While the Wife Was Away Wings

barbecued hot wings

I really have done my best to avoid tempting us with much non-diet-friendly food. But my dear wife was out of town for the weekend, so I had to make up a batch of hot wings.

1 1/2 pounds chicken wings (about 6 wings)
1 – 2 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue rub (General Purpose Rub v1.5, in this case)
1 cup cider vinegar
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons raw sugar

Set your grill up for a raised direct cook at 350°F. On the Big Green Egg I used an extender to move the grate up to the level of the rim, putting the chicken further away from the heat.

While the grill is heating up, season the wings with the barbecue rub. Make the hot sauce by combining the vinegar, butter, Worcestershire, peppers, salt, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until it has reduced a bit and thickened up. Remove sauce from heat, but keep warm.

hot sauce

When the grill is ready, put the wings on the grill and cook undisturbed for 30 minutes. Flip and cook for another 20 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

barbecued hot wings

Pour about three-quarters of the sauce into a large bowl, reserve the remaining sauce. Move the wings from the grill to the bowl and toss to coat well. Move the wings back to the grill and cook for another 10 minutes. Move them back into the bowl again, toss them with the sauce, and then move to a plate to serve.

barbecued hot wings

Serve with bleu cheese dressing and the reserved sauce for dipping.

The Verdict: ★★★½☆
Again, I am really liking General Purpose Rub v1.5, but I was not a fan of the sauce. Between the heat of the rub and the heat of the sauce, it was just too much. Not head-explodingly hot, but it reminded me of one of my ex-inlaws – thin and bitter with not enough other redeeming qualities to make it worth the heat.

Also, despite the allure of batching it for the weekend, it’s never much fun to eat alone :(.

ONE YEAR AGO –  Alice Springs-ish Chicken

TWO YEARS AGO – Tiger Sauce Shrimp


3 thoughts on “While the Wife Was Away Wings”

  1. Those wings look sooooooo good. If you can believe it, I’ve just gotten in to grilling wings over the past month or so. I’ve always just made a mess in the kitchen and fried them. Love the combination of flavors with this sauce.

  2. Man, I love grilled wings! Those look great! Sorry you had to eat them by yourself…that does take the fun out of it. That, and bitter ex-inlaws. 😉

  3. “thin and bitter with not enough other redeeming qualities to make it worth the heat.”

    ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
    ha ha ha
    ha ha ha
    Brilliant!

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