August_West
Conscience do cost
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2011
- Messages
- 51,438
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Hi my name is August_west and you may remember me from such annual classic Boneyard rants like:
“ thanksgiving is the worst food day of the year”
“ketchup is only for children “
“ only sociopaths think mayo and cold lobster is a better roll than hot and buttered”
“Arby’s is killing it”
Now I set my sights on Super Bowl Sunday . Where more bad food is served this side of Thanksgiving . Starting cooking at 9 am. No better time for my chicken wing rant!
And since wings are an actual mojo talisman here, it’s vital they are right.
Is there a better food example that started out so good on introduction 40 years ago, but has become so ubiquitous that pure mediocrity is not only now present but embraced? The plethora of bad chicken wings in this country is mind blowing and makes me real angry.
Because they are so simple to get right and make it an A+ eating experience. Why do people accept less?
Like everything else in life, it is simply attention to detail being the difference between dreck and killer.
let’s get it out there to the masses! You don’t have to settle for bad wings. I’ll lend my 40 years of frying experience to the cause ( my credentials include first being a cook and then manager at KFC in HS and college) … with my version of chicken wing 101: “attention to detail. I’ve been doing like this for decades and they are always peoples favorites anywhere I do them. (/humblebrag)
I want to help!
Right away let’s dispense with the idea that you can make these in an oven, grill, smoker, air fryer or anywhere else that doesn’t include bubbling oil! They may be cooked , theymay be good….. but for purposes of discussion it ain’t a “ chicken wing”!
Also let’s dispel the myth and hacks that they need the secret sprinkle of corn starch or baking soda or breading to be a perfectly crispy wing. They don’t , they just need an accurate thermometer and attention to detail. My wings don’t touch an outside influence until sauce ( or dry rub ) time . I’ve brined them before, don’t find it necessary.
so
1) fresh not frozen
2) dry the hell out of them before they touch oil.
That’s the prep. All of it.
Fry #1 ( pre cook)
1) oil 250 degrees ( use a thermometer!)
2) don’t over crowd
3) about 10-11 minutes or so at that temp
4) you are doing batches ( who makes just one batch of wings! ) make sure to let oil recover to 250 before next batch goes in !
After fry#1 batches are complete and drained , let ‘em cool . Hell they can even go in fridge if you are doing like I am today doing my precook at 9 am and finished product at 8 pm ish. Just make sure if they were stored in fridge , that you dry again ( condensation) before Fry#2.
Fry#2
1) I do use same oil as Fry#1. But I filter it through mesh and start with a fresh clean pot again
2) 385 degrees ( use a thermometer!)
3) wings in about 4 minutes or so. Watch them! because this fry#2 is about crispness and color, as these are mostly cooked through in fry#1. No worries in that end. You are now controlling crispness.
When they come out they are ready to eat! In fact if you are not eating these straight out of fryer ( after saucing / rubbing ) you are missing how sublime they can be. It’s when they are at their best. So that brings us to
Sauce/seasoning :
This is where I’m not a purist .
It doesn’t have to be Buffalo ( although it can and I love it) it can be anything. Because I just gave you the perfectly cooked vessel for carrying any flavor you can imagine or desire. My fiancées favorite is Garlic/pepper/Parmesan/butter.
The saucing/ rubbing is not about WHAT you put on it but HOW!
So you should be doing this within seconds of them being drained after fry.
Large bowl , wings , whatever sauce or rub you desire, mix uncovered . Uncovered is key. If you cover these up to shake them around you are also steaming the crispness out of them you worked so hard on doing the double low/high fry. That’s like putting a new haven pizza in a box and driving 30 minutes to eat at home. No bueno! You steamed out best part!
If it’s a sauce it’s just wings and sauce in that bowl for tossing . If it’s a dry rub I will add just enough hot frying oil ( or melted butter depending on rub flavor profile ) to get good rub adherence on tossing.
