Wings, enough said. I never really ate wings until about a year ago–now I can’t get enough. I feel I need to make up for lost time. These wings are packed with flavor and the pineapple juice adds a bit of sweetness. Make these for friends and serve with cold beer.

Let the chicken sit in this beer/pineapple juice brine overnight. The longer the better. The red chili flakes there on top are Kochukaru: that’s crushed Korean red chile peppers.  It’s spicy like standard red pepper flakes but has a much different underlying flavor–it’s the secret to Kimchi and I like its earthiness. I recommend the brand Mother-In-Law’s sold here.  I keep the ginger in the mix the whole time. Once cooked, it will almost be candied. I used all three parts of the chicken: drums, flats, and wingtips. Some people want more meat, some crispy skin, so the mix is the way to go. You can split them yourself or ask your butcher to do so.You want them to be crisp on the outside. You are going to add a bit of sauce at the end so focus on the skin and keeping the chicken moist.Serve with fresh scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Make sure napkins are close by.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade
– 1 16 oz. can of Sapporo
– 2 Cups Pineapple Juice
– 1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar
– 2 Limes (Cut in half crosswise)
– 1 Tbsp. Chinese Five Spice
– 3 Tbsp. Kochukaru
– 2 tsp. Sea Salt
– 1 4 x 2 piece of Ginger (Peeled and sliced into small cylinders)
– 6 Cloves Garlic (Peeled & Smashed)

Wings
– 5 Lbs. Chicken Wings (Split into respective parts)
– 1/2 Cup Hoisin
– 1/4 Cup Teriyaki Sauce (I recommend Soy Vay Island Teriyaki Sauce)
– 1 Cup Brine Mixture
– Fresh Black Pepper

Toppings
– 1/2 Cup Scallions
– 2 Tbsp. Toasted Sesame Seeds
– 1/4 Cup Hoisin
– 1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
– 2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
– 3 Tbsp. Pineapple Juice

DIRECTIONS

1) Place chicken in a large mixing bowl. Then add slices of ginger and garlic cloves. Cover with beer, pineapple juice, and rice vinegar. Juice both limes into mixture and toss the leftover rinds in as well. Add Chinese Five Spice, Kochukaru, and Sea Salt. Mix all ingredients together. Cover and place in fridge to marinate for 12-24 hours.

2) Remove chicken from brine and place directly into a baking pan. Include pieces of ginger as well but no garlic.

3) In a mixing bowl, combine hoisin, teriyaki sauce, and leftover brine liquid. Mix well and pour over chicken. Sprinkle chicken with fresh ground black pepper. There should be a thin layer of liquid in your baking pan under the chicken, but the liquid should not cover the chicken pieces. Mix chicken well and make sure your pieces are in a uniform layer at the bottom of the baking pan.

4) Bake wings at 400 F for 50 minutes.

5) While wings are cooking place the hoisin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and pineapple juice in a small pan. Cook on medium heat for approximately 12 minutes until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from stove. Wash and dice scallions.

6) Remove wings from oven and place in a large serving container. Pour the warm wings sauce over wings and toss.

7) Top with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with cold beer.