Wings: How We Manage Temperature And Timing
To say I’ve always loved wings is an understatement. During both high school and college, my friends and I would go to the Wild Wing Cafe in Downtown Charleston, South Carolina, and order the sampler platter — 25 wings and five flavors. While I loved the variety, I always came back to the heat. I’m continuously searching for a great wing spot. Santa Monica, and Los Angeles in general, have a few places, but wings aren’t that “LA” so you are more likely to run into a matcha or sushi shop. Okay, fine, I do actually love a few sushi places around town. If you know a good wing spot, send it my way!
Like any dish, we all have our preferences. I do appreciate a good hot sauce on the side. There used to be a place called “Picasso’s” in Charlotte, North Carolina, that had a signature sauce that was basically pure chilis and red pepper — talk about "hurts so good"! But for me, a dry seasoned wing with the right amount of crispy skin is the right place to start.
One other thing - all of my recipes call out the need for a temperature check. Taking the wings off at exactly the right time is key. If you really know your oven or grill surface you can get the timing right without the check, but why mess around? In short, serve them immediately when they reach 155 degrees — they just aren’t as good after they cool off.
Temperature tools; I like a good instant read digital thermometer for spot checking internal temperatures. I’ll talk more about these in a gear post coming up! Also check out our recipes!
P.S. - I do not receive commissions on purchases from Amazon. :)