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Don's Brined Hot Wings

Source of Recipe

Don Havranek


List of Ingredients

12 pounds chicken wings -- sectioned

BRINE:
* 1 gallon water
* 1/4 cup vinegar (white)
* 1 tablespoon pickling spice
* 1/2 teaspoon allspice
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 1 teaspoon celery salt
* 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon maple extract
* 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (or 2 chipotles - P.F.)

SAUCE:
* 1 stick butter
* 1 cup minced onion
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic, sautéed then added
* 1 cup canola oil
* 6 teaspoons chili powder
* 2 cups tomato juice
* 1 28 oz. bot. ketchup
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 8 oz. bottle Sunny Delight OJ
* 2 teaspoons Liquid Smoke
* 4 cubes chicken bouillon
* 1/2 cup dark molasses
* 1 teaspoon sage
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 4 tablespoons Belligerent Blaze pepper sauce
* 2 tablespoons Craig's "Hot" pepper sauce
* 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon MSG
* 2 teaspoons black pepper
* 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
* 1 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
* 1 cup bleu cheese dressing


Recipe

To make brine:
Dissolve the sugar and salt in the cold water. Add spices to the vinegar, bring to a boil and let cool. Add the Liquid Smoke (if using chiles, add at the beginning) to the brine.

For chicken wings:
Cut up chicken wings and discard tips or use for stock. Rinse pieces in cold water. Brine wing pieces for 4 hours in above brine solution. Remove wing pieces from brine and rinse in cold water. Pat dry on paper towels.

Make up sauce and add dressing and bleu cheese. Let sauce cool and pour over wing pieces. Mix well and allow wing pieces to marinate in a covered glass dish for 5-6 hours in refrigerator. Heat marinade to simmering and hold for 30 minutes.

Prepare smoker and put on wing pieces when grill rack is at 230F. Smoke for about 2 hours, basing with sauce every 30-45 minutes.

Serve with bleu cheese dressing.

Don's brine recipe can also be used for brining breasts, quarters or whole chickens or turkeys.