Year after year, the Game Day festivities otherwise known as tailgating continue to grow, and those taking part in Arkansas are no exception. One group, Tusk to Tail, treats the festivities as a sport in itself.
Craig May of Little Rock is a member of the 17-person tailgating group, which sets up for the Little Rock games near the corner of Markham Street and Fair Park Boulevard. His revelers arrive at 6 a.m. and fold tent at 9 p.m. The group's tailgating experiences are chronicled in an online series at The City Wire.
"I can remember back in the days when tailgating at War Memorial in Little Rock meant dropping the tailgate and opening a cooler," says May, who has been dubbed "the Godfather of Tailgating" and has missed only one Razorbacks game since 1998. Another member of his group, Jamey Johnson, has been serving his smoked barbecue at every Little Rock Razorbacks game since 1988.
One of the things that makes tailgating unique in Little Rock is the compactness of the crowd on the golf course, May says.
"We are the first to arrive on the golf course and the last to leave," the tailgaters proclaim of the Little Rock games. In Fayetteville, they tailgate at University of Arkansas' Victory Village, established three years ago, which helps replicate the same atmosphere as the one in Little Rock.
"Our deal, especially in Fayetteville, has gotten so large that we have stuff catered in now," he adds. "With 17 members, if each of us invite five to 10 people, that's 200 folks. But we do still have some guys who bring dishes."
"We have up to five Honda EU 2000-watt generators at times to run all the TV's, speakers, lights, Crock-Pots and warming devices," Dale Cullins, another member of Tusk to Tail, says.
"My mom made this for years [1975 and up] and then I spiced it up a bit to fit more modern taste buds," explains Cullins of his cheese dip recipe.
"The 2-pound block of Velveeta makes enough for 20 to 25 folks for road games and for home games. I normally make the 4-pound version by doubling the recipe," Cullins says.
"Be sure to stir it up well as it melts and to keep it from burning on the sides. Once burnt, it will sour the taste. And be sure to prevent a boil, which may cause the cheese to separate. Once hot, we turn it down to warm and just watch it disappear."
Tusk to Tail's Cheese Dip
2 pounds Mexican Velveeta (cubed to melt quicker in the slow cooker)
2 (10-ounce) cans of original Ro-Tel (juice and all)
1 (9-ounce) can Frito-Lay hot bean dip (original recipe had regular bean dip)
1 tablespoon cumin 3/4 tablespoon chile powder
3/4 tablespoon jalapeno powder (see note)
Combine all ingredients in the cooking vessel of a slow cooker and cook on high, stirring frequently, until melted. To serve, set cooker on warm. Serve with tortilla chips.
Makes about 5 cups.
Note: Jalapeno powder is a specialty ingredient available online.
Dana Kleine and her husband, Joe, of Little Rock are UA graduates. So are two of their four children; a third is currently a sophomore. The couple know their way around a tailgate.
"We started seriously tailgating when our oldest was a freshman," Dana Kleine says.
"The real organizers of our tailgate are Roxie and John Culp," she says. "We get to show up after they set everything up many hours before kickoff. We all bring different recipes and send emails the week before a game so everyone knows what each of us are bringing."
Kleine says she and her husband bring food to their tailgate from the restaurant they co-own along with Karla and Tommy Hilburn.
"We do bring Corky's to our tailgate but it's usually the smoked turkey salad," says Kleine, who shares the newest tailgate recipe she received from her friend Sonya Jones of Fayetteville.
"It's the next best thing to heaven," Kleine explains. "When you see the ingredients, you'll know why I said that."
Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders
1 (12-ounce) package King's Hawaiian sweet rolls, split
1/2 cup mayonnaise
12 slices deli turkey
12 slices cooked bacon
1/4 cup diced pimentos
6 slices Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Spread bottom halves of the rolls with mayonnaise. Layer with turkey, bacon, a few diced pimentos and cheeses. Close with tops.
Arrange sandwiches in a single layer in a greased 9-inch-square baking pan.
In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Whisk in the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Continue whisking until brown sugar is dissolved. Pour butter sauce over sandwiches. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for several hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered 5 minutes more or until golden brown.
Makes 12 servings.
Recipe from The Seasoned Mom
The Kleines' friends Roxie and John Culp of Little Rock began tailgating regularly a decade ago.
"We began when our oldest child was a freshman, and even though our two children have now graduated, we're still doing it," Roxie Culp says, adding they arrive in Fayetteville on Fridays.
"We travel; it's a big production and we make a weekend of it. We used to have to go early to save our spot, but now we have one of the reserved spots the university has sectioned off for an additional contribution."
