Tailgate Chili

It's November, fall and football are definitely in the air. No more shorts and t-shirts at Coliseum games, it's time to get out the USC sweatshirts (preferrably the 2004 Rose Bowl or 2003 National Championship models), but only the Cardinal ones, thank you.

The college football season is heating up. When people begin to talk about the Heisman and possible Bowl matchups you know it's getting serious. Now that the football talk is hot and the weather is cooler, is there a better tailgate food than a big ole pot of hot chili? Of course not!

Here's my recipe for the Fight On! Chili that we served at the Thundering Herd tailgate for last year's UCLA game:

2 lbs pork roast (shoulder or Boston Butt) cut into 1" cubes

2 lbs beef sirloin (chuck roast will work nicely too) cut into 1" cubes

1/2 cup GOOD chili powder

1 large onion (roughly chopped)

10-12 large cloves of garlic (minced)

8 New Mexico green chiles - roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 Tbls hot Hungarian Paprika

1 Tbls ground cumin

4 beef boullion cubes

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 bottle beer (Mexican dark, such as Modelo Negro, preffered, but any kind will work)

1/4 cup bourbon (doesn't have to be the good stuff, but it doesn't hurt)

2 squares unsweetened baker's chocolate

3 Tbls brown sugar

Adding heat: If you're like me, you like your chili to inflict some pain. The recipe above is not too hot for most people. The New Mexico chiles are very mild. You can add as much minced fresh serrano, jalepeno, or--God forbid--habanero chili as you can take. If you've worked with habanero I don't have to tell you to wear gloves and, whatever you do, don't get it near your eyes!!

Directions:
In a large saute pan or skillet, saute 1/4 of the garlic and onions until translucent. Add 1/4 of the meat, chili powder, and salt (if desired). Brown the meat (about 5-7 minutes). Remove contents to your chili pot (a large, heavy stock pot will do). Repeat until all meat is done. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and heat on medium high until bubbling hot. Reduce heat to simmer (covered) for as long as you can take it (at least one hour). The longer it simmers, the more tender the meat will become.

Important note on ingredients:

Chili powder--Darker is better, try to avoid that cardboard stuff you get at the grocery store. Some stores have a specialty foods section, a local Mexican market is even better.

Chiles--If fresh New Mexcicos are not available you can substitute a combination of dried chiles, such as 4-5 ancho and 2-3 chipotles, that are reconstituted by placing in a bowl of boiling water (let stand for 30 minutes), stemmed and seeded, and chopped in food processor or blender.

Variations:

If you can find it, add 1 tsp of dried Mexican oregano (not the kind you put in marinara sauce).

Add a mixture of Masa harina (in the flour section of most grocery stores these days) and water (1 tbls to 1/2 cup water). Use the Masa mixture if you like your chili thicker.

The Herd Silences Doubters With Rout

LOS ANGELES – Just when it seemed like the Thundering Herd had started to lose it’s grip atop the mountain of Trojan Football support groups, along came something last Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that answered just about every perceived weakness on the list:

- Too many unimpressive tailgates? Check. The Herd beat down 120 bratwurst sandwiches en route to their most lopsided tailgate of the season. Leftovers didn’t stand a chance.

- Not enough dedicated Herders? Check. The Herd used their alarm clocks and the cover of darkness for a second consecutive week of pre-dawn debauchery.

"It was a terrific day for us," said head coach Pete Carroll, whose team had lost seven first-place votes in the Associated Press poll since the start of the season in August. "Everything we wanted to get done today we got done. It was important for us to show that we could come back and be ourselves."

“It was a glorious day for the Herd too,” stated Herder Cardinal Blood while shyly staring down and shuffling his feet. Blood added that he had to admit he was looking forward this week’s 3:30 kickoff with the University of Washington, “the light in my closet is much better at 8:00 than it is at 3:30 am.”

No. 1 USC (6-0) showed it could be its usual dominating self defensively and offensively despite the broken leg that last week sidelined receiver Steve Smith. Freshman Dwayne Jarrett, who entered the game with just 17 career catches, answered that call early, getting all three of his scores before halftime, when USC led 42-7 in front of a Coliseum crowd of 90,211.

Like Jarrett, rookie Herd tailgater Troymex65 had an equally impressive day, downing all four of his brats and at least as many macadamia nut and white chocolate chip cookies before he entered the Old Gray Lady (at least we think he did, although it might be as much satire). Herd veterans acknowledged that Troymex has shown early signs of becoming an urban tailgating legend before ending his days at the tailgating grounds on the corner of 39th and Menlo. Many feel that he is ahead of the pace established by the legendary Heinrich Schlieman, who left the Herd early after learning that it actually costs money to put on large tailgates.

