CHICKEN - Wings

One of the most popular things for grilling are chicken wings. They are cheap and everybody likes them. There are many ways to cook them and about a hundred ways to season them. Wings are a great appetizer and can also be a main course. Here is just one way to prepare them for grilling. Additional methods like flavor brining or marinading will be added later.

You can buy wings already cut up into “wingettes” and “drummettes” but I like to start with the whole ones.

First, cut off the wing tip and save it for basting sauce # 1. (other basting sauces are below) Next cut out the triangle of skin between the wingette and the drumette, and also cut off the blob of skin at the end of the drummette.

Cut the skin at the joint. This will let them break apart a little easier while eating them.

Season the trimmed wings and the wing tips with your favorite rub, and put them in a plastic bag. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When you are ready to start your cooker, use the wing tips to make the following basting sauce. Only the ingredients for the sauce are listed so you will have to “wing it” depending on how large of a batch you are making. The sauce is essentially a jazzed up chicken stock You will only need enough sauce to baste the wings 3 or 4 times.

Basting Sauce # 1:
water
wing tips
diced onion
chopped garlic
chopped celery
chopped carrot
bay leaf
thyme
salt
pepper
rub
cider vinegar
Worcestershire
corn oil or butter

In a pot add everything above EXCEPT the vinegar, Worcestershire and oil or butter, cover with water and simmer about a half hour. Add a little vinegar and Wooster to taste. Chicken can take a basting sauce heavier in fats. Adding some corn oil or butter is something worth exploring. As with all cooking sauces, keep the basting sauce warm during the wing cook.

Basting Sauce # 2:

1 part apple juice
2 parts cider vinegar
Sprinkle of sea salt
A few drops of Wooster or Soy Sauce

Warm up the liquid and baste wings as needed during the cook

Cooking Technique #1 - Set up your cooker for a direct cook with a grate temperature around 350°. Using a raised grate is optional and it will prevent flare ups. Using smoking woods is optional as well. Baste the wings 10 minutes before they go onto the cooker and each time they are turned, being careful not to wash off the rub. The wings will get “puffy” after about 15 or 20 minutes.

In the next 10 minutes the wings will brown up. Sneak one off for a sample, then serve when done.

Cooking Technique #2 - Cooking raised direct with a 300° pit temp gives you a little better control on color and doneness. Cook time will be around an hour.

Cooking Technique #3 - Cooking indirect. You can cook wings indirect too at any pit temp from 250° to 350°, the higher pit temps will give you crispier skin.