Grill-Spiced Pecans
Food and Drink

Excerpted from The Southern Tailgating Cookbook: A Game-Day Guide for Lovers of Food, Football, and the South, by Taylor Mathis. Text and photographs copyright ©2013 by Jeffrey Taylor Mathis. Used by permission of the University of North Carolina Press. uncpress.unc.edu

Grill-Spiced Pecans

"Toast these scrumptious beauties on the grill while it heats up for the main entrée. Cloves, sugar, cayenne and black pepper turn crunchy pecans into warm and spicy treats best paired with a cold, malty beverage."

Makes: about 3 cups

 

3 cups pecan halves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

At Home: measure the pecans, and store in a sealable container. Pack the butter in a small sealable container. Refrigerate overnight. Add the rest of the ingredients to a small sealable container, and mix together.

At the Tailgate: place a 9 x 13-inch baking pan over a medium-high grill. Add the butter, and let it melt. Once the butter is melted, add the pecans, and stir, making sure all the nuts are covered in melted butter. Add about half of the spice mix to the pan and stir. Cook the pecans over a medium-high grill, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and add the remaining spice mix. Stir to evenly coat. Transfer to a serving bowl or place the pan on a trivet, and serve.