Daily Nexus file photo.

Daily Nexus file photo.

Even though gambling is illegal in our little neck of the woods, there are two very safe, take-it-to-the-bank bets regarding the Super Bowl this Sunday. 1) The footballs will be inflated to exactly 12.5 pounds per square inch and 2) millions of us will be watching the game while simultaneously eating our respective body weights in chips and dip. We can’t seem to help it; we’re simply a country of consumers, especially when it comes to snacks.

In case you have any doubts about this, tune in for yourself and watch the commercials during the game — you know, the ones most companies blow 90 percent of their yearly advertising budgets on. Sure, there’ll be a few flashy spots for the latest car models, maybe a couple for cruise lines and designer clothes, but most of these six-million-bucks-a-minute extravaganzas will be selling beer and Doritos. If you were an alien and turned on the TV that afternoon, you would be convinced that humans basically survive on Budweiser and anything made by Frito-Lay.

So as a public service, and because I care deeply about my fellow Gauchos, I’m offering up an alternative to our usual snack foods of choice, or at least an accompaniment. If we’re going to insist on stuffing our faces with things that are bad for us, let’s at least add a little protein into the mix. I’m enclosing, for your digestive pleasure, my mom’s world-famous, been-in the-family-for-generations recipe for barbecued tri-tip. Sorry, all you vegetarians out there, it involves red meat. But hey, let’s not try to rehabilitate ourselves all at once.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com.

BBQ Tri-tip: A classic barbeque repast

Get one tri-tip weighing 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Marinate with one can/bottle of beer (only if you’re 21!), 1/2 cup water, 1/2 bottle of hoisin sauce, and 3 cloves of peeled garlic. It’s easiest to marinate meat in a Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight if possible.

Remove meat from fridge 20 minutes before grilling.

Grill on high heat for 5 to 10 minutes per side to sear the meat and lock in juices. Turn grill down to medium heat and continue grilling for 20 to 30 minutes. Check meat with meat thermometer. It should be at least 145 degrees for medium-rare. Brush both sides with more hoisin sauce before taking off the grill. Let meat stand covered loosely with aluminum foil for at least 15 minutes before slicing, otherwise juices will run out. Slice against the grain and serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Mmmm. Thanks, Mom.
Danny wants his mom to know that he’s coming home this Sunday for the Super Bowl (and every Super Bowl after that until the end of time).

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