April 27, 2023

Sweet and Spicy Wings

Chicken wings. They’ve become a beloved game-day food, but sometimes it’s nice to change up your flavors. These sweet and spicy wings are surprising because they include peanut butter whisky as an ingredient (yes, something other than beer!).

An Age-Old Argument: Flats vs. Fats

Is there one part of the wing you like best? The flat is also called a wingette. It gets its name from the flat surface. There are more bones than the drum, which you can separate while eating. These are great for people who like crispy skin. Generally, flats outsell fats 3 to 1.

The fats look like a small version of a drumstick, and it comes from the upper wing. Drums have meat. Fat, juicy meat, and crispy skin make for a great bite. There’s no real winner here except for what you like (hey, use this recipe for experimentation!)

Ingredients

1 Bag mixed wings (flats & fats)
Cuso’s Spicy Garlic Buffalo BBQ Rub
1 Stick butter
1 cup peanut butter whisky
2 Tbsp Cuso’s Hot Honey BBQ Rub
3 tbsp honey
1-2 Tbsp hot sauce

Instructions

Pat the wings dry with paper towels
Sprinkle them on all sides with Custo’s Spicy Garlic Buffalo BBQ Rub
Char them on the grill
Deep fry at 350 degrees until they reach 165F
Strain on paper towels or a cooling rack
While those sit, make your sauce
Melt the butter
Add the whisky carefully, it may flare up
Add some of Cuso’s Hot Honey BBQ Rub
Pour the sauce of the wings OR serve it on the side for dipping

PitMaster’s Memo: Winging it.

Wing tips are made of long bones (phalanges), skin, and cartilage. That means they have little meat. You can certainly cook them the same way since there are always a few people who like to nibble on them.

But what about the rest? With the thought of waste not, want not, use them for making stocks. Note, however, that some manufacturers pre-cut the wing tips off to save you money (and extra weight in the bag).