Bobby Flay- Throwdown this!

Who would of thought that “chefs” would become pop culture icons? Thanks to the Food Network, Rachel, Emerill, Bobby, and several other foodies are now celebrities.

Good or bad?

As much as many reality TV shows are now nothing more than brain-numbing exercises in self indulgency, there are a few shows, especially on the Food Network that remain entertaining (anyone remember Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet? Where would he of been  with a cable deal…and none of the other stuff) 

There is something about Iron Chef that is very entertaining. Even with the soon-to-be-very annoying Alton Brown (who was OK at first on his own show but now borders on serious lameness), Iron Chef is fun to watch.

Bobby Flay is another celebrity that approaches annoying, but hasn’t jumped the shark yet. He comes across as a cocky prima donna, and a bit over produced, but his Throwdown show isn’t bad.

The concept is actually terrific. Almost biblical (think David vs. the big guy).  Rocky-esque. Young Skywalker vs. the Death Star.

Inspiring.  In fact I want a piece of Bobby.  Do you hear me Bobby? Let’s throwdown on some wings. Anywhere, anytime.

If any of you know Bobby, forward this challenge to him! This middle-aged, midwesterner with a slowly expanding midsection can do a mean wing.

Bring it on Bobby boy!

Wings on the grill

Here is the step by step story of wings on the grill.

1. Buy quality wings, tips removed. (Go to a butcher or anfarmer’s market vendor)

2. Season with favorite rub. I use several commercial brands…no real favorite yet.

3. Create a hot fire. I use lump charcoal. Burns about 150 degrees hotter than briquettes. You need the heat to crisp the skin. Also, use indirect heat…creating a safe zone for the wings after the grilling stage.

4. Begin grilling. This is not for the feint hearted or multi-tasker. You need to be focused like a laser beam during this 15-20 minutes of grilling, turning, switching. You want the skin crisp, not burnt. Chicken skin burns easily and is very problematic for many folks to grill. (regarding skin…sorry, skinless chicken is not the most flavorful. OK for fajitas and sandwiches, but not much good for grilling.  This blog is not about eating healthy)

5. Once you have skin crisp- move off the coals. I use a tin foil landing pad, but you don’t need too. I then put the lid on and then basically turn the grill into an oven. About 45 minutes. Or more. I will check the wings out and place back on the coals to crisp as needed.

6. Create the sauce. I used Frank’s and Cherry Jam. I small bottle plus about 4 oz. of jam. I warmed in a pan to get the jam to blend.
7. Take off the grill and toss with the Cherry infused Franks and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I would rate this batch of wings a 7 on a scale of 1-10. Good. Not perfect. I would recommend a little more crisping on the grill. Perhaps add another 5 minutes to direct heat and another 10-15 minutes to indirect. Chicken is very subtle. It needs a lot of attention.