Memphis Mojo Rub™ Wings
Introduction
Hi, Papa Jeffro here. I wanted to get in on the fun for this week’s posting. After spending a few weeks celebrating the season of rebirth in our Magic Kitchen - Spring - it’s time to turn to the season of fun - Summer! Summer is a time for getting outside and gathering with friends and family to enjoy great food surrounded by the beauty of nature. Nothing captures that better than a good cookout. In Memphis, where I grew up, barbecue is a noun, not a verb. No self-respecting Memphian goes to a barbecue, they eat barbecue at a cookout.
Memphis is the home of the Memphis In May World Barbecue Championship. Coming from very humble beginnings almost 45 years ago on a vacant lot in Downtown Memphis, it has grown into one of the premiere events in the cooking world. If you like good barbecue and an even bigger party, I highly recommend you make the trip.
But aside from one weekend in May, Memphis has a rich history of really good barbecue. Kansas City, North Carolina, and Texas, along with other places on the map, all have their signature style and Memphis is no exception. I am not going to even hint at suggesting which town is the best; each of those notable places is the capital of their style or version of barbecue. I have always known Memphis to be famous for dry-rub pork ribs. No, those aren’t ribs that were cooked to death and taste worse than leather shoes. These are ribs that are so tasty and juicy, that you don't need to drown them in some overpowering sauce. That is not to say there is no sauce, but the spice rub and a proper rig or pit are the keys to a winning taste and texture. (I could write an entire piece on the hardware alone, so we will not touch on that here)
The World-famous Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, located in an unassuming back alley in Downtown Memphis, has been serving its signature ribs for 75 years and hosted celebrities and world leaders including a US president or two over that time. Many people equate the Rendezvous with Memphis barbecue, but The Bluff City has so much more to offer. The locals will tell you that the Rendezvous is for tourists. No disrespect at all to the Rendezvous, but if you want to sample some other quality Memphis `Bar-B-Q, they will tell you to check out Central BBQ, Corky’s, Neely’s, Tops, the BBQ Shop, or one of many hole-in-the-wall places that dish out their version of the succulent meat candy. Everyone has a favorite, and they each swear theirs is the best!
My father bought me my first grill, a Webber Kettle Grill when I was in my early 20s. Of course, I grilled up some steaks, burgers, and chicken, but it came with little fireboxes that I could place on each side of the grill and I quickly began my hand at indirect grilling. I tried different fuels like lump charcoal, wood chunks, and chips of all different wood types and played around with combinations of all of them. After a few years, and a few Kettles, I moved up to a drum grill. This was a big game changer for me, allowing me to try different meats and bigger cuts. Eventually, I added a sidecar smoker to the drum and it was off to the races. Having a separate chamber to hold the fire really makes a big difference. A couple of years ago, I upgraded to a vertical chamber smoker and again, upped my barbecue game. I can smoke about 15 racks of ribs or a couple of big pork butts, whole chickens, or a variety of them all.
I first started experimenting with dry rubs many years ago after years of using many of the fantastic blends offered for retail sale by my favorite local establishments. It’s not that they were bad, I just wanted to tweak the flavor profile. I wanted to bring my favorite flavors together in one blend. But there is one thing they all have lots of, that I wanted less or none of - processed sugar. “No added sugar” is a big priority in Mama Miche’s Magic Kitchen and on Papa Jeffro’s grill.
If you have ever smoked a cut of meat with a dry rub, you know that you need something to get the spices to stick on there. Like many folks, I use mustard because it's a great ‘glue’ and it helps the outside develop that yummy bark that keeps the juices inside. I prefer to use Coleman's mustard (in the tiny little jar) and a touch of some good honey mixed in for the little bit of sweetness that you really do need to balance the heat in the rub. Since I started using that combo on the cuts I smoke, I have had great results and my friends have always raved about the taste and juiciness of my pork, chicken, and beef, When our new Memphis Mojo Rub™ is released later this year, I highly recommend trying it with the honey mustard ‘glue’.
Today’s recipe is a very simple one. Chicken wings covered with Coleman’s mustard, honey and our Memphis Mojo Rub™ grilled over a direct open flame. It’s a great way to get the grill fired up for the first cookout of the summer! Enjoy
-Papa Jeffro
Tools
Sharp knife or cleaver
Cutting board
Mixing bowl
Measuring Spoon
Mixing Spoon
Grill tongs
Ingredients
Makes about 6 servings
3 lbs chicken wings
3 tbsp Colemans Mustard
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Memphis Mojo Rub™
1 cup barbeque sauce (optional)
Directions
Step 1
Place chicken wings in a large bowl. If needed, separate the drumette from the wingette. (I usually leave the tip attached to the wingette when I use whole wings)
Step 2
Combine the mustard and honey in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. If you need more just keep the ratio at about even. Adjust for sweeter or tangier by changing the ratio.
Stir the wings and the honey mustard mixture well to ensure it is evenly coated.
Add Memphis MoJo Rub™ to the mixing bowl and stir the ingredients together until all the pieces are covered with the rub.
Step 3
Heat the grill to medium heat. Before you start, I recommend wiping the grates with grapeseed or avocado oil to avoid sticking to the grates. Other oil will just burn off and leave an aftertaste on your food.
Place the wings on the grill, leaving a little room between them. Lower the lid, let cook for 5-7 minutes, and turn to cook for another 5-7 minutes. After their initial cooking on each side, turn pieces over frequently, moving them around on the grates to ensure even cooking. Do not cook them on high heat or let them sit on one side for too long or they will dry out and burn. Cook for 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.
Step 4
Remove from the grill, serve with your favorite dips or sauces, or eat them naked!
Notes:
Cooked properly, these will blacken a bit because of the natural sugars in the honey, but they are not burnt! Don’t worry! They will still be delicious. If you do not care for blackened, reduce the heat a bit and turn more frequently, but cook longer to ensure they are thoroughly cooked. Undercooked chicken is not good and possibly harmful to your health.
