Football fans will descend on NRG Stadium for Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5—and they will be hungry. Aramark Senior Executive Chef Mark Cornish knows that they’ll want a taste of Texas, and he has just the thing. “With the amount of firepower we have now, we’re able to braise a lot of meat,” he said, referring to the stadium’s recent upgrades that affected all aspects of food and beverage.
He’ll put that firepower to good use by serving up, among other meaty items, a short rib grilled cheese sandwich created specially for the Super Bowl. “We buy beef from a local farmer here called 44 Farms,” Cornish said. “We braise that for hours, and make a homemade pimento cheese with Texas cheddar.”
In addition to the cheddar, the pimento spread includes cream cheese, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper and jalapenos that have been seeded and minced. “Pimento is what we call the caviar of the South,” he said.
The sandwich is assembled like a good old-fashioned grilled cheese, by melting butter on the bread, piling on the fixings and grilling it for about two minutes on each side. The hours of braising and care put into the pimento, however, is what the chef hopes shines through. “It will be an item featured on our club level and we’re really excited about it,” he said.
To round out the Texas experience, Cornish recommends fans grab a Texas Mule, the stadium’s spin on a Moscow Mule, served in a commemorative cup. “It’s a great complement to the grilled cheese sandwich,” he added.
Mark Cornish, Aramark Senior Executive Chef
NRG Park, Houston
Super Bowl LI is not chef Mark Cornish’s first rodeo — figuratively and literally. As senior executive chef for Aramark at NRG Park, Cornish oversees culinary operations for NRG Stadium, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Educated at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston, the chef worked in country clubs before landing at Aramark.
Over his 16 years with Aramark, the chef has seen Super Bowls, NBA finals, MLB all-star games and more. “I love this business,” he said. “There is never a dull day. It’s not like working at a restaurant, yet in some ways it’s like working in a different restaurant every day. I think most of the chefs who are in sports and entertainment are here because it’s a challenge.”
And, while the upcoming Super Bowl isn’t his first, it’s still something he takes very seriously. “You’ve got to get it right the first time,” he said. “You have one day to make this event memorable for people.”
