How to cook a mess of wings, without flare-ups?

KiterTodd · May 2015

I was thinking of doing some wings for Memorial Day again this year. The results were stellar last year, the problem was as the fat dripped down on my foil wrapped plate setter, I had some flame issues. Some down below and some on the plate setter that would spring up when I opened the top and (I guess) back down when I closed it. Needless to say, I threw out some dead soldiers last year who took it for the team.

I have the AR this year so I was going to cooking two layers of wings at 350ish. I'd use the AR stone on the bottom instead of the plate setter. I have read people suggest that you can put a water pan in there with an air-gap, but I don't think I have room for that if I'm already setting up for two layers of meat. Plus I'll have to lift out the entire assembly to rotate the wings from lower to upper rack and if there is a water pan in the mix...we'll that's just plain a mess waiting to happen. Perhaps I'll just stick with one layer, the more I think about rotating wings the more I realize I don't want that job.

Could go better than last year as I had cooked the wings after a long rib cook. But, looking for tips all the same.

Thanks!

theyolksonyou · May 2015

Use a dry drip pan on the stone with some foil balls for an air gap. No water needed. Also, I sometime put a layer of salt in the pan to absorb some of the grease as it starts dripping.

nolaegghead · May 2015

Keep your vents closed down so there is not enough oxygen for the fat to flare up, but just enough to keep your temp.

theyolksonyou · May 2015

Or, with the AR you could do raised direct at a lower temp. Just have to flip more.

KiterTodd · May 2015

Thanks. Maybe I'll go with indirect at 300 or less. Wings cook quick and I'd rather not have to tend to them tooooo much during a party.

Last years ribs and wings were awesome, BUT, it did take more time than I cared for with wrapping ribs, saucing, slicing and then the wing inferno.

This year I'm making a pork shoulder ahead of time (day before or early AM) and then wings day-of.

THEBuckeye · May 2015

Try low and slow for a change-up. 250 indirect. Drip pan. Based on your rub/marinade can still get some crisp. Go for 2 1/2 hours and your friends will say they are the best wings they have EVER had.

bettysnephew · May 2015

Alton Brown did a recipe for Buffalo Wings in the home oven. To keep from smoking up the kitchen while baking the wings, he steamed them for ten minutes to render the fat. I did this once and finished on the Egg and they came out very good with little fat drippings. It actually worked rather well.

Nanook · May 2015

I would go indirect @400° with a shallow drip pan with course salt in it. No need to flip. Will come out nice and crispy.

Skiddymarker · May 2015

bettysnephew said:

Alton Brown did a recipe for Buffalo Wings in the home oven. To keep from smoking up the kitchen while baking the wings, he steamed them for ten minutes to render the fat. I did this once and finished on the Egg and they came out very good with little fat drippings. It actually worked rather well.

Not a bad idea when doing lots of wings. They are so fat laden, the steam or even a quick "blanch" will pull a ton of fat that otherwise might drip, out of them. We often steam or par boil when breading and deep frying, keeps the chicken fat in the fryer to a minimum. After the blanch or par boil, cooled in a colander.

For true BBQ, I like @Nanook set-up, indirect at 400º with an air gapped drip pan (with or without the salt).

SmokeyPitt · May 2015

All great suggestions. I have cooked chicken with nothing but a nekkid plate setter and I just kept the temp down a bit and there were no flare ups. I was cooking around 300-325.

Here is a vid from CGS and it looks like the stone is just loosely covered in foil, so I assume all the chicken grease is just running down into the fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvHPjLCsREw

DieselkW · May 2015

I make wings raised direct - keeps them out of the flare up zone, and if I want I can put a cast iron pan on the lower grate with an inch of oil in it to finish the wings in hot oil after drenching in seasoned flour to crisp them up.

KiterTodd · May 2015

DieselkW said:

...if I want I can put a cast iron pan on the lower grate with an inch of oil in it to finish the wings in hot oil after drenching in seasoned flour to crisp them up.

Damn! Now that's an idea! (not for this cook, too many wings)

fishlessman · May 2015

if you can find a basket you can do alot, this was 20 on a mini.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1159852/who-needs-an-xl

KiterTodd · May 2015

20? I can eat 20 without coming up for a beer. I meant a LOT of wings...

B&BKnox · May 2015

Go indirect at 390-400 using the 30-20-10 method (30 mins one side flip, 20 mins pull and dip in sauce and back on for 10 minutes. I use a PSwoo2 with plate setter and drip pan but AR would work set up indirect with drip pan if you have the sliding racks all the better.

mahenryak · May 2015

THEBuckeye said:

Try low and slow for a change-up. 250 indirect. Drip pan. Based on your rub/marinade can still get some crisp. Go for 2 1/2 hours and your friends will say they are the best wings they have EVER had.

@THEBuckeye do you finish over some high heat when you cook this way or not?

SkySaw · May 2015

The best wings I made were raised direct with a small fire at 275. The small fire increases the distance to the wings and reduces the amount of smoke from the fat. This would not require much attention, but you would have to cook in batches if you want to cook lots of wings.

Jeremiah · May 2015

I do my wings indirect at 300~. No issues, just flipping (which I enjoy).

fishlessman · May 2015

KiterTodd said:

20? I can eat 20 without coming up for a beer. I meant a LOT of wings...

thats in a mini, in a large with the right basket you would be looking at a few hundred wings

Aussie · May 2015

I did a heap recently , indirect at 380. I coated the wings with corn flour before throwing them on. The rendering fat turns the cornflour almost into a batter like texture. Pulled them off after checking with thermopen, 50 minutes cooking and coated them in Franks Hot sauce.
Awesome

Walt2015 · May 2015

I've gotten 36 whole wings on my large with an extra grid and did them 400-425 indirect then got direct for a few minutes at the end for a char on a few. No flare ups. Super crispy with only a few hours uncovered in fridge. I've done a spatch with same set up and no dry time in the fridge and gotten it crispy. I don't use may oil on the chickens before rubs though.

SGH · May 2015

KiterTodd said:

20? I can eat 20 without coming up for a beer. I meant a LOT of wings...

Seems that we have something in common my friend. I can eat 20 while I'm waiting on the main course to cook. I respect a man of large appetite.

jeroldharter · May 2015

You might consider a large drip pan, on foil balls, filled with cut potatoes and or carrots.

ads75 · May 2015

My drip pan and air gap maker

THEBuckeye · May 2015

mahenryak said:

THEBuckeye said:

Try low and slow for a change-up. 250 indirect. Drip pan. Based on your rub/marinade can still get some crisp. Go for 2 1/2 hours and your friends will say they are the best wings they have EVER had.

@THEBuckeye do you finish over some high heat when you cook this way or not?

This is how I cook Jerk Wings, low and slow, usually along with breasts and quarters and some pimento chips smoke. I don't finish these but I also will cook wings raised direct at 375 and after drying all day uncovered in the fridge they come out crispy and tender.

mahenryak · May 2015

^^Thank you^^

How to cook a mess of wings, without flare-ups?

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