Welcome to Tailgating

Thomas Barwick/Riser/Getty Images

It’s all meat, all the time.

No grill is too tough; no coals are too hot. The tongs are at the ready and the marinades have a game plan blended for a run to the title.

Welcome to Tailgating, where it is a season of burgers, brisket and the well-placed rib. A blitz of flavor and a ground attack of satisfaction.

Just burn, baby.

That’s more like it. I think we should be higher on the poll. I mean who brings it more often, grill in and grill out? It’s hot dogs. You know it; I know it. But top five, we’ll take it. We’ll be there at the end.

All-Meat, No-Fillers Hot Dog

Few seasons speak of outdoor grilling like football. Summer makes its case, but that is an open-ended argument with a definition that is little more than hot.

Football flies out of the lazy dog days as baseball begins to wane and hits with the fury of Ray Lewis.

There is really no comparison. Baseball does a nice job with the hot dog and all. And don’t get started with fish tacos. If you’re looking for hardcore grilling, it’s all about football, man.

And that is what eHow Tailgating is all about.

Week in and week out, whether it is college or pro, Tailgating aims to deliver what is hot on the grill, what is trending around the country and which matchups highlight the tailgating grillscape.

Take Josh Ozersky, the minister of meat. No one embraces a slab of nicely marbled beef or a rack of ribs like Ozersky.

“You know my relationship with meat can be a bit other-worldly,” Ozersky said.

The guru of the grill put the tailgating world on notice with his posting of the All-Meat Team. Controversial as always, Ozersky made his claim for five cuts that will rule tailgates throughout the nation in 2011.

Bacon made it, but hot dogs did not. Lamb and scrapple made an appearance, but a simple cut of tri-tip or filet could not be found anywhere. And chicken? Nowhere. Not a thigh, drumstick or giblet.

Question is: What has he been smoking?

Must be years since chicken wings did not make a top 10. That could come back to haunt the minister. Word is, wings have some new sauces this year and they're feeling some serious disrespect. Chances are they'll be there at the end.

The Meat Power Ranking has played out in more conventional fashion as it debuts for the 2011 season. Topping the list after its championship run last year is Hamburger, which garnered the most first place votes.

Brat also made a strong showing by claiming the No. 2 slot on the season-opening poll with Baby Back Ribs third. Rounding out the top five were Flank Steak and Hot Dog.

Now that's a bona fide list. Then again, Tailgating reaches out to every corner of the grilling globe. A representative sample indeed.

Chicken breast made its first appearance in the top 10 -- barely, at No. 10 -- while salmon (19) and lobster tail (23) may be playing out of their league but hope to climb the ranks of the TCS (Tailgate Championship Series).

Whole hog at 25 shocked everyone.

Hot dog opening at No. 5 shouldn't hurt its chances to return to the TCS title game. Who brings it more often, grill in and grill out? It’s hot dogs.

But at the end and throughout the season will be tailgating, your source for football gastronomy whether it’s a Santa Ana blowing through in California or snow flurries in Green Bay.

All season long, look for the latest in tailgating secrets.

Get on the ground updates from around the nation about your sport of grilling. See how it's done in the South or the scene at the Big House when Notre Dame comes to town. Tailgating will provide its own signature spin.

Also, check in periodically for updates from the pros on grilling techniques or how to make a great cocktail. Tips will range from simple to sublime because there is no one way to tailgate.

The point is to come to play.

Look out for the pretenders to the crown; the key is to show up and not take a single grill off. That’s how championships are won.

And Tailgating will be there to give you the edge.

Fire it up.