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Australia

Australian Beer-Barbecued Wings

You’ll love the tangy, sweet-sour taste of these wings, which owe their uniqueness to a marinade flavored with Australian beer.


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Australian Beer-Barbecued Wings

Recipe Notes

  • Advance Prep: 4 hours for marinating the chicken wings
  • Yield: 12 wings
  • Method: Direct Grilling

Ingredients

For the chicken and marinade:

  • 12 whole chicken wings (21⁄2 to 3 pounds)
  • 1/4 cup peanut oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup Australian beer, such as Foster’s
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the barbecue sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup Australian beer, such as Foster’s
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Recipe Steps

Step 1: Prepare the chicken: Rinse the wings under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Make two or three deep slashes, to the bone, in the meaty part of each wing. Place the wings in a large nonreactive bowl and stir in the 1/4 cup of peanut oil, 1⁄4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce, 1⁄4 cup of beer, the salt, and the 1 teaspoon of pepper. Cover the wings and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 4 hours, turning the wings occasionally.

Step 2: Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue sauce: Heat the 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and hot pepper flakes and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onion and garlic are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ketchup, 1⁄3 cup of beer, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, mustard, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently until thick and richly flavored, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the barbecue sauce from the heat. Measure about 1 cup and set this aside for serving.

Step 3: Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high.

Step 4: When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Drain the wings and arrange them on the hot grate, pulling them open to expose as much skin as possible to the flames. Grill the wings, turning them several times with tongs, until the thicker wing sections are no longer pink near the bone, 12 to 16 minutes in all. Reduce the heat if the wings start to burn. Start brushing the wings with the barbecue sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Step 5: Transfer the wings to a serving platter. Brush them again with the sauce, and serve with the reserved sauce.