Wings of Summer

A bead of sweat rolls down my forehead. I close my eyes tight and face the sun. I feel the colors. Hot and fruitful. I sense the raw power of heat. A hint of pain. Just as I lose my thoughts to barren and burnt times, I’m overcome by something else. A breeze. Now, I’m drifting in the current of a river. Moments painted with splashes of frolic and long strokes of pleasure.

Summer is taking flight!

And so is the Convivial Boar. Shall we celebrate the opening act of summer?

Wings of Summer

Summer is a time for savoring simple pleasures, like chicken. And I declare the wing as the most festive portion of our feathered friend.

Plan:

Cut the chicken wings into drumettes and flats. (Note: I freeze the tips for making broth). Generously apply kosher salt to the wings, and arrange them in a single layer in a sheet pan. Place them uncovered in a refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours. This step allows the salt to penetrate the skin which helps keep the meat moist and the skin crispy.

Next, generously season the wings a spices of your choice. Here’s my suggestion: black pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.

Let the wings rest at room temperature while you prepare the grill. For these wings, we want two heat zones: medium and low. (Need a refresher on fires click “here”).

Start by searing the wings a bit over the medium heat —just two or three minutes per side, being careful to minimize flare ups.

Once the wings are browned, place them in a foil pan and continue cooking over the hotter zone of your fire. Add a beer of your choice to the pan (and perhaps the feast-maker too). Allow the beer to come to a boil and stir the wings a bit as they braise.

After a few minutes (around 5) move the pan to the low heat zone. To complete our sauce, add barbecue sauce, worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.

Stir the wings around in the sauce making sure to coat each with the sauce. Allow the wings to braise over the low heat for a few more minutes (around 10).

Next remove each wing from the sauce and caramelize them over the medium heat zone (about two minutes per side).

Allow the sauce in the foil pan to continue cooking down until it is thick and sticky (almost like a paste).

As a final step, add the wings back to the pan, coating each with our thickened sauce.

Take flight with summer, my friend.