What do limes, chickens and chile peppers have in common?
At first glance, not a hell of a lot.
Combine chicken wings, fresh lime juice and honest-to-goodness real chile powder in very carefully orchestrated proportions, however, and you’ll hold the magnum opus of grilled goodness in your very own hand.
Everyone agrees that the high ratio of flavorful, crisp skin to juicy dark meat makes the chicken wing an almost perfect food for the grill. Hell, they are the perfect food for the grill.
Throw in this flavor combination and it’s unbeatable. This just might be our new fav wing recipe, though that’s a tough call.
This recipe is so simple it’s almost like cheating, with one caveat.
No bland, supermarket brand, insipid chile powder may be used. You need to use the good stuff here. If you don’t have access to a good New Mexico or Texas brand (Gebhardt’s, Pendery’s, various local blends), make your own or order from a good supplier (we like Spices etc. out of Savannah for bulk spices).
You’ll be using a wet rub here – so plan for a few hours of marinade time to let the flavors fully develop.
1/2 cup or more ‘very good’ chile powder (we like more)
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 limes (fresh is better by far)
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chipotle chili powder2 dozen chicken wings
Make the rub. Piece of cake – mix all ingredients except the wings in a small bowl, combine until smooth and uniform.
Marinate the wings. Trim and wash the wings, pat dry. Place in a large bowl and pour the wet rub over them, stir to coat all wings well. Hold in the fridge for at least an hour (better if overnight).
Grill ‘em up. Heat the grill to medium heat, clean and oil the grate. Grill per routine for 20-25 minutes, turning often and watching carefully.
Enjoy.
Tags: Friday Feast
