Dave's Hot Wings Recipe

1. Procure a package of wings, there are usually 12 wings in each pack.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Rinse, pat dry, and cut the wings at the joints. Discard the tips or save them for your doggie’s dinner.

   Note: I prefer to cut as much fat off as I can. It makes the chicken more crispy and much lower in fat. I discovered a really neat technique for this. What I do is to pinch a chunk of fatty skin between the flat side of the carving knive and the cutting board, and then sort of roll the wing part away. The skin just peels off. I don't completely remove all the skin because you do need a little bit or else the wings will be too dry. This is a much healthier way to prepare them.

4. Throw the pieces (24 ea) into a plastic bag with 1/3 cup of flour and shake to coat. Note that I don't use any salt or spices. I really hate salt, and I also prefer the flavor to come from the wing sauce not the baking coating.
5. Line a cookie sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. This foil has a thin coating of Teflon to keep food from sticking and it makes turning the wings much easier.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, turn and cook for another 20 minutes. If they're not quite crispy yet, then a final turn and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. The wings come out nice and crispy. Sauce options:
   • Option 1 - My preferred technique. Drizzle the sauce on each of the wing pieces in a shallow dish or plate, then flip them over and drizzle a bit more on the other side. Consume immediately, sopping up the sauce with the wings as you eat them.
   • Option 2 - Throw some hot sauce on them, but go easy or they’ll get too soggy. Once coated, you can let the wings rest for a few minutes and they will absorb the sauce and be almost dry on the outside again. I think this is the WingDome’s preparation method.
   • Option 3 - Serve the hot sauce on the side and dip the wings in it as you eat. This is an option for girly men who do not have the testicles to consume wings as God intended them to be eaten: you got what you get, and beg for no mercy.
8. For me, one serving is about 10 to 12 pieces. Serve cut celery with blue cheese and/or ranch dressing on the side. And maybe a nice frosty fermented barley beverage as well.

Alternative recipe

You can also use drumettes, which are more convenient since they don’t require any cutting. They're usually bigger and more meaty than the drumette portion of a regular wing, so you don't need as many pieces for each serving. There are usually 10 – 12 in a package and one serving, for me, is 5 or 6 pieces.

Sauces!

Hey, it's not about the wings. It's the sauce, amigo!

Below are two excellent lines of sauces I've been able to find so far. On the left are Frank's sauces, which seem to be a traditional favorite and available pretty much anywhere. On the right is the DefCon lineup, which is not widely distributed, but easy to order online.

Here's my personal ratings for these, and you can find other opinions in the links below.

The winner by far is DefCon sauces.

• DefCon 3 - Very mild and, like the rest of the line, superb flavor. Great for omelettes!
• DefCon 2 - Very excellent flavor. Not quite hot enough for me.
• DefCon 1 - Zowie! Not quite as nuclear as I was fearing, but it's got quite a nice nasty burn to it. Still, a tad more than I can take in its unadulterated state. It's an outstanding rush!
• DefCon Habby Horse - Not for wings, it just came in the sampler pack I bought. Pretty darn hot and I'm not sure what to do with it. It's an interesting combination of flash-bang horseradish hot and sneak-attack lingering habanero hot.
• DefCon DM-MKII (not shown) - "The Creator" has produced a limited second edition of his super fortified sauce called "Death Match". This stuff is in a totally different class of heat, and not intended to be used in it's pure form. I was fortunate to obtain a vial of this stuff and I must warn you that it will pop your skull. My best use for it so far is a dab on a plate of spaghetti. Like the other DefCon sauces, it comes on slow, then hits with a bang, and then lingers for about 30 minutes.

Frank's

Frank's is the next best alternative, and is widely and conveniently available.

• Franks Original - Meh! Not even suitable for a Bloody Mary.
• Frank's Buffalo Wing - A almost spicy enough, but it needs more flavor. They say you can make this yourself by mixing the Original sauce with butter. It makes me wonder because this seems a little spicier than the Original sauce.
• Frank's Xtra Hot - They should be ashamed of themselves. Hardly a tickle on my palate.

The bottom line is that I use a mix of 2 to 3 parts of DefCon #2 to 1 part of DefCon #1 for the perfect flavor and heat blend. Frank's Buffalo Wing sauce is a pretty good alternative for a change of pace once in a while.

Sauce Variations

One of the great things about chicken is that almost anything goes well with it. Here are some other hot wing ideas I've tried.

• Asian Hot Wings - Try some Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce for a change of pace. The rooster on the label is a clue that you must try this on your wings.
• More ideas to come.

Hot Links

No, I'm not talking about sausages. Here are some of the most excellent resources I've discovered in my quest for the ultimate wing recipe. I have worn my fingers to nubs surfing up this information just for you, dear reader.

How to make Buffalo Wings - If you need another opinion. But I stand behind my method.

DefCon Sauces - This is the STUFF! Yeah, the shipping may be a wee pricey, depending on your location (as it is from the East coast to here on the West coast), but this is the best you will ever find.

Frank's Sauces - Available in pretty much any grocery store. A good second choice to DefCon.

Anchor Bar Restaurant - Where the original Buffalo Wings were invented.

Wikipedia - Buffalo Wings

Last, but not least, my eternal gratitude to Pete for introducing me to this delightful delicacy!