His Eats: Tailgate Chili Trifecta When Steve Huff, local epicurean and lawyer at Marlow, Woodward & Huff, Prof. LLC, thinks about his ultimate tailgate recipes, he knows what tops his list. “It’s kind of cool outside and we are getting deep into football season,” he said. “Chili, hot dogs and finger foods are just great for tailgating. They just fit the mood for this time of year.” Recently, Huff dusted off his chili recipe and prepared some of his fixings for Gourmet Guys, a local fundraiser event featuring an evening of fine food, relaxing music, and great conversation at the Yankton Community Library. “I went with chili for that event because it’s pretty people friendly,” Huff said. “It’s accessible to make and doesn’t require a ton of ingredients, but it’s also tasty and almost better when you reheat it.” During the last 15 to 20 years, Huff has scoured tailgating events, perfecting his chili recipe along the way. From Colorado to Iowa, he has honed his recipe and field-tested it at local sporting events. “When I first moved to Yankton, I actually won the annual chili cook off at United Church of Christ,” Huff said. “There were people there with engraved chili pots, ladles and awards, but I decided to throw my hat in the ring. There were people all dressed up with fancy booths, but I was focused solely on the chili, and people seemed to enjoy it a great deal. I actually won with basically the same recipe I did for Gourmet Guys.” However, it wasn’t the first time that Huff had found his chili to be agreeable with a large amount of people. During his time at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Huff and his debate buddies represented their school at the collegiate national debate tournament and chili cook-off. “The largest tournament in debate at the college level is held at UNI and they would do a chili cookout as a fundraiser,” Huff said. “There were teams from Stanford, Harvard and Baylor that would come to the event. We got this cooking station going and people just lost Steve Huff their minds over our chili. They were showing up hours in advance to get a bowl of it. By the time we were seniors, we were known as the guys from UNI with the good chili that everyone wanted to hang out with.” While Huff ’s chili recipe is already good enough to win over the hearts and minds of tailgaters across the nation, he claims that part of the fun of cooking chili is sampling other recipes and perfecting your own. “I just love chili,” Huff said. “It is one of those things where it doesn’t matter if you’re at church, a family picnic or formal potluck, chili always seems to be there and people are always looking forward to it.” Huff recommends pairing his chili with Steiner’s hot dogs, pickles in a blanket, and an amber beer. Chili: Cooking equipment: crock pot, frying pan, can opener, wax paper (optional), cooking sheet (optional) Ingredients: Sausage, Beef, or both; black, pinto or chili beans; can of beer; Tabasco Chili Starter; red or white onions (optional); green peppers (optional); jalapeno brine (optional); whole tomatoes vHIS EATS continued on page 7 Peak flu season is right around the corner. Vaccinate today, and make sure you’re protected. Walk-In Flu Shots (Must be 18 or older) No appointment necessary Byron, R.Ph. 218 W. 4th Street, Yankton, SD • 605.665.8042 • www.rogersfamilypharmacy.com HISVOICEvNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017v3