I came away from the sriracha wings with one thought... I don't cook enough wings!!!
And while the sriracha wings were some of the best wings I've ever eaten, they leaned into the "everyday" - whereas these ones I'd reserve for entertaining, or a special occasion!
They're rich, they're sweet and savoury, and while I could've smashed the whole plate, they'll honestly be even better as part of a platter of different wings or a big BBQ spread.
For me the coffee rub works perfectly with the bourbon & maple, and it isn't like the rub is 100% coffee - mine had garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, paprika and cinnamon, so it's a pretty generalist rub beyond the coffee.
But if you really don't like coffee, the glaze will still work nicely with your favourite spicy rub for chicken.
Serves: 4 as a main dish, more as a side (makes enough sauce for 2kg chicken wings)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes (plus firelighting)
Ingredients
2kg chicken wings
50g Brew & Briskets from Norfolk Smoke Pit
150ml bourbon
150ml maple syrup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
Pinch of salt
Large knob of butter
Method
Get your wings processed, patted dry and generously covered in your rub - I did this a few hours before and left them uncovered in the fridge, but you can also do it while the BBQ comes up to temperature.
I used the bullseye method for these wings in my Weber, with two baskets of ripping hot coals in the middle of the BBQ and the central cooking grate removed, leaving just the outer ring.
Once the BBQ's up to temperature, get your wings on - I start with the thicker part of the drums towards the fire, where it's hotter. With this method, wings typically need one flip and a 180° turn, and around 15-20 minutes total cooking time, but times will vary so have a probe handy.
I used our holm oak charcoal for a super hot, stable burn and a sublte smoky flavour.
Once the wings are on, it's time to get started on your glaze.
Put the bourbon in a small pan over medium heat and let it simmer for a minute or two on its own, just to cook off the harsh alcohol edge. Then add the maple syrup, vinegar, mustard, and garlic, and reduce it down for around 10 minutes on a gentle simmer - don't let it boil!
Take it off the heat and stir through the butter - this will make the glaze glossier and give it a bit of balance.
Keep an eye on the wings, flipping when needed.
Remember, we want wings to finish somewhere around 80-85°C so they fall off the bone, but with this recipe we're going to glaze them for the final few minutes of cooking instead of saucing them once they're cooked.
You want to glaze when the wings hit around 75°C, giving you enough time to caramelise the glaze but not so long that the sugars in the maple syrup will burn.
Use a brush to glaze one side of the wings, then flip and glaze the other side and get your lid back down to finish cooking them through.
Keep some glaze back for drizzling over the wings when you serve them.
Be particularly careful if you're finishing the wings direct, it's really easy to take these too far and burn them.
Once the wings hit 80°C it's time to plate them up - get them on a plate or platter and pour the rest of your glaze all over them.
I don't think you can go wrong with some sesame seeds on any sticky wings but they're your wings, so it's your choice - you do you.
It feels like we're going down a little wing-shaped hole at the the moment - and I'm alright with that - so I'll see you with another one very soon.
Happy cooking everyone!
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