Wings 3 Ways

Lately Byrd has been craving Chinese food, mostly Hot and Sour soup and spring rolls.  Yesterday the plan was to go pick some up and that would be dinner.  But at some point I got a taste for wings, I don't know where it came from, but after I talked them up, she finally agreed to put the soup and spring rolls on hold, in order to satisfy my wing craving, I am a lucky guy.  I have been wanting to try my friend Evan's (evanspices.com) sweet soy wings.  I started to make the soy sauce/marinade.  I am usually pretty good at following a recipe, but sometimes my mind wanders and I make mistakes.  This was one of those times.  Instead of the 1/8 cup of soy sauce and apple cider vinegar, I put 1/2 cup of each.  I finished the sauce and well, it tasted fine so I went with it. I had a package of 8 full wings, that I cut down to drumsticks and flats.  I took the "hook" as I call it off.  I wanted a variety so I marinated 7 wings in this sauce.  Reserving 2/3 for tossing and dipping. 

Sweet Soy Sauce

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper

Years ago I worked for a restaurant here in Birmingham named Locos Grille and Pub.  I have always loved their hot sauce so I  made some as well.  This isn't their exact recipe, but I will say it's as close as it gets.  They don't marinate their wings, they fry them and toss them, like most restaurants do.  But I marinated 3 wings in the hot sauce just to see how it would taste grilled.  I left 8 wings with no marinade or seasoning to  toss in the sauces to see how much of a difference the marinade made.  

Hot Sauce

1 1/2 cup Texas Pete Hot Sauce

1/4 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Blackening Seasoning

1/4 Tablespoon granulated garlic

I used the 30-20-10 method from Nibble Me This.  I have never tried this method, but I have tried several of his dishes and have no reason to doubt him now.  So I set up my grill for an indirect cook, while the wings were drying out in the fridge.  I got my temperature to 350 and put them on.  

I cooked them for 30 minutes lid on, flipped them, cooked for 20 minutes, then sauced them and put them directly over the fire for 10 to crisp them up.  I took them off and sauced the wings.  The wings I didn't marinade I tossed in the hot sauce and sprinkled the tops with lemon pepper seasoning.  I used to do this when I worked at the above mentioned restaurant.  I love the flavor pairing.  Here are the wings with their best friends, celery, carrots and fies. We are still on the diet, but I needed some fries.

The wings turned out perfect.  I will now live by the 30-20-10 method for wings.  Great timing.  The hot sauce tossed wings were great, although Byrd and I agreed that a mix of the sweet soy wings dipped in the hot sauce was our favorite.