Glazed grilled chicken wings on a white plate with scallion

Chef Darin Leonardson

Spit'n Fire Grilled Wings

Spit'n Fire is the top of the Mr. Popo's ladder and it is not a novelty. Used straight it will flatten a plate. Used on wings, where every piece has crisp skin and rendered fat behind it, the heat lands and then lets go. That is the whole reason wings are the right vehicle for it.

Dry the wings before they go anywhere near the grill. Wet skin steams instead of browning, and the glaze slides off skin that never crisped. Blot them bone dry with paper towels, then leave them uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator for a few hours if you have the time. The baking powder in the seasoning does the rest.

Two zones, always. Render them over indirect heat first so the fat under the skin melts out, then move them over the coals for the last stretch to blister the surface. Sauce goes on off the heat or in the final minute, never before, or you are grilling sugar.

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Dry the wings before they hit the grill
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Details

Appetizer

4 servings

6 wings

Ingredients

• 3 lb chicken wings, split into flats and drums
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp baking powder, not baking soda
• 2 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 3/4 cup Mr. Popo's Spit'n Fire BBQ Sauce
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• Wet skin will not take glaze — dry the wings

Instructions

1. Blot the wings completely dry. Toss with the salt, baking powder, pepper, garlic, and paprika.
2. Rack the wings on a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered 2 to 12 hours. Skip this only if you must.
3. Build a two-zone fire. Indirect side around 350°F.
4. Cook the wings on the indirect side, turning twice, 25 to 30 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the skin looks tight.
5. Move them over direct heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning often, until blistered and crisp. Watch for flare-ups.
6. Warm the Spit'n Fire with the honey and butter until it just loosens. Pull the wings into a bowl and toss off the heat.
7. Scatter scallion over the top and serve immediately, while the skin is still crisp.

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