"Central and Western New York is “wing country,” so you’ve got to have some good wings on your menu. Most places fry their wings according to the original Buffalo recipe, but we smoke ours. You can make them hot or mild on your grill by changing the rub and the sauce you slather on at the end. We serve them with the traditional fixin’s: blue cheese dressing and celery sticks."
24 chicken wing pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose red rub
2 cups Mutha sauce
1/4 cup creole seasoning
2 cups hot barbecue sauce
Blue cheese dressing
Celery sticks
RED RUB:
1/4 cup smoked paprika
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar in the raw
2 tablespoons dark chili powder
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix together in a bowl. You will have leftover rub; store it in an airtight container until ready to use.
CREOLE SEASONING:
1/2 cup paprika
1/2 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup granulated onion
3 tablespoons black pepper
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Mix together in a bowl. You will have leftover rub; store it in an airtight container until ready to use.
DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE MUTHA SAUCE:
Makes: 6 to 7 Cups
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
Pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups ketchup (preferably Heinz)
1 cup water
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke (optional)
Sauce Instructions:
Pour the oil into a large saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, green peppers, and jalapenos and give them a stir. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Dump in everything else except the Liquid Smoke. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce simmers. Simmer for 10 minutes. Swirl in the Liquid Smoke and let the sauce cool. Pour it into a container, cover and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Variation (Hot BBQ Sauce): Add 2 or 3 seeded and minced habanero peppers (about 1½ teaspoons to 1 tablespoon) along with the onions, peppers, and jalapenos. Also add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper along with the other ingredients for extra punch.
Cooking the Wings:
Wings require a two-phase cooking process. First, you render out the fat and tenderize the meat on a medium-hot grill, 325 to 350 degrees. Then, you crisp and glaze them over hot coals. You might find it useful to light another chimney of briquettes when you give the wings their first flip after 45 minutes, so you can add a few fresh coals to boost the heat at the end for an absolutely perfect finish.
Mix the wings, oil, and rub of your choice together in a large bowl.
Fire up your grill and mound up the coals on one side. Spread the wings out on the other side of the grill, away from the coals. Cover the grill and cook the wings for about 45 minutes. Open the grill, flip the wings over, and switch them around—move the ones closest to the heat source off to the side, and move the ones on the outside edge closer to the heat source. (Remember to start another chimney of charcoal now). Cover again and cook about 45 minutes more, until the meat is tender.
Add some nice hot coals to the fire, and flip the wings over direct heat of the coals. You should hear them sizzle a bit. Without waiting, brush the wings with some of the Mutha Sauce or Hot BBQ Sauce, flip them again, and let them cook for about 4 minutes so that the heat can caramelize the sauce. Brush the wings again with sauce and flip them over to cook another 4 minutes on that side. Slather the wings with the sauce one last time to glaze them, and pull them off the grill as they’re finished.
Serve with bleu cheese for dipping, and plenty of napkins.