A Culinary Celebration of the Belk Bowl

Let me start this by saying two things. First, up until this year, I had never head of the Belk Bowl. And second, I cannot remember a time when Duke Football was good enough to make it to a bowl (save for 1982 and that is way too early for my memory). That said, I am very proud of my Blue Devils this year! They have come a long way from my days at Duke when I had to bribe my friends on the football team with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for a win.

One of the fun things about both Cincinnati and Duke is that both college towns have some really great traditional cookin’ that makes for great homegating food for your Belk Bowl viewing party!

Let’s start with Cincinnati. When you think of Cincinnati, many things may come to mind but as far as food goes, that one’s easy. Chili. Cincinnati is known for its chili and it’s a meaty one at that. Cincinnati chili usually combines sweet and fairly hot spices and is served atop a bed of spaghetti. The chili is then topped with cheese, beans, onions, or all of the above. (All of the above is also known as “Five-Way Chili”). For many of you, this style of chili may be untraditional perhaps, especially since it’s eaten with a fork, but it’s pretty stinkin’ awesome. It’s also a bit messy for a homegating party but if you serve it in bowls, it may be more manageable.

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 lbs. grass-fed ground chuck (hamburger meat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce (preferably organic)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons of cocoa or 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Accompaniments:
Cooked pasta, preferably spaghetti (amounts will vary based on how much pasta you want below your chili)
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Red kidney beans, drained and warmed
Chopped onions
*Some people also add oyster crackers

Preparation

Combine the onions, beef, garlic, and chili powder in a skillet and sauté over medium to medium-high heat, stirring so nothing burns.*
Add in all your spices, your cocoa or chocolate, the Worcestershire sauce, water, tomato sauce and vinegar. (If your skillet isn’t large enough, move everything into a pot). Lower heat and simmer for 60 minutes, uncovered. (If you transferred everything to a pot, add another 10 minutes cook time).

Cook spaghetti according to the directions on the package.

To serve, the spaghetti goes on the bottom, topped with a nice hearty spoonful of chili, then the cheese, beans, and onions. Serve the oyster crackers in a separate bowl on the side (else they may get soggy atop the chili if it sits too long).
*You shouldn’t need oil to sauté because the fat in the ground chuck should do that trick. If you find that it’s not doing enough, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and continue to sauté.

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Moving onto my alma mater, Duke!

Going to school in Durham, North Carolina, I quickly became aware that almost everyone who lives in Durham has the same favorite restaurant — Bullock’s BBQ. It’s truly an institution not only because the food is just so darn tasty, but also because it’s Durham’s longest continuous running restaurant, having opened its doors in 1952. One of the things that sets Bullock’s apart from all other barbecue restaurants in the area is its delicious BBQ sauce, which they now bottle and you can take home (yes please!). Bullock’s sauce is a good example of the more vinegary-based Eastern North Carolina BBQ sauces. While Bullock’s recipe is a secret, here’s a great recipe for Eastern NC BBQ sauce. (It may not be Bullock’s, but it’ll sure be a hit at your homegate)!

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (i.e. Tabasco)
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

Accompaniments:
Pulled pork or chicken*
Bun
Cole slaw

*Pulled pork or chicken are quintessential NC BBQ proteins. Cook them first and then shred them.

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.

Drench the pulled pork or chicken in the sauce.

Serve atop a bun, topped with cole slaw. You can always drizzle a little extra BBQ sauce on the bun as well.

The Belk Bowl will take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC at 6:30pm on December 27th on ESPN. Tune in! Go Duke!