Barbecue Journey with Dan ‘The Man’ — Strawberry-Jalapeno Chicken Wings

A few months ago, I made raspberry-honey mustard chicken wings. I wrote then, and I'll write it again now, chicken wings are incredibly receptive to sauces. If there is any sauce you like on any other dish, it will probably taste good on a chicken wing.

My palate has become so fixed on "the hotter the better" that when a sweet and sugary sauce is put on a wing, I immediately assume I won't like it. But when the heat of the spice -- be it jalapenos in this case, or Dijon mustard in the raspberry wings -- is cut by the sweet jam, something just works.

The sauce for strawberry-jalapeno chicken wings is the perfect marriage of sweet and spicy. First, the jalapenos hit your tongue. Then, the strawberry jam, which I picked up from Middlefield Orchard at the Oneonta Farmer's Market, immediately cools the heat. It's all finished by the deep flavor of Jack Daniel's whiskey. So far, this is the best chicken wing recipe from Dr. BBQ's "NFL Gameday Cookbook."

This is a sauce that you'll come back to time and again. I give this wing recipe a 9 out of 10.

Big Chuck Tries It

Here's what you'll need:

15 whole chicken wings

The Chicken Wing Rub:
2 tsp Chili Powder
2 Tbs Onion Powder
1 tsp Ground Cumin
2 Tbs Salt
2 Tbs Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 Tbs Paprika
1 tsp Lemon Pepper
2 Tbs Sugar in the Raw (I used Domino Washed Raw Cane Sugar)

Sauce:
1 cup strawberry jam (or strawberry preserves)
1/2 cup chopped pickled sliced jalapenos (from jar)
Juice of 1 lime
2 TBS Jack Daniel's whiskey

Directions

1. Make the Rub

Combine rub ingredients, mix and store in airtight container. (Not pictured below is the lemon pepper).

2. Prepare wings

Cut the tips of the wing and separate at the joint. Then season the wings with the chicken wing rub.

3. Grill wings

Grill on medium heat for 25 minutes, turning often, until wings are crispy and cooked through. (For baked wings, bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Turn wings and bake at 375 for another 30 minutes.)

TSM

4. Make sauce

In a small saucepan, warm jam, jalapeno and lime juice. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Jack Daniel's. When wings are finished, you may need to warm the sauce again.

TSM