Celebrating Freedom … and Chicken Wings

Did you know that July 29 is National Chicken Wing Day? (We didn’t.) There’s very little as American as chicken wings; after all, the most famous variety hails from Buffalo, New York. If you want to make them even more American, you can substitute American wild game birds instead of chicken. If you want to be more American than Betsy Ross’ flag, you can use wild game birds you harvested yourself.

In honor of National Chicken Wing Day, as well as the 30^th anniversary of Hi Mountain Seasonings, the company is releasing a free cookbook just in time to celebrate America’s favorite snack. (You can download your free copy here.) This compilation of recipes and tips comes from real kitchens and real cooks who love wild game. Collected from Hi Mountain Seasonings employees and industry professionals, the recipe book includes easy and fast ways to create gourmet wings that will delight you and your guests (we recommend making a lot more than you think you’ll need). From spices and marinades to some incredibly delicious wing and dip recipes, it’s all here.

Creating a mouthwatering wing dish can be as simple as brushing olive oil and dusting the wings with one of the many Western Style Seasonings like Trail Dust and Cajun Cowboy. You can also prepare wings using a marinade, like Soy Ginger, Sweet Honey, Zesty Western or Buffalo Wings. Once marinated you can fry, smoke, grill or bake the wings. Just ensure that they hit 165 degrees internal temperature before you enjoy!

Here’s an example from Travis Ferguson, co-host of The Revolution with Jim and Trav, that we just can't wait to try These fajita wings are a departure from the traditional “buffalo” flavor, but deliver a crowd-pleasing, smoked, Tex-Mex flavor that you can’t walk away from.

INGREDIENTS:

4 pounds chicken wings, skin on

12 oz your favorite beer

1 lime

1⁄2 tbsp Cayenne Pepper

1⁄2 tbsp Salt

4 tbsp Sugar

Hi Mountain Seasonings Fajita Seasoning Wood chips, for smoking

2 large avocados

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise

Hi Mountain Western Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix

Hi Mountain Seasoning Guacamole Dip Mix

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix together beer, the juice of one lime, cayenne pepper, salt and sugar.

Stir together and add chicken wings to the mixture, tossing until well coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Remove from marinade, pat dry and season liberally with Hi Mountain Seasonings Fajita Seasoning, coating both sides.

Prepare grill/smoker, adding your favorite kind of wood for smoking. (We use apple and hickory.)

Heat to 225 degrees and place wings directly on grill grate in a single layer. •

Smoke the chicken wings for 1 hour or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove to a platter.

While the wings are smoking, combine the mashed avocados with the Hi Mountain Seasoning Guacamole Dip and the buttermilk and mayonnaise with the Hi Mountain Western Ranch Dressing & Dip.

Refrigerate both dips until you’re ready to serve.