Golden Mustard Wings

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, chunked (1/2 stick)
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup creole mustard or Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, to taste (or more, such as Tabasco or Texas Pete)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3-3 1/4 lbs chicken wings (or 2 3/4-3 pounds wing drummettes)

Directions

1. 1

   Prepare the marinade: Combine the ingredients with 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes. Add more hot sauce to taste, if desired. Let cool to room temperature.

2. 2

   With a cleaver or other large knife, remove the bony tips (good for making stock later) from the wing sections in a zippered plastic bag and pour about two-thirds of the marinade over them. Seal the bag, and toss back and forth to coat the wings. Refrigerate for at least several hours, preferably overnight. Cover and refrigerate the remaining marinade, to brush over the wings as they grill.

3. 3

   Fire up the grill, bringing the heat to medium (4-5 seconds with the hand test).

4. 4

   Grill the chicken wings uncovered for 12-14 minutes total. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turning to sear on all sides, then turn and brush occasionally with the sauce over the next 5 minutes of cooking. Let cook for the final couple of minutes without glazing, so that the skin crisps up a bit. When done, the chicken should be cooked through and the sauce lightly charred in a few spots and chewy in others. Serve warm, piled high on a colorful platter, as finger food.