced fresh ginger
- 3 lbs pencil thin asparagus
- 24 wooden cocktail picks soaked in water for 10 minutes
- 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
Trim ends of asparagus, line up 4 to 5 spears and push cocktail napkin through, 1 below the spears and one about an inch from the bottom. This will help keep them from falling through the grill. Brush the asparagus rafts with sauce. Grill directly over heating elements turning once and brushing with the rest of the sauce as you turn them. Grill until tender to crisp, approximately 3-6 minutes.
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