No. 3 Pork Ribs
One of the few smoked items that you can actually make ON gameday if you give yourself enough time. Dry rubbed, slathered in sauce, Thai-style...can you go wrong really? Our own barbecue expert zrau weighs in:
Tailgates are meant for finger food, and ribs may be the ultimate finger food. While they can be a bit messy, they don't require utensils (and if you use utensils with ribs, you deserve to be shamed), and if you know what you're doing you'll stay clean while eating them. Just make sure you have some paper towels and wet wipes on hand and dig in.
No. 14 Carne Asada Steak
Oh sure, I say marinated grilled steak and you think "who has that at a tailgate." I say "steak tacos" and WELL THE GAME DONE CHANGED, AIN'T IT?