We've "stabilized" on a recipe and procedure for wings that I
thought I'd share with the group. We do them a number of ways, so
this isn't the only way we do them. OTOH, the result of this is
predictable and well received by the family as well as guests.

Use a couple family sized packs of the biggest wings you can get.
Cut them apart, discard the tips and then wash the heck out of
them. Place the wings into Foodsaver vacuum canisters, pour on
apple cider to cover, add a tbsp of onion powder and garlic powder
and place under a vacuum. Store them for >3-4 hours in the
refrigerator. . . or up to a day.

Remove, drain and discard the liquid.

Make a mop for the wings using 1/4 cup Franks or Crystal hot
sauce, 2 cups apple juice or cider, 1/4 cup of honey and 2 tbsp
each of garlic powder and onion powder plus 1 tbsp salt. Cook the
mop to reduce it by about 1/4 to 1/3 to make life easier mopping.

Preheat the grill to hot with the hood closed, then open it, spray
the grates with PAM, and immediately put on the wings. Cook them
about 5 minutes with the hood open, flip and cook another 5
minutes or so. Turn the burners down to LOW at this point. This
will give them a grill line and tighten/crisp up the skin a tad.
While the grill is cooling down, flip them another time or two to
keep things even. When the grill is cooled to around medium/low,
start painting the wings with the mop, using a natural bristle
paint brush or a silicone grilling one if you have it. Mop the
wings every 5 minutes or so, turning them every other time until
they're well coated and done to the bone. You'll probably remove
the smaller pieces earlier than the bigger ones.

The result will be pretty good wings that have a little bite or
twang when you eat them. They're not what you'd call "hot," in
the sense of spice, but there's just enough to make them
enjoyable. Besides, you can adjust it to taste later, when you do
it again.

One variable I've added occasionally is to COLD SMOKE the wings
after the vacuum marinade. They're still cold out of the
refrigerator, so over the hour of cold smoking, I don't worry
about spoilage. You can taste the smoke and while it's another
step and PITA to do, it's a pleasant addition to the flavor.

Wings from the smoker alone are gray and have rubber for skin if
you try cooking them. When I've done it that way, I found that a
brief excursion over the IR grill at close range crisps up the
skin and gives it some color. To do it, I use long tongs and
remove the grate. The individual wings are exposed to the heat
for about 30 seconds each maximum.

Enjoy.

--
Nonny

Government is the great fiction
through which everybody endeavors
to live at the expense of everybody else.