Who doesn't love wings? Especially grilled wings. They are just the right size. Here's some ideas for great marinades and tips for barbecuing the wings.
For best results marinade in the refrigerator for at least two hours. The longer you marinade the better. I like to marinade in the morning for dinner. I use plastic containers but a bowl with plastic wrap on top will work.
Mix your ingredients in a large bowl. Place the wings in the bowl and turn them around. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or put in a plastic sealed container, and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Do not leave meat out. Please read my blog on Summer Food Safety
THICK ORIENTAL SAUCE
When I want a tasty thick, Oriental Sauce here's what I use:
The Oriental Sauces
Soya Sauce - I use this all the time in my cooking. You can find it in just about any supermarket. This is a kitchen essential. I use this as my base. It is salty so if you're not familiar with it, try it out first. It does make an excellent marinade just on its own.
Teriyaki Sauce - Similar to Soya Sauce its still brewed Soya but with a stronger flavor. I usually add just bit of this with the Soya Sauce.
Szechwan Sauce - A lot spicier than all the above sauces. I use it sparingly. Just a teaspoon or so.
Worchester Sauce - If you can't find Szechwan Sauce then this is a respectable alternative. Again use it sparingly it is strong.
Pizza Sauce Yes, you read that right. To make your marinade into a sweet and sour sauce try adding a tablespoon of Pizza Sauce. Those squeezable plastic bottles are a kitchen essential. I just love them.
Ginger It's the perfect spice with anything Oriental. I love ginger - so a tablespoon or more is great but you might not be that crazy about it.
Brown Sugar Its for the sweet part of the sweet and sour sauce. How much you put in is up to you. I've actually left this out and everyone still liked it.
Lemon Grass It has a delicate lemon flavor. Bang the grass and with a knife take out the marrow inside. Just a bit goes along way. Or you could just use lemon, up to you.
Beer Yes, beer, just a bit, goes a long way. It does go well with Chinese sauces. It's also a great marinade on its own.
CITRUS SAUCE
I love a nice tangy sauce. Citrus fruits and chicken are just perfect together. Add zest after you put on the marinade. Zest the fruit first before you juice it. You can use a small hand help grater or go out and invest in a zester. Glass manual juicers are probably the best or you could try one of those electrical kinds. Yes, you can use frozen concentrate but the juice of the real fruit is so much better.
Valencia Oranges The juice of one or two oranges should be enough of a marinade for around twelve wings especially if you add the zest.
Lemon The juice and zest of one small lemon or half a lemon (depending whether you like sour) just perks it up.
Lime goes so well with lemons but its stronger than lemons so just use half.
Ponzu Sauce it's yet another Soya based sauce. This one has a strong lemon flavor. If you are going to use it, then use less lemon. Around 1/3 cup should do it.
Tarragon, Basil these two herbs go so well with fruit. You can use fresh or dried. If you use fresh, chop it up. About a half a tablespoon of each should be enough.
Cumin or Nutmeg Both these spices go well with almost any dish but they are great with fruit, all you need is a pinch.
White Wine matches great with fruit, all you need is a quarter cup or less.
ON THE GRILL
You can either put them in a tin foil wrap on the grill or place them carefully vertically on top. It depends on if you want them moist of crunchy. I like them right on the grill but I have to be careful I don't lose any. Be careful turning them over. They cook in less than fifteen minutes and they'll disappear in that time!
Serve them with:
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