Serves
Makes 8 to 12 servings
Ingredients
- For the Dry Rub:
- 2 tablespoons smoked Spanish pimenton
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 4 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 pounds chicken wings, each cut into two pieces at the joint, wing tips removed
- 1 cup dark brown ale
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup good quality barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste
- Homemade Ranch Dip for serving (recipe follows)
- For the Ranch Dip:
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Tabasco hot sauce, to taste (optional)
Procedure
These baked wings are layered with flavor from the spicy dry rub as well as the sauce spiked with dark ale. And forget the bottled ranch dressing when making your own at home is so easy and tasty. Make a couple of batches of these wings for your next game day party and watch them disappear.
To prepare the dry rub, combine dried spices and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl, whisking to combine. Toss wings in the spice mixture and arrange on wire racks set over rimmed baking sheets. Let wings sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Place the wings in a cold oven and set temperature for 275 degrees. Bake wings until fat begins to render and drip onto baking sheets, about 30 minutes.
Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees. Continue baking wings until golden brown and crispy, rotating the baking sheets and flipping the wings halfway through the cooking, about 20 to 25 minutes. If the wings are not crispy after 25 minutes, run them under the broiler until crispiness is achieved. Remove wings from oven and let cool slightly.
To prepare the sauce, pour ale, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and dark brown sugar into a medium saucepan, stirring well to combine. Heat over medium heat to a strong simmer and reduce sauce by half, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add Sriracha, if using.
To serve: Pour half the sauce around the edges of a large serving bowl. Add the wings and toss to coat, adding reserved sauce as necessary. Serve immediately with celery, carrots and Homemade Ranch Dip.
Homemade Ranch Dip: To take some of the bite out of the minced raw garlic, soak it in the lemon juice before adding the mixture to the dressing. To vary this recipe, you can replace the ground pepper with crushed peppercorns or stir in a few tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan. This dip works great for crudités, chicken wings, or as a salad dressing. Mix and refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving.
To make the dip, place lemon juice in a small mixing bowl or ramekin. Add minced garlic, stirring to combine. Let garlic mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, shallots, dill and chives in a medium mixing bowl, whisking to thoroughly combine. Add garlic mixture, whisking again. Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional lemon juice, and hot sauce if using.
