This past weekend while visiting the in-laws I was asked at the last minute to cook dinner. When I asked what the plan was I was simply handed a Costco sized bag of chicken wings and told "it's your call".
When at home, this would not usually be an issue, but at the in-laws I knew immediately I had two serious obstacles to deal with.. (1) an old BBQ with temp control and hot spot issues and (2) a pantry seriously lacking in rubs and sauces
If you find yourself dealing with similar issues, here are some tips and tricks for turning out some tasty chicken wings
Dressin' up the wings
When dealing with a pantry light on options, I tend to focus my attention on items that i know pair well on the BBQ and that are commonly found even in the barest of pantries.. items like Paprika, garlic powder, and of course Montreal Steak Spice.
Yes, the three of these items combined make a very simple BBQ rub that works well on chicken wings. the paprika and Montreal Steak spice can be added in equal parts but the garlic powder should be used sparingly (if at all)
Tip: Montreal Chicken spice will work better then the Steak spice if it's on hand, make the switch.
Tip: Mix you home made rub and toss with chicken wings in a large plastic bag of bowl. Try to get it as evenly dispersed as possible.
As for saucing the wings, in situations like this I tend to leave them dry and then provide the available BBQ or other dipping sauces on the table and let the family choose their own, and how much sauce they like.. most people have at least one BBQ sauce, and a mix of Asian cooking sauces in their fridge at any given time. Try mixing these up to make your own unique flavours
Cooking the Wings
Cooking wings can be challenging, even more so on a BBQ that is older and has multiple hot and cold spots. The key to working this style BBQ is to keep things moving. Once the wings are ready spread them out on a single layer leaving some room between each wing.
I tend to cook wings over medium heat with the grill top open, this allows me to monitor flare ups and keep an eye on the doneness. On a BBQ such as this, it is just as important to move wings around the grill as it is to flip them. Find the areas that hold steady heat and areas or pockets that you are able to put wings that are cooking to fast. Keep a spray bottle with water handy just in case
Once I get to a desired doneness, I often place the wings on the top rack and shut the grill lid for a last minute heat through. Don't be afraid to pile them up at this time as the juices will run down onto other wings.
Once ready platter your wings up and place them on a central spot on the table with the dipping sauces. I cooked this batch of wings along with some sausages, and cut the sausage into chunks so they too were dip-able making the whole meal family style finger food.. the kids loved it (and i did too)
No comments:
Post a Comment