Now let’s get serious, with all respect due to my mother-in-law, this is not her recipe and she wouldn’t come within ten feet of these wings as she and most from her lineage have an aversion to spicy food. The name for this recipe comes from my preferred fermented chili paste—Mother In Law’s Gochujang Chile Paste (Extra Spicy). Even with the addition of this chili paste, these wings aren’t too spicy.
Mother In Law’s Korean Chicken Wings
Brine
- 3 quarts water
- 1 quart ice
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ lemon
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 6 peppercorns
Wings
- 20 chicken wings
- (2 small packages)
- ¼ — ½ cup olive oil
- Handful woodchips soaked in water for 30 minutes: apple or cherry
Sauce
- ¼ cup fermented Chili Paste
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated ginger
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 green onions thinly sliced (mostly greens)
Directions
- Make the sauce ahead of time (Can be done a day ahead). Place all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth and velvety.
- Start the brine by dissolving the salt and sugar in gently boiling water. When salt and sugar are dissolved, add the garlic, thyme, and lemon, and peppercorns.
- Place wings in plastic bag and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Many recipes call for longer time to brine—the soy-based sauce IS salty. Brining too long will make the wings too salty.
- Remove wings from brine, pat dry and brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Allow to come to room temperature (about 45 minutes)
- While you are waiting for the wings to get to room temperature, configure your smoker/grill for indirect heat at a temperature of 350-375 degrees. Just prior to adding the chicken, drain the woodchips and place them on the fire.
- When the wings are ready, place them on the smoker/grill. At 30 minutes check on the wings and flip them. They should have light grill marks and slight charring.
- Wings should be done at around 60-70 minutes.
- In the last 15 minutes of cooking, place the sauce in a saucepan, bring to a quick boil and then immediately reduce to a simmer. Stir frequently. You want to tighten up the sauce until it begins to reduce. Once it has begun to thicken, turn the heat off.
- Take the wings off the grill and let rest for 3-4 minutes.
- In a separate clean bowl, put about ¼ cup of the sauce in the bottom, and toss in the wings. Toss/shake the wings to cover with sauce. Reserve the remainder for dipping.
- To serve, place wings on a platter and sprinkle them with the green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Suggestions
To actually add a little zip to the sauce, I will add a 1/4 cup of Sriracha Hot Sauce. For me it’s easiest to make these on the Big Green Egg because the ConvEGGtor (heat deflector) allows for consistent indirect cooking at 375 degrees. If you are using a traditional charcoal grill, sear the wings over direct heat for 2 minutes a side, then move over to indirect heat. If they are not crisp enough for you, move them back to direct heat for another couple of minutes at finish time.
Brisket & Brawn 