Oregon Transplant: Saucy Asian Grilled Wings

I just love cooking on the grill. There's just something so summery about heating up that grill and roasting food to that perfect, crispy texture. The smells that waft through the backyard, the sun beating down on the ice cold brew that's inevitably been set within arms reach, the flames reaching up to lick the grub of choice... Life doesn't get much better!

The hubby and I look forward to summer grilling every year. We pretty much grill year round, but it's infinitely more enjoyable in the warm summer months. During the summer we can drag lawn chairs and Corona's outside, and gather round the barbecue whilst it does its thang'. One of our favorite items to throw on the grill is marinated meat. Marinated meat really holds its moisture during the cooking process. It's as if the marinade invades all those little tiny crevices that make up a piece of meat, and it stays there. The result is a super moist and flavorful piece of meat. So yummy!

When it comes to marinating, there is a time limit on how long you are supposed to leave the item marinating. I've read with chicken you can marinate it for as little as 2 hours to as long as 24 hours. There is a point where the meat texture gets weird if you leave it marinating for too long. It can also result in unwanted toughness, which is the completely opposite effect of why we marinate in the first place. Why am I bringing all this up? Well, I threw these wings in this marinade and then forgot about them for 2 days. Definitely way longer than anticipated. Or recommended.

Luckily, the meat didn't turn out tough! Whew.

I reserved the additional marinade, and ended up boiling it on the stove for 5 minutes before adding a pinch of cornstarch to it to thicken it up. We then used it to baste the wings, keeping them moist while grilling.

Holy moly, did these turn out amazing! The marinade was spot-on perfect. Perfectly savory, a touch spicy, and totally lip-smackin' good! I ended up searing some baby bok choy on the stove to serve with the wings, and those deliciously exotic vegetables were the perfect pairing. The cashiers at the grocery store always (seriously, every time!) ask me what the heck baby bok choy are when I buy them, but people- don't let this scare you at the store! I highly recommend bagging some up and taking them home. They are deliciously crunchy, and full of antioxidants and vitamins. Bok choy is also an excellent source of calcium. It's the perfect side dish for an Asian themed meal.

So, funny story. Those of you who follow the blog know I usually like to wrap up my posts with some anecdote about what's going in my life outside the kitchen before I share my recipes. So here's today's- the story of how Jessica got her car stuck in a ditch out in the country. We've got a family friend that lives not far from us. Far enough we drive, but seriously the friend is almost within seeing distance of our house. I've been checking on her dog at lunchtime this week, as my friend usually comes home at lunch to let the dog out, but can't this week. It's a long story. Anyhoo, the road she lives on is uber narrow. I was almost to the end of it when the UPS guy turns on to it. I inched my car over, trying to make room. Before I knew it, my tire slid off the road and must have sunk about a foot. I tried reverse. No luck. I tried drive. No luck. I was officially stuck. Unbelievably, I was about a quarter of a mile from a body shop. The UPS guy felt so bad he gave me a ride up there. The body shop guys felt so bad they pulled my poor wedged-in car out for free. No damage to the car. All turned out well. However, I've definitely learned not to get too close to the side of that road!

Happy Thursday friends! One more day till the weekend! :)

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

1 cup Coca Cola

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 1/2 lbs chicken wings

3 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

1. Combine Coca Cola through black pepper in a large Ziploc bag. Shake to combine. Add chicken wings. Seal and place in the fridge for 24 hours, turning occasionally.

2. Remove wings from fridge. Remove from marinade, reserving marinade. Pat wings dry, set aside.

3. Place marinade in large skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat, allow to boil for 3-5 minutes. Mix cornstarch in a small bowl with 3 tsp of water. Whisk cornstarch mix into marinade. Continue whisking over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

3. Preheat (gas) grill to high heat.

4. When grill is hot, put wings on grill. Grill for 2 minutes, then turn wings. Grill for another 2 minutes.

5. Turn top and bottom burners off. Turn middle burner to low. Continue to grill wings over indirect heat for another 20 minutes, basting with prepared sauce and turning occasionally.

6. Remove from heat. Allow wings to rest for 5-8 minutes before serving.

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