Smoked Braised and Fried Wild Turkey Wings Recipe
If you leave the wings in the woods, you’re missing out on a great part of a wild turkey.
If you’re leaving your wild turkey wings in the woods or the trash can, you are wasting some really good eats. They may take a bit more work than the breast, legs and thighs, but the payoff is well worth a few extra minutes. Wild turkey wings see a lot of action, which means heavy muscle and lots of connective tissue. A long, slow and moist cooking process like braising works well to break down and tenderize the wing. Beer braising on a smoker is perfect. Not only does it break down the connective tissue, the smoke adds an extra layer of flavor.
But everyone knows the best chicken wings are deep fried. This recipe uses both cooking methods for smoky turkey wings with a crispy fried skin.
Serve the wings with traditional wing dipping sauces.
Start by prepping the wings. Separate the wings where they meet the body. Use a sharp knife to work down to the joint. Fold the wing back and detach the wing from the spine at the joint. The wing will look just like a giant version of its barnyard chicken cousin. Separate the second and third wing sections. Discard the wing tip or skin it out and save it for stock.
Dip the wing in hot water to make plucking easier.
Heat a pot of water to 150 degrees. Holding the long wing feathers, dip the wing in the hot water and swirl it around for 30 to 45 seconds. Try a couple of feathers to see if they pull easily from the meat. If they do, pluck the small feathers from the surface of the wing. Try pulling a single wing feather from the wing. If it releases easily, remove all of the larger wing feathers. If the wing feathers are reluctant to pull free, dip the wing back into the water for 30 more seconds. Careful not to overheat your water, anything over 175 will cook the skin of the wing and make it tear more easily during the plucking process.
INGREDIENTS
Wings from 4-5 wild turkeys, first and second sections, plucked and separated
12 ounces beer
12 ounces water
Salt and pepper
Spice rub blend
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
Buffalo sauce
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
2 sticks butter
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Place the wing sections in a disposable aluminum pan. Season well with salt and pepper. Pour in 12 ounces of beer and 12 ounces of water. Place the wings, uncovered, on your Traeger Grill at 225 degrees. Smoke for two hours.
Place the wings in an aluminum pan, season well with salt and pepper, and pour in a beer.
After two hours on smoke, flip the wings in the pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil and continue smoking for two more hours.
Before the wings finish smoking, mix the spice rub and set aside. Pull the pan from the smoker and pour off any remaining liquid. Coat wings well with spice rub.
Heat two inches of vegetable oil in a heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil reaches 340 to 350 degrees, drop in a few wings, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for 4 to 6 minutes until the skin is crisp. Remove the wings to a large covered bowl and fry the next batch.
After braising to tenderize, coat the wings in spice rub and deep fry.
As the wings fry, mix the sauce ingredients in a small pan. Heat to a heavy simmer/light boil. Once all wings have been fried, pour over the sauce and toss to coat. Serve with your favorite wing dipping sauces.
Pour the sauce over the fried wings and toss to coat.