The secret to getting crispy chicken wings on the grill

To take this barroom classic from the fryer to the grill we had to figure out how to handle the fat and connective tissue from the wings, which creates a problem as it drips into the fire.

To get crisp, well-rendered chicken wings with lightly charred skin, succulent, smoky meat and minimal flare-ups, we quick-brined the wings and tossed them in cornstarch and pepper. These steps helped the meat retain moisture and kept the wings from sticking to the grill.

We then cooked them right over a gentle medium-low fire. The moderate temperature minimized flare-ups and the direct heat accelerated the cooking process. Also, though we normally cook white chicken meat to 160 F, wings are chock-full of collagen, which begins to break down upwards of 170 F. Cooking the wings to 180 F produced meltingly tender wings.

These few minor adjustments gave us crispy, juicy chicken that made a great alternative to fried wings. We also developed several easy spice rubs to take the wings up a notch if you’re looking for some new flavor options.

Grilled chicken wings

 Makes: 24 wings
 Start to finish: 1 hour and 30 minutes
 If you buy whole wings, cut them into two pieces before brining. Don’t brine the wings for more than 30 minutes or they’ll be too salty.
 1/2 cup salt
 2 pounds chicken wings, wingtips discarded, trimmed
 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
 1 teaspoon pepper

Dissolve salt in two quarts cold water in large container. Prick chicken wings all over with fork. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Combine cornstarch and pepper in bowl. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer wings to large bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch mixture, tossing until evenly coated.

    For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter half filled with charcoal briquettes (three quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about five minutes.
    For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-low.
    Clean and oil cooking grate. Grill wings (covered if using gas), thicker skin side up, until browned on bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Flip chicken and grill until skin is crisp and lightly charred and meat registers 180 F, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for five to 10 minutes. Serve.

The foolproof way to grill sausages and onions together

Sausage and onions are a classic pairing that sounds tailor-made for the grill. But the reality is usually onions that are both crunchy and charred and sausages that either dried out or, even worse, catch fire.
We wanted a foolproof method for grilling sausages and onions simultaneously that would produce nicely browned links with juicy interiors and tender, caramelized onions.

Microwaving the onions, with a little thyme, salt, and pepper, for just four minutes jump-started the cooking process and allowed them to finish cooking evenly and thoroughly on the grill.

We adapted a ballpark technique, first cooking the meat with the onions away from direct heat in a disposable pan and then finishing the sausages directly over the flames.

Keeping the onions cooking on their own in the pan for an extra five to 10 minutes allowed the liquid to evaporate and the onions to caramelize to a deep golden brown while the sausages finished up brown and crisp on the grill.

Grilled sausages with onions
 Servings: 4
 Start to finish: 1 hour
 2 large onions, sliced thin
 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan
 8-12 sausage

For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (six quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about five minutes.

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.

Meanwhile, microwave onions, thyme, salt, and pepper in medium bowl, covered, until onions begin to soften and tips turn slightly translucent, four to six minutes, stirring once halfway through microwaving (be careful of steam). Transfer onions to disposable pan. Place sausages in single layer over onions and wrap pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Clean and oil cooking grate. Place disposable pan in center of grill, cover grill, and cook for 15 minutes. Move pan to 1 side of grill and carefully remove foil. Transfer sausages directly to grill and cook (covered if using gas) until golden brown on all sides, five to seven minutes.

Transfer sausages to serving platter and tent with foil. Cover grill and continue to cook onions, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and onions begin to brown, five to 10 minutes longer. Serve sausages, passing onions separately.

Chef’s note: This recipe will work with any raw, uncooked sausage. Serve the sausages as is or in toasted rolls.

Grill shrimp without drying them out or busting your budget 

Shrimp can turn from moist and juicy to rubbery and dry in the blink of an eye over the heat of a grill.
While grilling shrimp in their shells can shield them from the coals’ scorching heat, any seasonings you add are stripped off along with the shells when it’s time to eat. For juicy, boldly seasoned shrimp we decided to go with peeled shrimp and find a way to prevent them from drying out.

We seasoned the shrimp with salt, pepper, and sugar (to encourage browning) and set them over the hot side of a half-grill fire. This worked well with jumbo shrimp, but smaller shrimp overcooked before charring.
However, since jumbo shrimp cost quite a bit, we wanted a less expensive solution, so we created faux jumbo shrimp by cramming a skewer with several normal-size shrimp pressed tightly together.

The final step was to take the shrimp off the fire before they were completely cooked and finish cooking them in a heated sauce waiting on the cooler side of the grill; this final simmer infused them with bold flavor. The flavors of the sauce can easily be changed to taste; one variation is included here.

Grilled shrimp with spicy lemon-garlic sauce
    Servings: 4
    Start to finish: 45 minutes
    To fit all the shrimp on the cooking grate at once, you will need three 14-inch metal skewers. Serve with grilled bread.

Lemon-Garlic Sauce:
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
    1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    1 (10-inch) disposable aluminum pie pan
    1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

Shrimp:
    1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
    2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    Salt and pepper
    1/4 teaspoon sugar
    Lemon wedges

For the lemon-garlic sauce, combine butter, lemon juice, garlic, pepper flakes, and salt in disposable pan.
For the shrimp, pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread shrimp tightly onto three 14-inch metal skewers, alternating direction of heads and tails. Brush shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one side of each skewer evenly with sugar.

    For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about five minutes.
    For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to medium-low.

Clean cooking grate, then repeatedly brush grate with well-oiled paper towels until black and glossy, five to 10 times. Place disposable pan with sauce ingredients on hotter side of grill and cook until hot, one to three minutes; slide pan to cooler side of grill.

Place shrimp skewers, sugared side down, on hotter side of grill; use tongs to push shrimp together on skewers if they have separated. Cook shrimp until lightly charred on first side, four to five minutes. Flip skewers and cook until second side is pink and slightly translucent, one to two minutes.

Using potholder, carefully lift each skewer from grill and use tongs to slide shrimp off skewers and into pan with sauce. Toss shrimp and sauce to combine. Slide pan to hotter side of grill and cook, stirring, until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 30 seconds.

Stir in parsley. Transfer shrimp to platter and serve with lemon wedges.

 
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