Red smoked chicken wings
Get ready for a finger-licking, smoky experience with Jess Pryles' Red Smoked Chicken Wings recipe. Packed with the vibrant flavours of the Hardcore Carnivore Red seasoning and bathed in a unique beer-based brine, these wings are a showstopper at any BBQ feast.
Ingredients
2.5 lb (1kg) whole chicken wings
4-6 tbsp Hardcore Carnivore Red seasoning
½ cup barbecue sauce (do not use if making dry rub wings)
For the Brine
24 oz (700ml) beer (preferably Lone Star)
1 cup water
¼ cup salt
¼ cup sugar
5-6 allspice berries
1 lemon, sliced
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp whole peppercorns
Method
1. In a saucepan, combine all brine ingredients and heat over medium flame until dissolved. Remove the brine from the heat and allow to cool. Place the chicken in a ziploc bag then pour over room-temperature brine. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
2. Preheat a smoker to run at 120°C/250°F We recommend hickory, oak or cherry wood for this recipe.
3. Remove the chicken from the brine, and discard the liquid. Rinse the chicken under cold water. Pat each wing dry using paper towel then arrange on a rack or tray.
Generously season on both sides with Hardcore Carnivore Red rub.
4. Place the wings into the smoker, bone side down. You'll keep them this way throughout the entire cook – if you turn them you will lose the crust you have been building up. Cook the wings until a thermometer registers 75°C/165°F at the thickest part of the meat.
5. If you want dry rub wings, your wings are ready. To turn them into a sauced wing, simply brush BBQ sauce across the top of each wing and continue to smoke for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has set.