Wednesday, August 6, 2008

What happens when a chicken falls into a tar pit?


They say that some of the closest living relatives to dinosaurs are birds. This is not surprising to anyone who's ever kept chickens. They're not exactly the brightest of the bunch, and sometimes you wonder how they escaped extinction. Maybe it was because they were too darn tasty. The powers that be wouldn't allow nature to do away with such a succulent morsel. So yes, this is another chicken post - even though I rarely eat two chicken meals in a week. I guess I'm just a little bird-brained lately.

These wings are everything chicken wings should be, juicy, sticky and messy. You'll need a lot of napkins as you quickly realize why these are called tar pit wings. Inspired by a recipe in the Gourmet cookbook, these are classic Day-After-Thanksgiving finger food in my family, when I have to feed a lot of people but don't want to blow my budget or take a ton of time to do it. These should be served with other finger foods (tonight it's sweet potato fries and corn on the cob) and are perfect for Superbowl parties or other sports-based get-togethers. Plus, unlike buffalo wings - these require no extra fat!

Tar Pit Wings


4 lbs. chicken wings

1/2 cup naturally brewed soy sauce
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup good quality teriyaki sauce - I love SoyVay!
2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp siracha
1/4 cup orange blossom honey
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. To prepare chicken wings, snip off tip of wing (part with no meat) at the knuckle. Find the knuckle between the 2 boned part and the drumstick shaped part. Insert a knife into the groove between the bones, and carefully slice through (you shouldn't have to cut any bones - they should be popped apart by the knife.

Arrange wings in a large roasting pan so that they do not overlap. Pour liquids down over them, then sprinkle with sugar and seasonings. Bake for 45 minutes, then turn and bake another 60 minutes, or until wings are cooked well and sauce is sticky. Be careful not to burn the sauce - the last 15 min. check them frequently.


TIP: I can never use up the whole knob of ginger before it goes bad. Luckily, ginger freezes well and you can grate frozen ginger into dishes. Wrap well in plastic, then put in a freezer proof ziploc bag with the air squeezed out.

5 comments:

P said...

the tar pit sauce sounds fantastic! Have you tried it on Any veggies? Any suggestions? Thanks for the Ginger tip!!!

Anonymous said...

I literally was thinking about wings the other day as I came across a recipe for a coca-cola sauce. They look mighty good.

Beth (jamandcream) said...

They look sticky and wonderful - yummy

grace said...

i'll be honest--i don't like to gnaw meat off the bone. however, that list of ingredients and those pictures are causing me to have second thoughts. wowza. :)

Darwin said...

this sauce looks so wonderful, i think i have to try your recipe!

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