The fantastic chicken wing — Alton Brown Style and Local Wingspots
Damn I love wings. My girlfriend and I are often out and about to different bars, taverns, holes in the walls, resturants, wherever, to try some new wings.
I have hopes of making my own, bad ass wings maybe for the super bowl. Spent some time today reviewing some data, mainly from my beloved alton brown.
Here’s what I’ve learned. I’m puttin’ this down on paper for future reference by me but someone else might benefit as well.
Alton’s cooking technique: Steam your wings and then bake.
This is from episode “EA1119: The Wing and I”
Steaming the wings reduces the built in fat with a wing and, in turn, eliminates the smoking that might be caused by baking wings at high temps. If you don’t steam first you’ll end up with a kitchen full of smoke from the fat coming off the wings.
Steam for 10 minutes, and then bake at 425 for 20 minutes for both sides. He says this seems like a long time for such small bits of meat but it’s fatty and has a lot of connective tissues in it so it’ll survive fine.
He uses a Cross Wire Cooling Rack Half Sheet Pan Size like this one from Amazon to keep the wings up and off the metal baking sheet because they’ll stick like crazy.
Other gadgetry includes a “Steaming Lotus” he constructs DIY style. Here are the plans for that. I’ve also read reviews that from a cost standpoint it’s a little off putting and it kinda sucks to have to store three of the same steamers. Instead others have used a steel collindar inside a pot.
He also uses a big ass stainless steel bowl that I wish I owned!
His recipe for buffalo wing sauce is the classic hot sauce + butter + lil’ garlic + some salt.
All this sounds delicious. If you aren’t up to the task but still looking to savor the flava you can find awesome wings (in my opinion) at the following spots around Erie:
#1) Avonia Tavern (Fairview, West Side) — the quintessential wing joint. I mean come on each table has a napkin dispenser and giant bottle of ranch. It’s wing ready, period. Their shirts say “Respect the wing”. I do. Get the Carolina Kickers, they rock.
#2) Copper Coin (Edinboro, South Side) — I don’t get here nearly as often as I’d like. While a little more college bar than some might like, especially on a weekend night while EUP is in session this place probably has Erie Counties best wings in my opinion. Dozens of flavors to choose from, great sized wings, top shelf. Try the Hawaiian BBQ.
#3) Chippers (Erie, East Side) — I never expected such fantastic food to come out of such a “hole in the wall” kinda place. Amazing wings. They have a house dip that is amazing as well and rivals ranch.
Those are my top 3… I’ve been other places, they’ve been good, but man these three joints consistently hit the spot. I’ve had hit or miss luck with other places or they’re in locations I don’t frequent too often.
For some other great ideas on local pizza and wings check out this blog, erie pizza and wings, which I read frequently.