Next step? Eat until you pass out
Simple stuff. Just do it right!
Have a great super bowl Sunday.
“ thanksgiving is the worst food day of the year”
“ketchup is only for children “
“ only sociopaths think mayo and cold lobster is a better roll than hot and buttered”
“Arby’s is killing it”
Now I set my sights on Super Bowl Sunday . Where more bad food is served this side of Thanksgiving . Starting cooking at 9 am. No better time for my chicken wing rant!
And since wings are an actual mojo talisman here, it’s vital they are right.
Is there a better food example that started out so good on introduction 40 years ago, but has become so ubiquitous that pure mediocrity is not only now present but embraced? The plethora of bad chicken wings in this country is mind blowing and makes me real angry.
Because they are so simple to get right and make it an A+ eating experience. Why do people accept less?
Like everything else in life, it is simply attention to detail being the difference between dreck and killer.
let’s get it out there to the masses! You don’t have to settle for bad wings. I’ll lend my 40 years of frying experience to the cause ( my credentials include first being a cook and then manager at KFC in HS and college) … with my version of chicken wing 101: “attention to detail. I’ve been doing like this for decades and they are always peoples favorites anywhere I do them. (/humblebrag)
I want to help!
Right away let’s dispense with the idea that you can make these in an oven, grill, smoker, air fryer or anywhere else that doesn’t include bubbling oil! They may be cooked , theymay be good….. but for purposes of discussion it ain’t a “ chicken wing”!
Also let’s dispel the myth and hacks that they need the secret sprinkle of corn starch or baking soda or breading to be a perfectly crispy wing. They don’t , they just need an accurate thermometer and attention to detail. My wings don’t touch an outside influence until sauce ( or dry rub ) time . I’ve brined them before, don’t find it necessary.
so
1) fresh not frozen
2) dry the hell out of them before they touch oil.
That’s the prep. All of it.
Fry #1 ( pre cook)
1) oil 250 degrees ( use a thermometer!)
2) don’t over crowd
3) about 10-11 minutes or so at that temp
4) you are doing batches ( who makes just one batch of wings! ) make sure to let oil recover to 250 before next batch goes in !
After fry#1 batches are complete and drained , let ‘em cool . Hell they can even go in fridge if you are doing like I am today doing my precook at 9 am and finished product at 8 pm ish. Just make sure if they were stored in fridge , that you dry again ( condensation) before Fry#2.
Fry#2
1) I do use same oil as Fry#1. But I filter it through mesh and start with a fresh clean pot again
2) 385 degrees ( use a thermometer!)
3) wings in about 4 minutes or so. Watch them! because this fry#2 is about crispness and color, as these are mostly cooked through in fry#1. No worries in that end. You are now controlling crispness.
When they come out they are ready to eat! In fact if you are not eating these straight out of fryer ( after saucing / rubbing ) you are missing how sublime they can be. It’s when they are at their best. So that brings us to
Sauce/seasoning :
This is where I’m not a purist .
It doesn’t have to be Buffalo ( although it can and I love it) it can be anything. Because I just gave you the perfectly cooked vessel for carrying any flavor you can imagine or desire. My fiancées favorite is Garlic/pepper/Parmesan/butter.
The saucing/ rubbing is not about WHAT you put on it but HOW!
So you should be doing this within seconds of them being drained after fry.
Large bowl , wings , whatever sauce or rub you desire, mix uncovered . Uncovered is key. If you cover these up to shake them around you are also steaming the crispness out of them you worked so hard on doing the double low/high fry. That’s like putting a new haven pizza in a box and driving 30 minutes to eat at home. No bueno! You steamed out best part!
If it’s a sauce it’s just wings and sauce in that bowl for tossing . If it’s a dry rub I will add just enough hot frying oil ( or melted butter depending on rub flavor profile ) to get good rub adherence on tossing.
Next step? Eat until you pass out
Simple stuff. Just do it right!
Have a great super bowl Sunday.
