By now you’ve probably heard of the term “Man Cave”. If not, it is generally accepted to be “a room inside the house, such as the basement or garage or attic or office, or outside the house such as a wood shed or tool room, where “guys can do as they please” without fear of upsetting any female sensibility about house decor or design.” Although your tailgating space is not really part of the house it could be considered a “Man Cave” of sorts.
I was recently contacted by the folks at Man Cave Worldwide to sample and review some of their mail order meats. Never one to turn down an opportunity to grill up something new, I told them to bring it on. Within a few days an insulated box arrived via UPS and I opened it to find an assortment of burgers and brats inside.
Anytime something perishable like meats are shipped, I am always a little wary of the condition they will arrive in. After all, who knows how long it will take to arrive and you don’t want to be grilling up some meat that has been getting warm on a delivery truck for a few days. I was happy to find inside the box three types of brats and a few burgers. All were still frozen and no sign of spoilage. We were off to a good start already.
I allowed the meat samples to defrost completely in the fridge for a day or two and then was ready to try them out on the grill. The meats I was sent to sample and review were the BBQ Pulled Pork and Cheddar Burgers, Buffalo Bleu Cheese Brats, Black and Bleu Brats and the Tomato Basil Parmesan Brats. I fired up the Bubba Keg Grill, cracked open a Tailgate Beer and got myself ready to try something new.
I am not trying to play favorites here but I have to admit the Buffalo Bleu Cheese Brat was nothing short of outstanding. On their website they claim it is their best seller and now I know why. It had the flavor of buffalo wing sauce without being too hot and overpowering and the bleu cheese gave it that flavor of adding bleu cheese dressing when eating chicken wings. So imagine combining the flavors of Buffalo wings into a brat. Honestly it was a great combination of flavors.
I also liked the Black and Bleu Brat that combines real Stout beer and plenty of Bleu Cheese all in a brat. Again, a nice combination of manly flavors that were not overpowering yet were not too subdued. The BBQ Pulled Pork and Cheddar Burger was good and made me feel like I was having a pulled pork sandwich (always a tailgate favorite) with a cheese burger on top. The Tomato Basil Parmesan Brat was also a nice combo of flavors to round out the lot of meats.
After sampling the meats I naturally went to the web to do a little more investigation on what Man Cave Worldwide is all about and to see what other flavors of meats they offer. I was blown away at the large assortment of manly meats they offer including frog legs, bison burgers, steaks, chops, Chocolate Bacon, (You read that right. Bacon covered in chocolate) smoked turkey legs and even Breaded Bull Cojones! Yes, that is correct. Rocky Mountain Oysters.
Upon further discovery I found they also offer grilling tools, home bar accessories, spices, rubs and marinades and one of the coolest novelties I have seen, the Beer Pager. What it is is a beer koozie attached to a base that can alert you to where you last left your beer. Clicking the button on the remote device unleashes a series of belches and flashing lights from the base and you can search for your beer up to 60 feet away. Might not be a bad idea to get a few for your tailgating kit as well as for your home.
Lastly, I found the true genius of Man Cave Worldwide in what they call “Meatings”. Women for years have been having what is now called “Home Parties”. Made popular by the Tupperware brand, home parties have typically appealed to women. Products such as perfume, handbags, food storage, cosmetics and even erotic toys have been sold and marketed this way. Up until now, men had no outlet to have a home party of their own. That is what Man Cave Worldwide is doing. Offering up a home party atmosphere that brings guys together and the products offered are grilling tools, meats and other gadgets that guys would want. Take a look at their video.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7edAXwJdQHs
Sounds kind of cool, right? If you are interested, check out their information page on becoming an advisor and hosting your own “meatings”.
As for the meats I was sent to review, I would definitely recommend trying them for your next tailgate. They offer over 30 varieties of brats along with other types of meats so you are bound to find something that you will like. Most of the brats come five to a package and cost around $9.00. To see their entire selection visit: mancaveworldwide.com.