Asked what the Trojans did differently this week, Matt Leinart explained that the team’s plan was to "get back to the basics" with a quick passing game and lots of slant and fade routes from his receivers.

"We stuck with our bread and butter," Leinart said.

Posed the same question, Grillmeister of the Herd, Errol replied “we wanted to get back to basics too, so we went to our bread and bratwurst, it’s something we do well and we’ve been very successful with it in the past.”

When asked to reflect on the outcome of the game (and what was ultimately to become a beat down of severe proportions) "I didn't expect this," said ASU’s Andrew Walter, whose team had started the season 5-0 for the first time since 1996. "I really don't have any answers." A similarly stunned ASU fan, bacon-wrapped hot dog firmly planted in each hand, was heard muttering as he walked down Menlo after the game, “this is supposed to be the Mausoleum, Trojies don’t make noise.”

No noise indeed little fella, now run along.

Next up are the Leg Humpers from the U of W, when the Herd Tailgaters will don a more sophisticated appearance as they will be seen dining on finely prepared beef and chicken kebabs on a bed of fluffy jasmine rice, accompanied by a fresh Caesar salad and a decadent desert. It could be a beat down of epic proportions, during which one might want to cover the children’s eyes.

The Stand

LOS ANGELES – The stand took place in just over three minutes, but in that brief amount of time the Thundering Herd discovered the kind of resolve that often produces a champion. Maybe it was the shouts of “Last call for food!!” from Herder Shorty that ultimately kept the Herd Tailgater’s record intact for never having missed an opening kickoff.

"We were all full," said two of the Springers, Dave and Bryan (TroDave and MR.SC). "It wasn't just us that were eating the cookies and “bear turd” brownies. We just couldn’t say no to Veronique when she kept offering more and more of the sweet treats."

Ultimately, they did say ‘no’ and the Herd is still perfect for it.

If the Thundering Herd continues to make good in its attempt to get all Herders adequately fed and in their seats in time to see the TMB march down the Coliseum tunnel, they will look to a last-minute defensive stand by TroDave and Mr.SC at the corner of 39thand Menlo as a major reason why, one that enabled the Herd to witness glory before a deafening 90,008.

Food server Veronique, a junior, while displaying a record-breaking performance in serving approximately 120 hungry Herders, failed to entice the Herd into staying outside the Coliseum to eat the rest of their vegetables.

"I just went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 support group of the No.1 team in the country and came up a little short," said Veronique. "But I feel we also have one of the best tailgates in the country. We have some great days ahead of us."

And yet it's impossible to overlook how close, if not for special teams blunders (an extra container of cookies was inadvertently misplaced in an area near the stacks and stacks of empty beer containers), Veronique came to arguably her greatest win in tailgating ever.

"If they're the No. 1 college football support group in the country," offered Cal safety Ryan Gutierrez, "then I’m No. 2." You’ll get no argument from the Herd, Ryan, they concuragree you are No. 2, a big steaming pile of it.

"Once we smelled cookies from inside the locker room, I was pretty nervous that the Herd was going to miss the game," said Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart, who finished 15-of-25 for 164 yards with two scores and a tipped interception in the end zone. "But they sucked it up in the end. It's fun. It is what (college football tailgating) is all about."

"I'm glad that's over," said USC coach Pete Carroll. "It was a challenging day, but we can't look at this as the highlight of a season. We have to keep it in perspective." Carroll knows the Herd must get up early and come back to the Coliseum again this week with another strong performance against another worthy opponent. And frankly, if a few livers get damaged as a result of pre-dawn drinking, Carroll realizes that injuries are part of the game and others will just have to step up.

Colorado St. Game Thundering Herd Tailgate Report

There was actually a bit of concern around the ol’ Thundering Herd message board about the home opener against Colorado State, in fact, some were actually scared. Posters cited worries about injuries, the inexperience of the young wide receivers and offensive line, and the lack rhythm on offense that was present throughout a good portion of the season opening game against VaTech as potential stumbling blocks.

The Thundering Herd tailgate crew had an entirely different dilemma, and the questions were many. “Do we have enough food for 120 hungry herders? Perhaps more importantly, do we have enough BEER? How much water should we bring? How about ice; who’s bringing ice?”

The home opener can be extremely difficult for a young football team, as it can be for an experienced bunch of tailgaters as well. While there were certainly doubts, both the team and Herd allayed all concerns.

All that concern produced a score of USC 49, CSU 0. Likewise, the Herd posted some impressive numbers: Carne asada consumed 50 lbs, Tailgate food leftover 0.

"No question, we bit off more than we could chew," said CSU coach Sonny Lubick. "There's really nothing more we can say except USC is a great team." Herders would go on to echo Lubick’s sentiments by stating “We definitely chewed everything we brought.”

