amongst a hostile crowd. “Miami played the Vikings in spring training once,” he said. “I think I was the only one in the stadium with orange on.” In 2010, Hanten found himself — along with friends — traveling to the Steel City itself as Pittsburgh hosted the Oakland Raiders. “Pittsburgh’s a really fun town,” he said. “It’s just a big small town. I found the experience of being in Pittsburgh like being in Omaha to some extent — it’s just a walkable, fun bar town.” He added that the city was even friendly to its opposing fans. “Their fans were very welcoming to outsiders — even our Raiders friends that we took with us,” he said. “The Steelers and Raiders have had a long rivalry from the ‘70s, and we took some Raiders fans out with us. We never felt like they were in danger. Can’t say that in some cities that have NFL teams.” Being A Fan Though 912 miles separate Yankton from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Hanten said it doesn’t feel all that lonely in Yankton. “In the case of the Pittsburgh Steelers who have won the most NFL championships in the history of the game, you do find lots of people out here displaced from the east coast or who grew up also admiring that hard-hitting style,” he said. “Even though we’re a long ways, I have a lot of fellow fans right here in Yankton.” He added that being an open Steelers fan has even helped business. “When you become a Steelers bar, when you profess you like them, always put their games on and always play their sound, you can get listed on websites,” he said. “All of a sudden, people who are traveling through the area are like, ‘Oh my God, there’ s a Steelers bar in Yankton.’ I find a lot of new and interesting friends from the experience rather than feeling isolated.” Smith said sometimes it’s fun to root against the grain. “I’m surrounded by Pittsburgh fans, Chiefs fans so it’s fun to root for somebody different,” he said. But Hanten said, in the end, it’s not all about trying to be different. “We become fans because there’s something that connects in our childhood about the style of the game,” he said. “It’s kind of like when you hear a song in your teenage years and it means something to you. Even if it’s not the greatest song in the world, it still means something to you years later.” vBy Rob Nielsen Do you know someone that should be featured in hisvoice? Submit to: hervoiceonline.com vHIS EATS continued from page 3 (optional); crushed garlic (optional); salt (optional); olive oil (optional). While there is a lot of room to play with any chili recipe, Huff recommends a jar of Tabasco Chili Starter as the base for his recipe. He also recommends following a 1 to 1 to 1 ratio for mixing ingredients: For every pound of meat in the recipe, add one jar of Tabasco Chili Starter, one can of beans and one can of beer. “At most grocery stores, they sell tabasco sauces, but Tabasco also has a chili mix kit you can buy,” Huff said. “It comes in a glass jar and makes one quart of chili. It’s basically tomatoes, peppers and veggies blended together.” Chili enthusiasts can get started by browning their meat of choice in a frying pan. If peppers and onions are desired for the recipe, Huff recommends sautéing them in the leftover grease from the browning of the meat before adding them to the crock pot. Combine the meat, veggies, beans, beer, chili starter and pickled jalapeno brine (optional) in a crock pot and let it simmer together for about an hour, or until the beans are heated through. “I recommend using black or pinto for the beans and Sam Adam’s Oktoberfest or Sam Smith’s Imperial Stout for the beer,” Huff said. For a thicker chili with a fire-roasted taste, Huff recommends ovenroasting some fresh tomatoes and blending them into a tomato paste to be added to the recipe. “Take some fresh tomatoes from the store or your garden and cut them into slices about quarter-inch think,” Huff said. “Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then put some parchment paper down on a cooking sheet and lay out the tomato slices. Top them off with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add crushed garlic to taste, and roast for approximately 40 minutes. Then scrape them into a blender and add to the chili.” Huff also recommends shredded cheese, sour cream and crackers as welcome additions to any chili bowl. Leftover steak or brisket can also be added to the dish. Steiner Hot Dogs: Cooking equipment: smoker or grill Ingredients: hot dogs, buns, pickled jalapenos (optional) Any hot dogs can be used for this recipe, but Huff recommends going with precooked hot dogs from Steiner’s Meat Locker in Yankton. Brown them off on the grill or in smoker, and serve them up with chili and cheese or pickled jalapenos on top. Pickles in a Blanket: Cooking equipment: spreading utensil, toothpicks (optional) Ingredients: corrugated pickle slices, sliced ham, cream cheese, tabasco sauce, pickled jalapeno brine (optional). “I start by mixing the cream cheese, tabasco sauce and jalapeno brine together,” Huff said. “Then I dry off the corrugated pickles with a towel so that the spread sticks better, and apply the cream cheese mixture. Then I top it all off with a stack of sliced ham.” A toothpick can be stuck through the middle of each pickle in a blanket to better secure the toppings. Beer Recommendations: “I’m a beer person for this one,” Huff said. “If you are going to go down the beer road, I recommend Mexican beers or pilsners as a good match.” Huff recommends Negro Modelo, Pacifico and Sam Adams Oktoberfest. vBy Dillon Dwyer HISVOICEvNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017v7