Tell any local that tailgate season is only in the fall, and they’ll prove you wrong. If we can dig the grill out, then we’re going to fire it up. So when Dishing decided to throw an afternoon tailgate in the middle of winter, there was an obvious chef to turn to: Fine Dining Restaurant Group’s Joel Tate.
We asked Tate, who spends much of his free time snowmobiling in the winter, to prepare a feast fit for a post-shred party. As an executive chef in the Jackson-based restaurant group, Tate leads the charge in making sausages and charcuterie for the company’s brand, Bovine + Swine. He helped us turn the ordinary tailgate menu into an extraordinary spread.
Starting with homemade sausages in place of traditional hot dogs, Tate offered a topping station loaded with options, from homemade relish to cranberry mustard to foraged mushrooms. Sold at Bodega and seen on menus around town including Il Villaggio Osteria and Rendezvous Bistro, Tate’s sausages have become a popular fixture at cookout and grilling events. Read below on how to make your own sausages (if you are up to the challenge). And find the rest of the recipes in the current issue of the magazine, on stands now.
Spicy Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 pounds pork butt ground through a 3/16" plate twice, as cold as possible
- 1 3/4 pounds Beef clod ground through a 3/16" plate twice, as cold as possible
- 28 grams black pepper
- 141 grams Tender Quick
- 35 1/2 grams whole fennel seed toasted and cooled
- 85 grams black peppercorn
Instructions
- Stuff into 32-34 hog casings.
- Refrigerate for two days.
- Cook and serve.
Maple Sage Breakfast Sausage
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 pounds pork butt grind through a 3/16" plate twice, as cold as possible
- 1 3/4 pounds Beef clod grind through a 3/16" plate twice, as cold as possible
- 8 1/2 grams black pepper
- 78 grams kosher salt
- 70 grams sugar
- 3/4 grams dry mustard powder
- 5 grams chili flakes
- 6 3/4 grams fresh sage chopped
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Grind all proteins.
- Mix with the rest of the ingredients for 3-4 minutes.
- Stuff into 24-26 mm sheep casings.
Sweet Pepper Relish
Ingredients
- 5 cups green bell pepper small dice
- 5 cups red bell pepper small dice
- 1 1/2 cups onion diced
- 2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 teaspoons pickling salt
- 4 teaspoons mustard seed
Instructions
- Dissolve sugar, vinegar, water, and salt by bringing to a simmer.
- Pour over remaining ingredients and cover for one hour.
- Refrigerate and serve.
Stout Mustard
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup black mustard seeds
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon tarragon chopped
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 2 cup Roadhouse Brewery Dreaded Beast Nitro
Instructions
- Marinate for two days.
- Blend in food processor.
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