We’re recent wing aficionados, we admit it. But we know what we like, and we liked what we ate tonight. We liked the whole experience, from watching Yard Bird, the official fowl of the HBA, dance with some children to peeking into the tent where local celebrity judges were tallying the points. Kevin and I make a great team. I take the photos and jot the information, and Kevin tells me each wing’s flavor notes.
There were flavor notes aplenty. Some wings gave us varying degrees of vinegar and tang. In others we detected onion, tomato, citrus, and garlic. We had to leave before the competition results (best hot wing, best flavored wing, best overall) were announced (so someone will have to comment below). Kevin’s favorite turned out to be a toss-up between Kooter Brown’s and Route 66 Legendary Wings. Of Kooter Brown’s Kevin said, “The skin is crisp without being dry. When you get down to the meat, it’s really succulent.” From Legendary Wings we sampled their classic hot wing, which had perfect flavor and texture, “exactly what you expect from a wing,” Kevin said, and their “legendary” flavor, which was the one with notes of citrus within the spicy sauce. Wing Stop was also high on both our lists, not only because it’s the first place we ever had hot wings, but also because their wings have classic, well-balanced flavor. I loved the wings from Famous Dave’s; they’d been smoked before being doused in spicy barbecue sauce. Delicious. 
For all the restaurants that participated, thanks for the great food. If I can help your business begin or improve your online presence with kicking web content, please visit my site to see what I can do for you.
Do you have a favorite wing recipe of your own?
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's more of a technique than a recipe. Cutting the wings is fairly simple. Cut off the nubbins (wing tips) and freeze them to make stock some other time. With a sharp chef's knife, cut through the joint between the drummette and the flat of each wing.
ReplyDeleteFill a heavy Dutch oven with a few inches of oil, canola or peanut, and heat to 375 degrees. Fry wings in batches for about 8 minutes. Return the oil to 375 degrees between batches. Drain the cooked wings briefly on paper towels and then transfer them to a large bowl, in which you toss them with sauce.
To coat three pounds of wings, I melt 1/2 cup butter and add 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Frank's hot sauce, plus a splash of cider vinegar.
I have grilled the wings, as well. You just have to know your fire so that you don't char the skin before the meat cooks.
I hope that helps.
We sampled a number of different methods and sauces at the King of the Wing. The deep-fried, Buffalo-style hot sauce method Rachel describes is a variation on the classic style wings you'd order at your favorite "sports grille". However, the grilling method produces a delicious flavor too. One of the vendors at King of the Wing, also makes a smoked wing that was quite good. Rachel also had a garlic parmesan wing that was delicious. The key here is to experiment based upon your own tastes and see what strikes your fancy. The wings themselves, regardless of how you cook them, are a great tool for testing different flavors and sauces.
ReplyDelete