talk to me about...wings

[bgaviator]

So I really want to get into smoking wings. My favorite wings come from a place here in Memphis, Central BBQ. They are a jerk wing. They are not sauced....just a good smoke flavor with a dry rub. I believe I read that they smoke them, then flash fry. I don't want to deal with a flash frying step.
I've been reading that cornstarch or aluminum free baking powder, tossed on the wings and left to air dry in the fridge overnight is good.
I have a Kamado Joe, and a lot of people seem to like to cook them indirect at a higher temp between 375-400.
My main question is about seasonings/rub. If I did the baking powder thing...would you also add some kind of rub at this point, or would you season just before the wings go on? Also, if you used a bbq type rub, which usually contains sugar, would it burn at these higher temps? If so, is there a good alternative seasoning to use that wouldn't burn? Thanks. Appreciate all tips/tricks.

 

[PoukieBear]

Yes, you can add seasoning to the corn starch, or do the seasoning and then the corn starch on top. (You don't need a lot)

Cooking wings at a higher temp wont allow for a lot of smoke flavour to come through. If you want a nice smokey wing, smoke it on low like you normally would, Then crank up the heat to get that nice crispy skin.

 

[daveomak]

I tried a recipe and liked it....
It is a simple recipe....
Mix Frank's Red Hot in melted butter... They said 50/50 but I figured that was a bit much for me so I went with an eyeball mix of about 10% Frank's...
Steam the wings about 5 minutes and check the temp... you want 165F ish...
Sous vide should work well for the food safety part here....
While warm/hot, brush on the butter-hot sauce mix.... The water in the butter and hot sauce should evaporate and leave a dry mix of stuff on the wings...
It's a unique hot wing and pretty good... The butter can be modified with garlic powder or any spice or herb...
Adding smoke with a smoker about 120F would be a good step also...

 

[gmc2003]

I'm a high heat sort of guy when it comes to smoking wings. I crank up the Weber kettle with the Vortex, all vents wide open, season the wings, drop a couple chunks of apple wood over the heat, and lay the wings around the outside edge of the kettle. 20 to 30 min. later the wings are done with the prefect hint of smoke for the wife and I. Sometimes I'll toss the wings in either Teriyaki sauce or a franks-n-butter mixture. As for prep. Besides the seasoning I only pat the wings dry with a paper towel.

Chris

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

I do the EXACT thing Chris does, and my wings turn out incredible. I do put a rub on them before grilling. I've tried tossing them in flour, baking powder, frying after grilling, etc. Too much trouble.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Put the Baking Powder first. Baking Powder raises the pH and enhances the Maillard Reaction, Browning of the skin. Add the seasoning and rest overnight in the refer, Uncovered to dry the skin. Smoke at 225 an hour or two than crank the heat to Crisp the skin. Cane Sugar begins to caramelize then burn at 320°F. So yes go easy on the sugar. Below is a bit of info on Dry Jerk Seasoning and a good Recipe...JJ

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

This Jamaican Jerk Seasoning blend is made right at home. Save your money and make your own with a kick from a blend of spices.

www.jocooks.com

 

[zwiller]

Add me to team high heat. To me the key is do it different days so it is not a PITA. Pretty that's how restaurants do it. Smoke one day and grill another. Some rubs taste better being applied after grilling and some better grilled. You have to experiment. Generally speaking applied after grilling is bolder and after milder but richer. I toss in a bowl with lid. Cool part is you can make a bunch of different rubs or sauces and try as many or as little wings as you want.

I normally run drumsticks since they are cheaper but same applies to wings. Pops low salt a few days, smoke on oak 275F to 200F IT. Cool a bit, container, and fridge. When serving, fire up grill med high, toss in rub, and sear until fragrant. Avoid store or commercial rubs as usually too salty.

 

[Teal101]

I just did a set and they came out great. Dried them all with paper towel, applied some baking powder to them then applied my rub and set them uncovered in the fridge for around 6-8hrs. Put on the smoker at 275 for 30 minutes, flipped them, then after another 30 minutes cranked heato to 350 and let them go for about 9 minutes, flipped and let go for another 3, and off. They were extremely crispy, plenty juicy, loads of flavor. This will be my go to recipe now.

 

[jcam222]

I’ve done wings before using Walker Woods wet rub. They were the BOMB!

 

[bregent]

I dust with baking powder, then rub, and let dry in fridge 8 hours or overnight. I smoke at ~425F the entire time. If doing them on the pellet grill they won't get much smoke flavor at that temp. But on charcoal with wood chunks they'll get plenty of smoke.

 

[sandyut]

I rub mine, let'em sit a while, then smoke at 180 (pellet grill that is high smoke) for a couple hours then 325 till crispy. I have done dry rubs, franks, a miso concoction, they all seem to turn out real good. With straight rub - a fair amount seems to fall off...so I have become more generous with the dry rubs on wings. but that takes some practice to keep from making them too salty. LOVE smoked wings.