Matt Leinart is not the only one with impressive weapons at his disposal. In the likes of the Molinas and the Springers the Herd has its own share of 5 star talent.

"Obviously, we came ready to play," said senior linebacker Matt Grootegoed, who had two of USC's four interceptions. "We wanted to make a statement." Not be outdone, the Herd came ready to eat, polishing off 50 lbs of top sirloin carne asada meat (Palomilla), along with about 300 tortillas and enough salsa to float a small boat, as well as about six lbs of onions and cilantro, three extra large sheets of sweet cornbread, 12 lbs of corn relish, and beer…lots and lots of beer.

“It was a nice evening," said Trojans coach Pete Carroll. "We haven't climbed any mountains yet, but this was a good, sharp win. We took (CSU) very seriously and the result shows that..." As did the Herd, PC.

[Note: Several people at the tailgate asked for the corn relish recipe, so here it is.]

Thundering Herd Corn Sambal

2 lbs frozen sweet corn
½ red onion (diced)
½ roasted red pepper (choped)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tbl minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
4-8 dashes Tabasco
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
½ cup lime juice (3-4 limes)
2-3 chipotle chilies w/ adobo sauce (reduce or omit if too spicy)
2 tbl sugar
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Menu for CSU game changed

The menu for the initial 2004 season tailgate with the Thundering Herd has been changed. As recently as a week or so ago, the Food Network was entertaining the idea of featuring the Thundering Herd tailgate as part of a story on tailgating across the country. But alas, the producers of the show (which is to be hosted by Bobby Flay) cut the Herd before we even reached the editing room. We changed the menu to Southern California cuisine because the show wanted a regional theme. The brats will return (probably for Cal).

We will finally be home at the Coliseum for the Colorado State game on September 11th at 5pm. The Thundering Herd will be serving up our finest Southern California food: Carne Asada tacos plus the fixings; corn relish, cornbread, salsas, guacamole, chips. For the same $10/per person as last year's tailgates, we'll also give you a couple of beers or waters or sodas. We'll be setting up at 12pm on the corner of Menlo and 39th, and we'll be serving food from 2:00pm to 3:30pm. All we need to know is who's coming. Please RSVP and give us the number in your party by Wednesday Sept 8th, 2004 by 9 am to assure you'll get food.
RSVP to: USCHerd@aol.com

If you want to bring your own food and drinks and tailgate with the Thundering Herd there will be no charge so please feel free to come by, but you don't have to RSVP. All Trojans are welcome to stop by and meet the Herd. Please do so.

Herders Douger, BruinGray, and Barb (Mrs. Douger) flash the victory sign as they get ready for another Thundering Herd Tailgate. 

The 2004 Tailgating Season Goes Live for the Thundering Herd on Sept. 11

The inaugural 2004 USC Thundering Herd Tailgate will take place on September 11 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum when the Trojans take on the Colorado State University Rams. Game time is 5:00 PM, tailgating will begin around noon for the early birds--and you know who you are :-).

The menu will probably consist of 'Bratwurst in the Style of George' (BSGs), a Chris Schlesinger recipe from his must-own cookbook,
Big Flavors of the Hot Sun. This menu has been one of our standbys for the past three years. To me, nothing says football quite like a grilled brat, some potato salad, and an ice cold beer.

The 'Style of George' reference in the recipe's name comes from a Fenway Park sausage vendor, appropriately enough named George, that makes what he calls a sausage 'bomb.' The brat is smothered in a topping of carmelized onions and bell peppers, fresh herbs, and spices. I usually spend the better part of the Friday night preceding the game making the tasty topping (it takes forever to carmelize about 15 pounds of onions).

First things first though, the Herd is off to Washington, D.C. next week to meet the Virginia Tech Hokies in the BCA Football Classic. We'll have more the game and our tailgating plans later.

Fight On! and Beat the Hokies!

Welcome to the Thundering Herd Tailgating Blog

As a first post, I guess an introduction is in order. I am a huge fan of the University of Southern California Trojans and I love to tailgate at football games with our Trojan fan group, the Thundering Herd. I created this blog specifically to share the Thundering Herd tailgating experience at USC. Hopefully it can bring a little bit of the gameday experience to Trojan fans living outside of the SoCal area and provide a conduit for the exchange of tailgating ideas, recipes, and experiences with fans of other teams. You can find out more about the Thundering Herd here .

Tailgating is a huge part of the College Football experience, and while the food, the drinks, the setups, and the atmosphere may differ greatly within various regions of the country, they still center on one thing--a gathering of friends and fans in a pre-game celebration. We'll share our traditions of tailgating Southern California style and hopefully fans from other areas of the country will tell us about the way they do their Saturdays in the Fall.

Thanks for stopping by and Fight On!