8 minute read
The Tailgating Tradition
The Tailgating Tradition
By Ann Thelen
Whether at a Farm Field or Football Field, Food Brings Families and Friends Together
When combines roll through fields across Iowa, the tailgates of farm trucks turn into tables and chairs for family mealtime. Dinners prepared and transported in casserole dishes or slow cookers signal a brief pause in the day’s harvest to warm up with a favorite home-cooked dish. Families bring the spread to the farmer and relish in what could be described as the original form of tailgating. Mom and dad catch up with the kids’ daily activities while the sun sets on another day of reaping the season’s hard-earned reward. On weekends off the farm, friends and families gather to tailgate and support the hometown team or alma mater by serving up new recipes, playing games and ribbing each other about who has the best tailgating spread. Laughter echoes across parking lots while the smell of eggs and bacon, smoked pork ribs and juicy burgers wafts through the crisp outdoor air.
Whether at a farm field or football field, tailgating takes on many forms during Iowa’s fall season. With food as the centerpiece, the fellowship and camaraderie extend into the winter season for bowl games and championships and repeat when planters signal spring has arrived for Iowa’s farmers. It’s a tradition that stretches across generations and creates memories for a lifetime.
Balancing Harvest with Family and Football
The fall season is the busiest time of year for Jarrod and Shari Bakker, fourth-generation farmers who live near Dike. Beyond growing corn and soybeans and finishing pigs, the couple owns and operates Bakker Brothers Genetics along with Jarrod's brother Jordan and his wife Jess.
Jarrod and Shari Bakker, pictured with their kids, are fourth-generation farmers.
Bakker Brothers Genetics features sows bred specifically for doing competitive junior livestock projects, such as 4-H and FFA, and seed stock that can be used to make better pigs for generations to come. Off the farm, Shari works full time for Grundy County Extension and owns a candle business while Jarrod is in sales for Fast Genetics.
With the kids in school and activities and harvest looming on the horizon, the family always finds time to gather in Ames for Iowa State University (ISU) football games. For the Bakker family – from Jarrod’s parents and his aunts and uncles to the next generation of young kids – being die-hard Cyclone fans has long been a way of life.
“On game days, we shut the combines down and head to Ames,” explains Jarrod, who previously served on the Iowa Pork Producers Association (Iowa Pork) board of directors. “It might seem unusual for farmers to do this, but it’s always worked out for us.”
He adds, “Dad has seven siblings, and all of them have kids and five of them live in the area. The entire Bakker family gets together for tailgates in the parking lot surrounding Jack Trice Stadium. With about half of the family being farmers, many of us bring our home-raised pork.”
With 30 to 40 people (or more!) at every tailgate, pulled pork sandwiches, pork chops-on-a-stick, pork burgers or sausage and egg breakfast burritos are fan favorites for the family.
Tailgating is an annual Bakker family tradition.
Agriculture Surrounds the Season
Beyond the pride Jarrod and Shari feel as ISU alumni, they appreciate the strong connection to agriculture that surrounds the game day field.
“When you look around the stadium, you see all the different agricultural sponsors, and you can tell who the farmers are in the stands by the seed corn caps or coats they are wearing,” Jarrod adds. “Agriculture has its footprints everywhere, from the clean water stations to the pork that’s the center of the plate at many tailgates.”
Like many Iowa farm families, advocating for agriculture and farmers’ commitment to sustainability is a priority for the Bakkers.
“It’s always been important to us to help advocate for the swine industry and agriculture in general. We worked on the swine teaching farm together in college, and we knew when we got married that we wanted to raise our kids in the livestock and ag industry,” Shari explains. “I grew up on a hog farm in southwest Iowa, so it was important to me to continue to be very involved in the day-to-day operations.”
During the week, the original form of tailgating is on full display at the farm. Working from before the sun is up until well after dark, meals are enjoyed from the combine cab or the back end of the truck. It’s a fullcircle process of responsibly growing soybeans and corn that converts into highquality feed for livestock, and then creating healthy protein options that bring families and friends together around dinner tables and celebrations.
