In this Meat America episode, we visit Sugarfire Smokehouse in St. Louis, Missouri. Chef Mike Johnson shares how to make their award winning smashed burgers and his full recipe for crispy smoked and fried chicken wings covered in Buffa-Cue Sauce?!?! Sugarfire Smokehouse’s award winning smashed burgers were consistently voted the best in St. Louis for so many years, until Mike opened Hi Pointe Drive-In which is dedicated to high quality smashed burgers.
Sugarfire Smoked Wings Recipe
Begin with a brine of 1 gal water, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup salt
Make the brine and bring to a boil, then let cool
While you’re waiting for the brine to cool, break down the wings into drummies and flats (or leave whole if you prefer)
Place the wings in the cooled brine for 2 hours
Remove the wings from the brine and pat dry to allow the seasoning to stick
Apply “Chicken Out Chicken Salt” or your favorite bbq seasoning
Fire up your smoker with a 50/50 mixture of cherry and hickory wood
Heat the smoker to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and smoke the wings for 1.5-2 hours
Remove wings from the smoker
Flash fry in oil heated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 minute
Serve the wings with a mixture of half bbq sauce and half buffalo wing sauce – aka Buffacue Sauce!
Crispy Smoked Wings
Tips from Chef Mike Johnson
Remember, sauce your wings right before eating or serve sauce on the side. Saucing the wings too far in advance of serving will cause the chicken skin to become soft.
If you want an award winning crispy smashburger right at home, begin with a 4oz beef patty using a mixture of 50% chuck, 25% brisket, 25% short rib.
Too find your nearest Sugarfire Smokehouse location and read more about Mike Johnson’s culinary journey, visit their website.
Meat America is your guide to explore the methods and recipes for cooking meat in restaurants across America. In each episode, our host, Joey Brisket, will showcase experts – on location and in their restaurant kitchens- to educate, inspire, and entertain our hungry viewers! Follow the Meat America Podcast & Travel Cooking Show across the entire interwebs at MeatAmericaTV.com
Begin with a brine of 1 gal water, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup salt. Make the brine and bring to a boil, then let cool.
While you're waiting for the brine to cool, break down the wings into drummies and flats (or leave whole if you prefer).
Place the wings in the cooled brine for 2 hours. Remove the wings from the brine and pat dry to allow the seasoning to stick.
Apply "Chicken Out Chicken Salt" or your favorite bbq seasoning.
Fire up your smoker with a 50/50 mixture of cherry and hickory wood. Heat the smoker to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and smoke the wings for 1.5-2 hours. Remove wings from the smoker.
Flash fry in oil heated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 minute.
Serve the wings with a mixture of half bbq sauce and half buffalo wing sauce - aka Buffacue Sauce!
Remember, sauce your wings right before eating or serve sauce on the side. Saucing the wings too far in advance of serving will cause the chicken skin to become soft.
