Treat Your Meat...On Gameday!

Well well if it isn’t a new month sliding in so casually in the middle of the week…

It’s October aka spooky season for some, but we just know it as our favorite month for grilling. The temps are finally cooling off, there’s a slight crisp in the air, and the mosquitoes have [mostly] skedaddled so we can enjoy dusk once again.

We’ve got fresh tunes to start off this month- a playlist for truly everyone, simply titled, Americana. Everyone has a different idea of what genre music generally falls in to these days, but we think it these tunes fit the bill. Check it out, please?

And if you don’t already, we’d be the most thankful if you subscribed to our page. You can do that here.

Since it’s a bye week for our video series, The Meat and Potatoes of The Meat Platter if you will 😏, we thought we might share a few of our favorite Southeastern tailgating towns with yall this week.

Football season hits different depending on where you are. In places like Dallas and Green Bay, NFL tailgates are a way of life — snow flying, smoke rolling, and fans weathering the storm, because their team is their identity most every day of the week but definitely on Sunday’s!

But, here in the South, it’s those Saturday morning tailgate setups that really get us going. College football doesn’t just draw a crowd; it commands loyalty. Every campus town becomes a sea of school colors, grills fire up before sunrise, and the whole day revolves around our three favorite “F” words: friends, family, and fellowship.

Forty-five miles down the road from Meat Head HQ sits the KING of the Saturday tailgate: Athens, Georgia. Dressed in your finest red and black, you make your way toward Sanford Stadium, and the smell of pulled pork BBQ fills the air. Some of the best barbecue in Georgia sits just steps from the entrance, turning the walk to the gate into a full-on tasting tour. Fans don’t rush past the food, they linger over it, swapping predictions over plates piled high before the first whistle even blows.

Head north into Clemson country, where Low-country chicken bog, bubbles in cast iron pots. Orange tents stretch across the horizon, and the sound of spoons hitting paper bowls is as steady as the team chants.

And to our friends west of the Mississippi… We’ll be honest we haven’t logged nearly as many tailgates out your way. But we know this: faithful fans live everywhere.  If you’re lighting up lump charcoal in Norman, burning brisket in Austin, or grilling tri-tip in Eugene, we’d love to hear about your traditions, too. We’ll raise a rib — or a glass — in your honor and make sure your story gets told in an upcoming edition of The Meat Platter.

 While we still have your attention, we wanted to talk tailgating wins. And while there are a number of proteins that fit this bill just fine, the tendy [the chicken tendy] is the one food that shows up in every SEC town, Big Ten parking lots, NFL stadiums, even backyard watch parties. If you’re live in living color, show off for your friends before you head in the stadium gates. And if you’re at home, here’s your excuse to “watch the grill” for a while…

Smoked Chicken Fingers

1. Do whatever you have to do to prep your chicken. We don’t do a damn thing around here but most of yall have opinions and we are staying out of it.

2. Marinate your tenderloins in buttermilk, season liberally with The Founder (or whatever seasoning floats your boat but we’d bet on this one). We’d let them chill for at least an hour but 3-4 is that sweet spot.

3. Light your smoker of choice in the meantime and heat for about 30 minutes.

4. When you’re ready, shake off excess buttermilk, transfer tenderloins to a wire rack and get them ready for a little heat!

5. You can place these direct on grill grate and cook indirect at 250°F for 40-ish minutes or until they come to temp. Place them over direct heat for 2 minutes at the end to add a lil’ crisp to the outside.

We’d suggest dipping or dousing these in The Motherload, but Ranch or Honey Mustard will do just fine too. We are saucy people around here.

Treat Your Meat — even the boneless kind.

I’ve been reading an anti-gravity book…

—I just can’t put it down!