Top Tips for Cold Weather Tailgating | How to Tailgate in the Cold
Whether it’s for The Big Game or every sporting event, tailgating is integral to a fan’s experience of any baseball, football, or basketball game. It happens all year and the weather is a huge part of how enjoyable tailgating can be. When the temperatures drop, it doesn’t matter how much you love your team, tailgating can be challenging. Here are the top tips for cold weather tailgating and how you can tailgate in the cold and still have a great time.
Be Prepared
Being prepared is the ideal first step for cold weather tailgating. Preparing the ingredients, having a checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything important – that includes your tools and food – as well as ensuring you have extra fuel for your grill. Preparation is key. Like you would in a professional kitchen, preparing all of your ingredients and packaging them up can make cooking even more efficient too. Remember to pack extra napkins, plates, and cutlery too. Being the one who is prepared will make you the popular one at the next tailgate when you come to the rescue.
Safety First
Okay, so this is the second point, but safety should always be paramount when it comes to working with food and flames.
Food Safety
Make sure that any food that need to remain cold are kept at temperatures below 40°F (4.4°C) until cooked. It’s pretty easy to do when it’s cold outside and you are tailgating, but it should still be on your mind.
Further to that, all food need to be cooked to the proper finished temperature as well. Ground meats and poultry need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), while pork needs to reach about 145°F (63°C) and beef roasts and steaks need to be between 120°F (49°C) and 135°F (57°C). The best way to manage this is by using a good barbecue thermometer. Whether it’s an instant read, wireless, or Bluetooth, a good BBQ thermometer will make sure that you are serving safe food to your friends at the next big game.
Fire Suppression
If you or someone else has a flare-up or a fire emergency, a box of baking soda will be the easiest way to ensure flames are dealt with without fuss or food ruination. Baking soda smothers flames and absorbs grease. Move the offending food away from the flames and sprinkle on the soda. In the case of a larger emergency, a vehicle-sized fire extinguisher is a good idea to have, not only for tailgates but also for vehicular emergencies.
Smoked Pulled Pork
This recipe for the ultimate pulled pork is perfect for just keeping warm on the grill! Feed the masses and impress all with your barbecue prowess. Learn how easy it is to make pulled pork by smoking a pork shoulder roast.
Always remember to allow enough time for any hot appliances and barbecues to cool to the point where they are safe to touch before packing them back into your vehicle and piling in for the Big Game.
Charcoal Management
Most stadiums have banned the use of charcoal at tailgates. However, if you find yourself somewhere where the smoky taste of charcoal is welcomed at tailgates, remember to allow the charcoal to extinguish fully before packing up. A steel ash bucket is the ideal place to put spent coals. Just remember to place it away from flammable things like napkins, paper plates, or your unlit charcoal.
Serve Hot Food
Whether you prefer spicy dishes or piping hot meals, serving warm food can help keep you cozy during your tailgating experience. Consider keeping a pot of chili, smoked beans, or soup warm on the grill or in an electric slow cooker or other food warmer while you prepare the rest of your delicious tailgate dishes.
Remember to prepare food that doesn’t take long to cook as well. Rapid cooking foods like sausages, burgers, chicken thighs, and skewers are ideal when it comes to cold weather tailgating. You don’t need the grill open for long and it doesn’t take much to get that food piping hot and in your mouth. Alternatively, foods that you can prepare ahead and only preheat and keep warm on the barbecue can also keep fuel consumption low and hot food going out quickly when you are tailgating in the cold.
Classic Hamburger
Try making these classic hamburgers! Whether you go out of your way to grind your own meat or just use store-bought ground to form your own patty, one thing is for certain, nothing beats a classic hamburger cooked over charcoal.
Serve Hot Drinks
Make things more exciting by spicing up your tailgate experience with mulled wine, cider, or an adult version of cocoa served from a thermos or crock pot. Beer freezes at frigid temperatures, and, while it’s pretty amusing to pop the top and have an instant beer slushy, that’s not the ideal beverage when you’re already feeling the chill. Instead, keep yourself and your friends warm with hot drinks!
Turn Your Cooler into a Warmer
You can turn a cooler into a warmer easily by gently heating bricks or your Napoleon Pizza Stones and then wrapping them in foil or towels. Designate a cooler to be only for warming and place the warm bricks or stones at the bottom. This can keep your warm foods warm until they can be served.
Warming Station
Be the Big Game hero by being the warmest booth on the block! Chairs and blankets (with your team logos on them naturally) will help you and your friends stay toasty while enjoying the hot food and drinks you’ve prepared. While we don’t recommend cuddling your grill, even if it’s warm, having extra hats, gloves, and blankets can help when you’re cold weather tailgating.
Game Night Party Spread
Anything in this recipe spread is great for tailgate BBQs. Have a crowd coming over for a big game or party? This Ultimate Game Night Barbecue Party Spread Recipe will feed the masses and keep your kitchen relatively clean.
You Need the Right Grill
Above all, you need the proper grill for the job. Most portable grills are a dime a dozen, but not the Napoleon TravelQ™ Series of portable grills. They are easy to set up, can come with a built-in stand, and have individual burner controls, allowing you to control the heat, manage flare-ups, and even smoke and bake! They have the space to fit up to 17 large hamburger patties, meaning that you can cook for a crowd pretty easily.
Get your Game On!
Tailgating is an activity that can be enjoyed all year. It’s especially important for events like the Big Game. It doesn’t mean you have to be uncomfortable at your next tailgate. Hopefully, these top tips for cold weather tailgating helped you learn better ways to tailgate in the cold. Do you have tips and tricks for how to tailgate in the cold? Did we miss anything? Share your thoughts on social using the hashtags #NapoleonGrills and #TailgateBBQ on our pages like Facebook and TikTok.
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