Poultry

Charcoal-Grilled Wings, Three Ways

The first cook on my new Millscale Yakitori II: three batches of wings (Bachan's, pickle-brined with Meat Church Fajita, and Kinder's Lemon Garlic) grilled over hot charcoal, with veggie skewers on the top rack.

Prep
20 minutes, plus 2–4 hours marinating
Cook
15–20 minutes
Total
About 3–4½ hours, including marinating
Yield
4–6 servings
Method
Grilled
Wood
Charcoal

Ingredients

Bachan's wings

Pickle-brined fajita wings

Lemon garlic wings

Veggie skewers

Grill

Instructions

  1. Marinate one batch of wings in Bachan's, and brine another in pickle juice, for 2–4 hours in the fridge.
  2. Rinse the pickle-brined wings, pat them dry and season with Meat Church Fajita. Toss the third batch in olive oil and Kinder's Lemon Garlic.
  3. Thread the mushrooms, peppers and onion onto skewers, brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Light a full chimney of charcoal. When the coals are glowing and ashed over, spread them under the lower grates.
  5. Put the wings on the lower grates over the coals and the veggie skewers on the upper rack.
  6. Flip and move the wings constantly so they char without burning, about 10–15 minutes.
  7. Pull the wings at 170–180°F in the thickest part. Turn the skewers a few times until the veggies are tender and charred.

Pitmaster Notes

  • Throw out any marinade or brine that touched raw chicken.
  • Raise the grates if the fire is too hot. It's easy to underestimate how hot the coals are.

Times and temps are my starting points. Every cooker and every cut runs a little different, so cook to temperature and feel, not the clock.