I only know of a few people that don't care for spicey buffalo wings, but as for me, I have a craving for them at least once every couple of weeks. I (we) have to thank the creativity of one Teressa Bellissimo at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York and her husband Frank for creating this dish out of necessity. There are different variations of the story that dates to 1964, but they all share the same idea that Teressa had a lot of wings left (usually used for stock) and a late night need to use them. She deep fried them and mixed some hot cayenne peppers sauce with melted butter and dressed them. Simplicity, I like it.

 So too is this recipe for grilled hot wings. I am not competing with any body, so please keep the competition breast thumping amongst yourselves (I almost typed pumping, that would have been hilarious).

 I start with a dozen cleaned wings (no, not as clean as the science picture to the right). I separate the Humerus from the Radius and Ulna at the elbow joint. I like to leave the remaining wing bits attached (the Metacarples, Alula, Manus and Phalanges) for the simple reason that it makes it easier to hold while eating and it serves as a vehicle for more sauce. Kind of like a meat popsicle (Ahem! You know what I mean). Although there is not much meat, there is at least some skin worth noshing there.

 I fire up the grill and let it run on high for about ten minutes, brush off any soot from my last culinary excursion there, and turn the heat to low. I place my wing pieces that have been tossed with spices and oil, onto the grill and turn occasionally. I like to make sure they don't burn, so I keep them moving around to different places on the grill. When they are about done, I keep the lid of my grill open and turn the heat to medium. This allows the moisture to leave the skin and crispen them up a bit more. They get clipped from the grill, and land in a bowl (Er, some fowl humor there... *clears throat*).

 I prepared a sauce ahead of time and pour that over the wings. Using the bowl toss method, I continuously flip the bird (*grins...clears throat again*). The wings, now evenly coated with a luscious and shiny sauce, nest on a plate with a side of ranch. Yeah, ranch. Because that's the way (a-ha, a-ha) I like it. I had some cucumber salad left over and it pairs quite well with this dish, so that's my side.

 The smell of the vinegar in the sauce sends olfactory pleasure sensations to my salivary glands awaiting the first bite. The spicey and tangy flavor fills my mouth with pepper and heat. The chicken has a slight smokey char that lets you know it has been grilled, not fried. The warm, sultry juices of the chicken trickle to the back of my mouth inducing a satisfying swallow. Cooling the slight burn with some cucumber and dill salad, I repeat my wing enjoyment until I am satiated.

 How ever you like your wings, I hope you view them as I do. Tasty Food Porn worthy vehicles of savory, spicey goodness. Although they couldn't carry a chicken very far, they sure carry a very special place in my heart, tastebuds, and stomach.

The Wings:

1. 12 (or so) Chicken wings, separated
2. 1 tbsp olive or canola oil
3. Garlic powder
4. Season All (r) or Lawry's Seasoned salt

Soak chicken wings in cold water for about 10 minutes. Strain and pat dry. Place into a bowl and drizzle oil over, then toss. Sprinkle a little seasoned salt and garlic powder over and toss again. Grill, bake or deep fry until desired doneness. (Wing-Tip from the chef: Oil them even if you're going to deep fry them. It prevents them from immediatly sticking to each other when the hit the hot frying oil.)

The Sauce:

1. 1/2 stick unsalted butter
2. 3/4 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's or Crystal hot sauce)
3. 1/4 cup ketchup
4. A pinch each of oregano, garlic powder, cumin and basil

Cook down in a sauce pot, stirring until slightly thickened over medium high heat. Pour enough over cooked chicken wings to toss and coat well. Reserve leftover for up to 3 weeks in the fridge, or freeze into ice cubes. Place ice cubes in zip-top bag and use in soup, sauces, or chili.