SMOKED HONEY-MUSTARD CHICKEN WINGS

Smoked Honey-Mustard Chicken Wings image

Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King

Time 2h25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
6 medium chicken wings, cut at the joint
Freshly cracked black pepper
Tangy Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce, recipe follows
1 cup crushed salted pretzel sticks
1/2 cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
Freshly cracked black pepper

Steps:

Mix the sugar and salt with 8 cups (2 quarts) water in a large container until dissolved. Add the chicken wings and brine for 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerated.
Place the wood chips in a smoker box and place the smoker box directly on a burner on the grill, under the grate. Cover, turn the burner under the smoker box to high and heat until the chips start to smoke, 5 to 10 minutes. Once smoking, turn off that burner, turn the other burners to low and heat until the thermometer registers 275 degrees F.
Dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel and season with cracked black pepper. Add the chicken to the grill over the set burners, close the lid and smoke the wings, maintaining a grill temperature of 250 to 275 degrees F and turning the wings once, until the meat registers 165 to 170 degrees F, about 1 hour. Raise the set burners to medium high and sear both sides of the wings until golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Immediately toss the wings with some of the Tangy Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce, then sprinkle with the crushed pretzels to add some crunch and serve!
Mix together the yellow and stone-ground mustard, vinegar, honey, brown sugar, Worcestershire and granulated garlic. Season with plenty of freshly cracked pepper.