Culp offers up a recipe of her own:
Buffalo Chicken Dip
3 pounds frozen, skinless chicken breasts
1 (0.4-ounce) package Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
2 cups Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, Philadelphia recommended
Place frozen chicken breasts in the cooking vessel of a slow cooker. Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning mix over the chicken, then add the Frank's sauce.
Cook on low overnight or until chicken is cooked through.
While chicken is still hot, use forks to shred meat. Add cream cheese to mixture and stir until cream cheese is completely blended.
Serve hot or cold with chips.
UA alumna Brenda Scisson, executive director of the University of Arkansas for Medical Science's College of Nursing's foundation, has a long family history with tailgating.
"I tailgate at War Memorial in the same parking space that my dad, who was also a War Memorial Stadium commissioner for 17 years, parked at," she explains. "In Fayetteville, I usually tailgate with some of my Rotary friends from Little Rock."
"Finger foods work best, summer sausage is always a favorite and pimento cheese sandwiches are a hit," Scisson says. "But the most favorite food of all these years is fried chicken. We never have any left."
Instead of sending out invitations for each of her tailgates, she has adopted a "lifetime pass" for her close friends.
"I usually leave my home two and half hours prior to kickoff, trying to be set up two hours prior to kickoff," Scisson says. "As a War Memorial Stadium commissioner, I have a wonderful parking spot and get escorted to it, so this timing works well for us."
She shares one of her tried-and-true recipes here.
Salami Crown
1 package salami (size not given)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 tablespoons horseradish
2 tablespoons minced onion
Cut salami into slices.
Let cream cheese soften and then blend in horseradish and onion. Spread about 1/8-inch thick on salami slice; top with another slice; continue. Keep top slice without spread. Chill thoroughly. Cut into wedges and place in plastic wrap or foil. Unwrap and serve chilled. A tailgate favorite for years!
Breezy Osborne Wingfield, the daughter of the late Jennings Osborne, known for his community-wide tailgate parties outside War Memorial Stadium, has fond memories of her father's massive barbecues and of attending games with him.
"Game days are nostalgic for us," Wingfield said. "I tend to look through pictures of Dad and I as all of us used to travel to Fayetteville for the game. His humor during the six-hour car rides home was the best!
"We haven't attended a game since Dad passed [in 2011], but still tailgate with family and friends at the Little Rock game on the golf course," says Wingfield the day before the most recent -- and only -- Little Rock game this season. Her daughter Riley, 2, was to join in the celebration this year.
"Dad never shared his BBQ recipes with many except those that helped him prepare," she says. "I'm sure there's a heck of a BBQ feast going on in heaven tomorrow!"
President and Chief Executive Officer of Garden & Gun magazine Rebecca Darwin, who recently spoke at the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, also weighs in on the art of tailgating.
"Deviled eggs are the quintessential, year-round Southern party food," Darwin says.
"Like oysters, they necessitate a dedicated serving plate -- something we Southerners love to collect and pull out for an occasion," Darwin says. "They're also easy to customize based on the crowd at your tailgate."
"Go for the classic mustard and mayo filling for the kids and picky eaters, and then spike the mixture with a drop of Sriracha hot sauce and bacon fat for the more adventurous eaters," Darwin suggests. "And, since these Devilish Deviled Eggs will be gobbled up quickly, you'll never have to contend with leftovers sitting in the game-day sun."
Devilish Deviled Eggs
6 cups cold water
2 tablespoons vinegar
8 large eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
¼ cup Sriracha hot sauce
1 teaspoon rendered bacon fat
Salt and ground black pepper
Combine water and vinegar in a medium saucepan. Gently add eggs and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove pot from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath and chill for 5 minutes; peel.
Halve eggs lengthwise and scoop out yolks. Arrange whites on a serving platter.
Combine egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, Sriracha, and rendered bacon fat in a medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk ingredients until smooth. Use a piping bag to fill the egg whites with the mixture, and serve.
Makes 16 deviled eggs.
Country music singer Maxine Brown of North Little Rock, who appeared on the the charts with her brother and sister as The Browns in the 1950s and 1960s, isn't a regular tailgater herself but offers some recipes from The Trio Club in Pine Bluff, owned by her late parents, Floyd and Birdie. During the early days of country music, the club featured performances by future stars, including Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty and Porter Wagoner.
More recipes from Brown's mother can be found on Brown's website, themaxinebrown.com.
This is good served as a main course, or good with a slice of Swiss cheese and served as a sandwich.
Polish Sausage
1 can sauerkraut (size not given)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
1 package Polish sausage (usually 6 or 8 to a package)
Prepare grill for medium heat.
Combine sauerkraut, caraway seeds and sugar. Place sausages in heavy-duty foil and top with sauerkraut mixture. Wrap tightly. Cook over coals for several minutes or until sausages are heated through, turning at least once.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Food on 11/05/2014