Football Season Has Begun…Let Us Pray

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Football season is a big deal in our home.  My husband is not one of those guys who is obsessed with every sport on TV.  I sat in awe one time watching one of my brothers-in-law watch some farm league basketball game.  The one sport my husband love in professional football.  Now I must be specific…the NFL..he does not enjoy watching college games, unless there is a good game on.  He has given me the whys before, but I honestly don’t remember. 

I don’t’ mind.  I don’t consider myself a “football widow”.  I enjoy football.  I watch, but I am not a die hard fan like he is.  Mostly because I am not obsessed with one team.  It is fun to watch, but unless you are a true fan of a specific team you are not invested.  For me it doesn’t matter who wins…I usually root for the underdog.  For my husband though…a huge Broncos fan…each weekend he is invested.  Funny thing is that he hates Fantasy Football.  He doesn’t like it because that means he might end up having to root against HIS team.

So, each year I look for something new and different to place in our bellies on Sundays, since a great deal of the day will be in front of the TV.  Food and Wine shares some game time favorites, tailgating traditions and recipes they have matched up with all 32 NFL teams.  All the recipes are pigskin inspired…AFC Pork Recipes and NFC Pork Recipes.  The Dallas Cowboys Braised Pork Shanks look delicious but I think that I am going to have to start off opening weekend with something that will send off some good vibes Denver way…we know they need it.

Food and Wine found a chef for every team.  Denver Broncos fan, Boulder, CO restaurant owner, F&W’s Best New Chef of 2005 Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson shares his thoughts on tailgating, local brews and how it is to have the likes of John Elway be of fan of his restaurant. 

Broncos Mixed Grill with Rib Eyes, Sausages and Bacon Chops

FAST

ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
SERVES: 10

At his cowboy picnic at Prather Ranch, Chris Cosentino served copious amounts of meat, including Italian sausages, Prather’s rib eyes, and “caveman” bacon chops, large cuts of pork that include the chop and a piece of the belly. Ask your butcher to cut the pork chops from near the shoulder, leaving the belly meat attached.

ingredients

• Three 1-pound bone-in rib eye steaks (1 1/2 inches thick)
• Five 1-pound bone-in pork chops, cut from the shoulder end, belly left on (1 inch thick)
• 3 pounds Italian sausage
• Olive oil, for brushing
• Halen Môn sea salt or other coarse sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Salsa Picante, for serving
• Salsa Verde, for serving

directions

1. Light a grill. Brush the rib eyes, pork chops and sausages with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When the coals are hot, rake them to one side. Grill the meats directly over the coals and cook for 3 minutes, rotating the rib eyes and chops halfway through to create a crosshatch pattern, if desired. Turn the meats and grill for 3 minutes on the second side.
2. Move the pork chops to the side of the grill opposite the coals. Cover and grill for about 10 minutes, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chops registers 150° for medium-well, and in the rib eyes, 130° for medium-rare. Transfer the sausages, steaks and chops to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes. Carve into thick slices off the bone and serve with the sausages and salsas alongside.

WINE This prodigious sampling of grilled meats could be paired with any number of robust red wines, but if there’s one red grape that’s distinctly identified with grilling, it’s Zinfandel. Old-vine bottlings in particular offer briary, intense fruit flavors and substantial structure—a great combination for hearty chops and sausages. Look for the peppery, blackberry-rich 2006 Bogle Old Vines or the earthy, spicy 2005 Peter Franus Brandlin Vineyard.

Recipe by Chris Cosentino
From A Carnivore’s Cookout at Prather Ranch
This recipe originally appeared in August, 2008.