There’s nothing like an all- American tailgate.
The MSU vs. University of Michigan rivalry may be deeply rooted, but Wolverine and Spartan bratwursts, burgers and beer are a universal link that may bring some fans together. Before the game, anyway.
Interior design freshman Julie Parent will host friends from U-M this weekend, including her brother, and they plan to tailgate together.
Though this is her first real tailgate experience in East Lansing, she’s been around pregame time in Ann Arbor. There she suspects the city-integrated layout of the Wolverine’s campus lends itself to more of a tailgate-on-the-lawn approach.
“I’ve noticed that when I’ve gone to U-M games we usually go to the house party, the front lawn,” she said.
Ranjit Das is a friend of Parent’s brother at U-M who will be trekking to East Lansing on Saturday. Before games in Ann Arbor, Das enjoys tailgating at his friends house, nearby the stadium. Antics include his friend dressing up as a referee, whistling and calling penalties to those who walk by who brandish colors other than maize and blue. While on Spartan turf, though, Das plans to keep it cool.
“I want to wear my bright yellow shirt,” said Das, a biopsychology senior. “But if I’m going to be really boisterous I’ll get beat down, and I don’t really want that to happen. It’s definitely a rivalry, and I want to build that up - but I’m going to do it in a safe way.”
Das suspects the concept of the East Lansing tailgate is the same as Ann Arbor folk’s.
“I’d imagine it’s probably the same thing, everyone having fun with friends and barbecuing,” he said.
Brats, burgers and beer for breakfast, anyone?
Is there a Spartan way to best cook a bratwurst? Do Ann Arborites do it better? It seems that a brat’s a brat, and advice from chefs of the dueling towns suggests.
“You want it to be thoroughly cooked, to 160 degrees, well done,” said Tom McNeil, a Spartan fan and owner of Country House Caterers in DeWitt Township. “The only way you’re ever going to tell is to cut it open and make sure there’s no pink left. If I’m cooking on the grill outside, I’d take cheap bear, Old Milwaukee perhaps, and simmer them in beer for about 20 minutes. This way they don’t flame up when they’re put on a grill. This takes the fat out. Put them in your refrigerator for the next day and get a little beer flavor to your brat. It’s less cooking time, less flare up.”
Donnie Burton, an event caterer from Ann Arbor’s The Moveable Feast Catering, offered similar advice
“Boil them in a large pot with beer until they rise to the top and also add onion. It’s more flavorful with a robust dark beer, even a stout,” Burton said.
“Then when you grill them, grill them until they’re plump, until they almost pop out of their skin.”
Maybe we’re not so different after all. At least when we make brats.
