Chef Chatter

7 necessities for nailing a socially distanced tailgate

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Hugh Mangum, chef of Mighty Quinn's, gives his best advice for at-home barbecues. Provided

December 14, 2020

By Hugh Mangum, founder, chef and pitmaster, Mighty Quinn's

Wow, 2020 has certainly been a year.

It has been trying and difficult to say the least. We've all had time to dig deep and also warranted a lot of soul-searching. Of the litany of the reasons we can complain about this past year, there is something we can celebrate —more time with our families. For those of us in the restaurant and hospitality industries, we have been forced to slow down, cook for our loved ones for a change and to take stock in the simple pleasure of feeding those closest to us.

When we're not at work in our restaurants connecting with customers, we're outside connecting with the world. We have been forced to connect with extended family and friends in socially distanced settings, outside, at the park, in nature, etc. These outdoor gatherings also present an opportunity to lean into grilling and cooking outdoors. With that in mind, below are a few of my favorite "necessities" for BBQs, tailgates and grilling from your backyard.

Get the grill. My favorite is The Nomad Grill. I've been using one for the last few months and it's seriously so, so awesome. It's the size of an extra-large briefcase, and you can use it as a grill or as a smoker. Plus, it's bombproof and easy to clean. All that and it's pretty freakin' cool to look at. For the grilling enthusiast who also likes to get away and/or tailgate this is the best piece of equipment, you can get, end of story.
Use a chimney starter for your charcoal. This makes lighting fires so much easier. A pro tip to consider: when your coals are ready to pour into the grill, leave a few in the bottom of the chimney so you can pour more coals on top to get hot. It makes starting the fire again a snap and you aren't left in a 911 situation with dead coals. Major setback and fail.
Get some charcoal that is not "quick light." You want your burgers, steaks and vegetables to be delicious and flavorful and don't want the flavor to be lighter fluid.
Cheap rags are a must, always. There is nothing worse than getting charcoal all over your nice Williams Sonoma side towels.
Use stainless steel tongs. Grab two sets at a restaurant supply shop. They're cheap, and if you have two sets with you when you start, you're not running if you drop a set on the ground.
Keep a spray bottle filled with water to temper a flare-up.
A wooden pizza peel is my go-to. We use one to move everything on the grill, especially amazing for larger cuts like pork butts, rib roasts or legs of lamb. If you saw the long handle down to about 10 inches, you'll find it much easier to use. Then you are good to go.

Hope you all get outside and enjoy some time around a hot grill. Let's appreciate the simple things — family, food and the outdoors.

Chef Mangum won Food Network's "Chopped" in 2012 and appears as a judge on "Beat Bobby Flay."

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