Thursday, August 14, 2014

Two Shot Tequila Habanero Wings

National Mustard Day came and went a few weeks ago and we celebrated the pungent condiment with a mustard based feast.  The menu included

Two Shot Tequila Habenero Wings

Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Mango Mustard Slaw

Pulled Pork with Cleveland BBQ Sauce

Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

If you saw my cooking demo on WBIR this week or participated in my tweet-chat for Char-Broil's Rib Week today, you've already heard me talk about El Diablo Mustards.  I recently received a care package from our friends at El Diablo and that is what started this whole mustard binge.  

The mustard that bites back!

Holy smokes!  Did they load me up with some great varieties or what?  I had no problem putting them to use.  

My first weapon of choice was the El Diablo Habanero Mustard because I enjoy the flavor and heat of the fruity habanero.  I thought that they would be a tasty marinade for some wings as an appetizer.  Yes, "two shots" is the same as 1/4 cup, but I made this marinade using a shot glass so that's how it got named.


Two Shot Tequilia Habanero Wings
www.nibblemethis.com


Ingredients
  • 8 whole chicken wings (about 1 1/2 lbs)
  • two shots silver tequila 
  • two shots El Diablo Habanero Mustard
  • two shots fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 ounces vegetable oil
Instructions
  1. Mix together marinade ingredients in a gallon zip top bag.  Add wings, toss to coat, and marinate refrigerated for 6-8 hours.
  2. Remove the wings from the marinade and air dry in the fridge for 1 hour.  You can skip this step but it gives crispier skin.
  3. Preheat a grill to 350°F.  For a kamado grill (Grill Dome, BGE, etc), I set it up for a "raised direct" cook.  If your charcoal grill has an adjustable grate raise it up or if it has an adjustable charcoal tray, lower it.  This just gives you some distance from the flare ups that come with chicken fat rendering down into the coals.  
  4. Season the wings on both sides with salt and pepper.  No real amounts here, just sprinkle it to give a light coat on both sides.
  5. Grill the wings with the lid closed, flipping every 5-7 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 170°F.  Depending on the distance between the wings and your coal, this should be 20 to 30 minutes.
  6. Remove and serve.
This marinade has summer written all over it. The spicy Habanero mustard and tequila give it a pow!  Pow is not a technical culinary term but it is the perfect word for what this marinade delivers.


 You could also use 16 drummettes/wingettes for this recipe but I was feeling the whole wing vibe (i.e. I was too lazy to cut them up). 


If you are close to the flames, it will take a watchful eye and about 20 minutes to cook.  Here I am using the raised cooking grate and it took closer to 30 minutes to finish.



I definitely see why several of my friends were going on and on about El Diablo when we were at Memphis In May....back in May of course. It takes mustard from being a condiment and changes it into a premier ingredient.  

Coming up in my next post....
...recipes for all of this stuff!