From farm fields to football fields and everything in between, nutritious food raised by Iowa’s farm families scores a winning combination.
Breakfast Pockets
• 5 eggs
• ¼ cup cottage cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 – 10-ounce tube refrigerated thin pizza crust
• 9 pre-cooked sausage patties
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together 5 eggs, cottage cheese, salt and pepper.
Microwave for 1 minute on high, then stir with a rubber spatula. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each until eggs are cooked through.
Unroll pizza crust and shape it into a large square. Use a pizza cutter to cut the crust into 9 even squares (3 columns and 3 rows).
Place a sausage patty in the center of each square, some scrambled eggs and shredded cheese on top. Fold the corners of the crust into the center and pinch to secure. Place on prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, use a fork to mix egg yolk and water. Brush over breakfast pockets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until pockets are golden brown; enjoy warm.
Source: Iowa Pork Producers Association, Des Moines, Iowa.
Chris Williams’ 3 Tips for Smoking Meat
1. Buy a high-quality temperature gauge.
Most people who have smoked meats know this, but for a novice like me, learning to slow down the temperature and refrain from constantly looking at the meat was a game changer.
2. Be creative.
I love to experiment with seasonings and rubs. Everyone can cook a pork loin, but no two will be alike because you can each put your spin on it. My family loves Asian foods, so I tried a variety of Szechuan seasonings, and it’s amazing.
3. Let it rest.
I didn’t understand the importance of this step until a well-known restaurant owner told me to let the meat finish in the foil. The meat reabsorbs the juices and doesn’t become overcooked. When my father-in-law recently told me that I made the best ribs he’s ever had, wow, that was an amazing feeling!
Chris Williams, publisher of Cyclone Fanatic, with his daughter, Cami. (Photo courtesy of Chris Williams)
Fanatic About Ag, Football and Food
Chris Williams is known on and off the field as the passionate talk show radio host, podcaster and publisher of Cyclone Fanatic, an online community for fans of the Iowa State Cyclones. He’s also passionate about agriculture and helping to tell its positive story to friends, families and listeners.
Several years ago, Iowa Pork teamed up with Williams to share that football Saturdays aren’t just about the pigskin; they are also about the pork. Fans were encouraged to show off their tailgating spreads featuring pork for a chance to be crowned winners of a weekly Pigskin Challenge.
“Iowa State is such an ag-driven university, and we're all really proud of it,” Williams says. “On game days, fans come from all different areas of the state – some from rural areas and others from cities. We all have different backgrounds, but on a Saturday with tailgating and watching football, whether you’re putting ribs or burgers on the grill, it brings everybody together.’’
He adds, “There’s a wonderful food smell in the air, no matter where you’re at around the stadium, it all ties together.”
For Williams, the past year of social distancing gave him the opportunity to convert from cooking favorite meats on a gas grill to a smoker. He embraced the opportunity to support the local producers he’s met over the years and turn his passion for agriculture into a hobby.
Cuban Pork Tenderloin
• 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/4 cup orange juice, fresh
• 1/4 cup grapefruit juice, fresh
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Using a thin knife, trim silver skin from tenderloin. Mix juices, cilantro, cumin, oregano, garlic, salt and red pepper in gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag. Add pork, close, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
Prepare outdoor grill for direct medium-hot grilling. For a gas grill, preheat grill on high. Adjust temperature to 400 degrees F. For a charcoal grill, build fire and let burn until coals are covered with white ash. Spread coals and let burn for 15-20 minutes.
Lightly oil cooking grate. Remove pork from marinade, drain briefly, but do not scrape off solids. Place on grill and cover grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned and instant-read thermometer inserted in center of pork reads 145 degrees F, about 20-27 minutes. Transfer to carving board and let stand 3-5 minutes. Cut on slight diagonal.
Source: National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa
