this can be anything: how you cook them, where you like to get them, good stories about them, etc.
so we've tried many things. i'll share my findings and hopefully help some of you out. and really hoping you good people have some ideas for me.
1. i've steamed them first (30/40 minutes). then bake. it gets some of the fat out so the idea is they get crispier. put in oven at 450 for around 45 minutes. does it work? sorta. but not perfect.
2. baking soda: i kind of liked this. however, wifey has a side baking business and she didn't like me using her supplies (during COVID, baking supplies are hard to come by). so the idea is you coat the wings in soda before baking and they should be crispier. did it work? it worked but didn't knock my socks off. there is a slight *off* taste. not a deal breaker but enough that makes me no want try it again.
3. smoker: now, when we went to the ACC championship game, my crew went to a BBQ joint. it was all wood fired. their wings were GREAT. i tried using my egg but it's kind of a pain (put in a bunch of wood chips). i have a large egg but you really can't fit too many wings on that. i used indirect heat. i couldn't keep the wings from sticking to the tray. kind of uneven cooking. if it was direct heat, they'd straight up burn. not the greatest situation.
4. fry: meh. i don't find it to be a great solution. just a standard fryer. fine, but nothing special.
5. grill (gas): once again you have a problem of sticking to the grill. or stick to the tray you put on top. i've tried it multiple ways and it's just sort of a pain. you pull the wing off and it breaks into two or whatever. no one wants that.
6. slow and low: bake for 2 hours at around 225. then you crank it to 450 for around 45 minutes. this has been the best so far. the kids love them. you have to pit oil on them a couple of times or again, you get the sticking issue. i've wanted to try using parchment in this situation but wifey has over-ruled me.
7. marinating: i've tried this multiple times and i'm convinced it's a useless endeavor. flavor never comes through. i've found that marinating chicken breast in balsamic vinaigrette actually DOES work really well. but i've not tried it on wings. seems a strange marinade for wings but maybe it works.
8. wings in maryland are shit. i seriously consider moving back to PA, simply for wings. and pizza/subs. maryland is a culinary desert outside of crabs.
so we've tried many things. i'll share my findings and hopefully help some of you out. and really hoping you good people have some ideas for me.
1. i've steamed them first (30/40 minutes). then bake. it gets some of the fat out so the idea is they get crispier. put in oven at 450 for around 45 minutes. does it work? sorta. but not perfect.
2. baking soda: i kind of liked this. however, wifey has a side baking business and she didn't like me using her supplies (during COVID, baking supplies are hard to come by). so the idea is you coat the wings in soda before baking and they should be crispier. did it work? it worked but didn't knock my socks off. there is a slight *off* taste. not a deal breaker but enough that makes me no want try it again.
3. smoker: now, when we went to the ACC championship game, my crew went to a BBQ joint. it was all wood fired. their wings were GREAT. i tried using my egg but it's kind of a pain (put in a bunch of wood chips). i have a large egg but you really can't fit too many wings on that. i used indirect heat. i couldn't keep the wings from sticking to the tray. kind of uneven cooking. if it was direct heat, they'd straight up burn. not the greatest situation.
4. fry: meh. i don't find it to be a great solution. just a standard fryer. fine, but nothing special.
5. grill (gas): once again you have a problem of sticking to the grill. or stick to the tray you put on top. i've tried it multiple ways and it's just sort of a pain. you pull the wing off and it breaks into two or whatever. no one wants that.
6. slow and low: bake for 2 hours at around 225. then you crank it to 450 for around 45 minutes. this has been the best so far. the kids love them. you have to pit oil on them a couple of times or again, you get the sticking issue. i've wanted to try using parchment in this situation but wifey has over-ruled me.
7. marinating: i've tried this multiple times and i'm convinced it's a useless endeavor. flavor never comes through. i've found that marinating chicken breast in balsamic vinaigrette actually DOES work really well. but i've not tried it on wings. seems a strange marinade for wings but maybe it works.
8. wings in maryland are shit. i seriously consider moving back to PA, simply for wings. and pizza/subs. maryland is a culinary desert outside of crabs.