Jan 30, 2019 5 min read

It is hard to believe that we’ll be eating 1.3 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday.

In the ’80s, when restaurants increased in popularity, we were stuffing the boneless breast with everything, so there was a surplus of wings. Restaurant owners adopted the buffalo style of cooking wings to get rid of these extra wings and also found it increased their drink sales. The early 1990s saw the Buffalo Bills go to the Super Bowl four times. This put a spotlight on the buffalo wing and launched them onto menus coast to coast.

With the rise in the popularity of chicken wings came the rise of prices. Twenty-five years ago, I was paying the same for boneless breasts and whole chickens as I do now. But since then, wing prices have tripled. When you eat 1.3 billion wings on Super Bowl Sunday, you need to find out what to do with the 660 million wingless chickens that are left.

There are several ways to cook wings. Of course, none of them is healthy. Because, you are cooking … wings. Grilling and smoking would be the more healthy way of cooking, followed by baking, with frying coming in last place. Taste-wise, I would go grilling first, then frying and baking last.

I like grilling because you impart the flavor of the grill and the umami of charbroiling. A little pre-flavoring with a dry rub is always a welcome idea. You want to preheat your grill to medium high. You can grill the wings whole or in sections. Both will take about the same amount of time. Wipe the grill with a little oil to keep the wings from sticking. You probably need 20 to 25 minutes to grill to 165 degrees (a thermometer is a good idea). Grill them 10 to 15 minutes on one side and eight to 12 minutes on the other. Some will take a little more time than others, so keep a burner off and set your wings on that area when done. If you are adding sauce after the grilling, the best way to get them coated is in a stainless steel mixing bowl, then serve.

The best part of baking it is not so labor-intensive, but the skin has a hard time getting as crispy as I like. My brother-in-law introduced me to the baking powder method of baking wings. Try to use powder without aluminum phosphate for a better flavor. Toss the wings in a tablespoon tossed with a little salt and pepper. Let sit an hour and prebake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn up to 400 degrees and bake another 35 minutes. The powder will pull the moisture out of the skin, and when baking it will be crispier. If you are bypassing the baking powder method, bake about 45 minutes in a 400-degree oven. When baking, you can put your sauce on when you start, in the middle or at the end. Rubs and marinades are welcome, too.

Frying is the traditional and original way to cook buffalo wings. I would recommend cooking the wings after they have been disjointed or separated into the wing and drumette. Frying in oil takes about 12 minutes; then toss in sauce and serve. I would not waste time with a dry rub before frying, but a marinade works. Be careful: The oil will splatter if marinade drips in it. Once wings are done, toss in desired sauce.

You may not be able to bring yourself to pay $2 a pound for wings. Check out legs (I saw 49 cents a pound recently) or breasts for boneless wings (twice the meat, and cheaper) as wing alternatives. Whatever you use, enjoy the game.

Simple Grilling Dry Rub

Ingredients

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoons salt

Cayenne pepper to your taste

Mix all ingredients. Coat two dozen wings with rub. Let sit an hour or so. Grill.

Chef Joe’s Buffalo Chicken Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup cayenne pepper sauce

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

6 cloves garlic minced or 2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons vinegar

Heat on stove until butter is melted, whisk together. Toss in wings.

Korean BBQ wing sauce

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons Korean chili paste (gochujang). If can’t find it, substitute siracha chili sauce.

Sesame seeds

2 stalks green onion

Mix together all ingredients except for sesame seeds and green onion. Toss 2/3 of the sauce with wings, reserving some for finishing. Bake in 400-degree oven for 45 minutes, turning halfway through, or grill for 25 minutes. When done, brush with more of the sauce and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.

Parmesan Ranch Wing Sauce

Ingredients

1 stick butter, melted

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons parsley

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 tablespoon dill

2 teaspoon vinegar

Mix dry ingredients, add in butter and vinegar. Toss in wings.

Chef Joe Carei has been an award-winning chef in Fayette County nearly half of his life. The former PA Restaurateur of the Year now operates Ellie Mae’s Catering and Food Clubs. He can be reached at joe@elliemaescatering.com.