The competition is heating up on and off the football field. In preparation for Super Bowl Sunday, Philadelphia chef Michael Solomonov and Kansas City pitmaster Megan Day are going head-to-head with their best hometown recipes. Repping the Eagles, Solomonov is cooking up cheeseless cheesesteaks with spicy tahina, pretzel grilled cheese sandwiches with spicy mustard and za'atar-spiced chicken wings. For the Chiefs, Day is serving up cheesy corn with pimentos, bacon-wrapped potato wedges and competition-worthy spareribs.
Eagles Eats:
We did a collaboration with Pat's. I took Frankie, the owner of Pat's, to Israel. We were eating shawarma in the Galilee and he was on video call the guys at Pat's. We said we should make a cheesesteak with tehina because we don't mix milk and meat. The shifka peppers are a poppy addition to this savory sandwich.
This crispy, salty, spicy, cheesy sandwich is perfect game-day food. You get all the great stadium flavors from the soft pretzel with mustard, plus the gooey goodness of melted cheese.
This recipe takes its technique inspiration from Korean fried chicken, making them super crispy. And since I always have plenty of za'atar and sumac on hand, I toss the wings in a combo of both spices. Also, they're green in honor of the Eagles, of course.
Chiefs Chow:
Every good barbecue joint in Kansas City has signature side dishes. Cheesy corn is one of the most popular, but not always easy to make. This version is a simple combination of rich and creamy ingredients melted into seasoned sweet corn. For even more flavor, I've added pimento cheese. It's a side dish for game day that your guests will love!
Inspired by the "Kansas City Potato Girl," this nod to hand-held potatoes combines all the best parts of a loaded potato. Dress these bacon-wrapped wedges with your favorite extras and serve them like a plate of nachos!
Kansas City is known for its meaty, tender ribs. This style of cook and flavor combination has won competitions for more than a decade!