Hey folks! Been a long time since I posted. Almost as long since I smoked. Summer has been hell for me. I haven't seen too many weeks under 80 hours :(
So, last week was under 60 hours and I was stoked to be able to be home last weekend and do some cooking. Wings sounded great so I marinated wings overnight and tried to smoke them on Sunday.
The wings came from a value pak. Whole wings i "de-tipped" and split myself. I did half buffalo / half bbq.
Smoked according to susanminor times. They looked awfully dry on the outside when i took them out of the smoker. Put them on the grill at low temp to crisp up a bit and lather half of them with bbq. The other half i tossed in Frank's Buffalo.
They just weren't that good. The meat was super juicy, but the skin was horrible - thick, tough and just not appealing.
Help. My wife and I love wings. But, this just won't cut it.
When I smoke wings I set my smoker at 250 F with 2 hr Alder vent wide open then finish on the grill over med high heat turning often. Nice and crisp
2 hours with hickory vent 3/4. ???
I think a high heat finish on the grill is needed to fix the skin.
Poultry skin does not take well to low heat applications.
I think I am going to skin my wings next time.
FL nailed it, high heat on the grill will crisp them right up..That or if you have a BE, it does an excellent job as well!
C
I have done split chicken breasts and they came out pretty good right out of the smoker (the cat liked it). But, I'd go with FL too. I've heard too many people complain about the rubbery skin right out of the smoker. Just watch 'em real close on the grill, especially with a sugary sauce. So far, my preferred method is to deep fry them and then mix them up with homemade buffalo sauce.
Well shoot :D
I thought go low on the heat was a better idea to keep from burning the sauce, but higher heat to crisp the skin sounds more like the right idea.
I'll keep that in mind next time. Simple answers are hard to come by for me. ::)
Thanks!
I am going to do my next batch with maybe a simple no sugar rub.
Then onto the grill, unless I skin them.
Then into a zip bag with some Franks.
Like i said finish on the grill
Ditto..
I've done chicken drumsticks a couple times, and I just blast them on the gasser for a bit to crisp them up. They turn out great.
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_CbvAIVzmFFM/SmUgciN1DFI/AAAAAAAA43g/eRg968R3uAQ/s720/0720091942-00.jpg)
Thanks everyone. I feel silly, but I guess that's a small price to pay to get the food done right.
Quote from: jha1223 on September 15, 2009, 11:19:49 AM
Thanks everyone. I feel silly, but I guess that's a small price to pay to get the food done right.
I quit counting the number of times I feel silly.
I have learned a ton of info here.
I am on another board for another hobby and they are nearly as nice about it, trust me!
:D ;D :D ;)
Just my 2 cents here. After I d-tip them and half them, i trim off any excess skin around the edges of the wing and the drummies. I also finish on the grill.
Quote from: jha1223 on September 15, 2009, 11:19:49 AM
Thanks everyone. I feel silly, but I guess that's a small price to pay to get the food done right.
I was inside reading this forum while those chicken drumsticks were smoking away, that's how I knew I'd better crisp them on the grill!
I have one those days today when I am home in the AM and heading for meeting land in the PM
Got up and pulled a pack of free range wings from the freezer and they are now getting happy with some honey, garlic and maple syrup in a vac bag
The plan is to have the smoker warm when I get back, 2 hours in the smoker with Alder since I have not used it yet and then onto the grill for the crisp up.
I don't really care for the skin from my DBS either so this will be a crisp up task that usually works pretty good. A quick stop at the
corn farm on the way home, the guy runs his motorcycle into the field and picks it fresh and it should be a heck of a mid week dinner.
Sad part is his corn is probably finished before the end of the week and we will have to go back the picked it whenever stuff.
I have found that if I put the wings on the lowest rack, closest to the heat element, and cook at 220-225 for 3 hours they come out very good. Nice and crispy, but not too crispy. I have had the same problem as j1223 when placing the wings on the top racks, very bad texture.
Thanks you guys.
My son is having a party for his friends and he asked me to smoke some thing for them, so I decided to do wings (everybody loves wings right). While I have them marinating I came across this thread and now I know what I have to do to make my son proud; On the grill to crisp up after smoke.
Thanks Jha1223 for starting this tread.
HR
Batman, It is a game of experimenting until you hit the right way for you. Good Call.
I've been just leaving the wings in the smoker at 225°F for 3 hours until crisp for a normal load and up to 5 hours for a fully loaded smoker. I rotate the racks about every hour. My wife said she likes it better than on the grill.
John
I took some frozen pre-battered stuffed jalapeno's and smoke and crisped in the bradley and I won't fry or oven crisp them ever again. they were good. CRG