It would be sacrilegious to attend a tailgate without wings. But when you’re dining in a park lot and not a sports bar, you’ll need to tailor your recipe accordingly. So, for this installment of VICE TV’s The Cooking Show, our host Farideh Sadeghin brings on famed tailgating blogger (and practitioner), Tailgate Joe, to test out the perfect, travel-friendly, grilled chicken wing recipe — that won’t distract from the main event.
Servings: 2 Cooking time: 30 minutes
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INGREDIENTS
for the brine:
- ¾ cup|120 grams kosher salt
- 2 (12 ounces|375 ml) cans beer, preferably Pilsner-style lager
- 3 pounds|1.36 kg chicken wings
for the dry rub:
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
for the dipping sauce:
- 1 cup|225 grams Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons minced dill
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives, plus more for serving
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
to serve:
- 8 tablespoons|113 grams unsalted butter, melted
- lemon wedges
- Persian cucumbers, cut into wedges
DIRECTIONS
1. Brine the chicken: Dissolve the salt in the beer in a large bowl. Add the chicken and cover. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
2. Remove the chicken from the brine, discarding the brine. Place the chicken on a sheet tray fitted with a cooling rack and pat the chicken dry. Refrigerate at least 4 more hours, preferably overnight.
3. Make the dry rub: Mix all of the ingredients except for the oil together in a small bowl and set aside until ready to grill.
4. Make the dipping sauce: Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Grill the wings: Toss the wings with the oil, then sprinkle all over with the dry rub. Grill, flipping once, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the wing reads 165°F, about 15 minutes. Transfer the wings to a large bowl to rest for 10 minutes, then pour in the melted butter and toss to coat.
6. To serve, transfer the wings to a platter with the lemon wedges and cucumbers. Transfer the sauce to a small serving bowl and grind some black pepper over the top, then sprinkle the dip with chives. Have plenty of napkins nearby because this shit gets messy.
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