Chef Guy Fieri discusses his Cowboys tailgate, burgers and Carnival cruises

The Dallas Cowboys are off to a hot start with a 4-1 record and are tied atop the NFC East standings. Cowboys fans are getting excited about the team’s potential this year and they Cowboys return to AT&T Stadium on October 19th when they host their divisional rivals, the New York Giants.

More from Dallas Cowboys

• 3 Cowboys who won’t be on the roster after training camp
• Stephen Jones poorly tried to justify Cowboys’ negotiations with Tony Pollard
• Cowboys: Jerry Jones puts the pressure on Dak Prescott
• Cowboys give a masterclass in defense construction with Trevon Diggs extension
• Ranking the Cowboys top training camp priorities after Zack Martin mess

Cowboys games often draw celebrities and famous faces and that match up against the Giants is no different, celebrity chef Guy Fieri will be in attendance and joining Carnival’s Tailgate Takeover. Fieri has a line of restaurants called Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival Cruise Lines, which is the Official Cruise Line of the Dallas Cowboys.

“Going there is like going to the moon,” Fieri told FanSided of AT&T Stadium. “It is so amazing, to get to go down in the format I’m going, hanging out with my friends from Carnival. My buddies from Rascal Flatts will be there, it is going to be quite the weekend.”

Not only is Fieri partying with Cowboys fans on that Sunday, Fieri will be traveling around visiting other tail gates to find, so be on the lookout for the chef as he cruises the lots on golf carts with the Carnival “Fun Crew.” He’ll also be hosting a Burger Battle with three local contestants to crown the best tailgate burger.

“Whoever is going to have the best burger really is going to have to have the design from start to finish, they’re really going to have to think this all the way through,” Fieri said.

“It’s not a gimmick, it’s not ‘whoa, this guy uses alligator meat.’ That’s not gonna make it. It’s a whole culmination.

“My burgers I cook on Carnival Cruise Lines, at Guy’s Burger Joint, I took about six months to a year to develop. It’s everything from toasting the bun, to the sauce, to the type of grind, to the way it’s cook. All of those components are going to need to come together for someone to win this competition.”

The burger was chosen in part because it is a universal tailgate food in stadium parking lots around the country, despite regions injecting their own local flair.

“I don’t think you can say the burger is the ‘ultimate,’ but I would say it is the most universal, no matter where I go in the country,” Fieri said. “You go to the north east, you’re getting clam bakes and crab. You go San Francisco, you’re getting sushi. You go to Texas, you’re getting barbecue. You go to Phoenix you’re getting tacos. All different areas have their signature items, but I would say burgers are the most universal.

“Even with that being said, there is such a difference, there is such a wide spectrum of them, like the spectrum of an apple. Like a golden delicious or a granny smith, there so many varieties, so many styles, so many ways, so many methods, you can’t pin point it and say there is just one day to do it.”

Fieri said you can expect good food, cold beverages and good times at side of his tailgates.

“My tailgates have always been known to be on the exciting side,” Fieri said. “The game and the Rascal Flatts concert and my burger bash with Carnival Cruise Lines, I mean what a weekend it is going to be.”

Fieri’s Burger Joint can be found on several Carnival Fun Ships, each serving more than 1,000 tasty burgers and hand-cut fries each day. On the ships they’re poolside and free, which is an incredible feature of Carnival Cruise Lines since Fieri’s Burger Joint was named the best burger at sea by Porthole Magazine.

“Carnival Cruise Lines and I got together about three years ago, and they asked if I would build them a burger concept that would be pleasing to a real eclectic mix of guests that jump on the ship,” Fieri said. “The idea behind it is straight forward, quality ingredients, prepared the correct way, done with the right design. Some are sinful, some are a little bit more elaborate.”

Fieri also added that they keep adding them to the ships as the come into harbor and hopes that they’ll be on every ship in a couple of years.

Chef Guy Fieri also offered some grilling tips

On what temperature to cook burgers:

“My goal is it should be juicy, it should have texture, it should have great color. After that, I think people equate the temperature it is cooked at to the juiciness. Whatever temperature you cook it at, is the burger juicy.”

Propane or charcoal?

“That unfortunately has become a question that people ask, but the reality of it is there is no comparison. It is only charcoal. It makes such a difference in the flavor, but not just in the flavor from the smoke, but from the radiant heat. Charcoal just gets hot, and I think it creates a different sear on the burger. I know that gas is easier for people to use, and it is the convenience factor.”

“…The truth in it is, you can’t beat the flavor and you can’t beat the technique.”

Great sides to serve with burgers at a tailgate?

“I’m a big salad fan, I’m a big macaroni salad fan. That’s one of my go-to staples every time we’re doing a tailgate or a football game here at the house, people come and look for my mac salad.

“…Warm German potato salad or grilled vegetable salad. I try to stay away from the easy ones, like the potato chips. If I am going to do chips, I do fresh baked tortilla chips… Something more in the raw form, I don’t know that it is going to make everyone’s day to say you’re going to make a ‘kale and quinoa salad’ to the tailgate, but it certainly is light, nice and refreshing.

“You got to remember, typically we’re outdoor, typically it is a little bit warmer and we’re going to be inundated with the less healthy options when we get into the game. So why not have something a little bit solid before you go into the game.”

General rules to grilling:

“I will tell you one of the biggest ones that gets mishandled, we’ll make it a two part. One, sear the meat hot and fast. Get that grill hot, sear it how you want it, get those marks, get the cross-hatches on it, get the texture on the outside of it, whatever that may be. Get that done, then move it off of the direct heat flame and let the temperature mellow out a little bit.

“A lot of times what happens, people just leave it on there, both sides are overcooked and the center is still raw, unless they want it that way. The term is hot and fast and low and slow.

“The one the people make the biggest mistake, is saucing it before it’s time. Let’s say we’re cooking chicken, cook the chicken, get it seared off, let it finish cooking through and it should be 165 degrees. Right before you’re ready to serve it, throw on your barbecue sauce. If we’re talking about burgers, sear that burger off on both sides, make sure you have your sear makes, then put your barbecue sauce, or your cheese, or your bacon or whatever.

“Too often what’s happening is that people are putting it on there, and there is a lot of sugar and there is a lot of product that can burn and these things can end up burning on the outside. Then you get this burnt flavor, this burnt color and that’s not what you were trying to achieve.”