Best Barbecue Wings —rsquo; When the Heat Transforms the Ordinary into Something Ceremonial

Late April. The book publication is five months away and the publisher has sent the promotional schedule: a reading at Powell's (Portland's legendary bookstore, the cathedral, the holy ground), a signing at Uwajimaya (because where else would I sign a book about Japanese food?), interviews with the Oregonian and Bon Appétit online and possibly — possibly — an essay in the New York Times food section. The word "possibly" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. The anxiety is doing even more.

I made miso-marinated grilled salmon — a summer-anticipating dish, salmon fillets marinated in white miso for twenty-four hours and then grilled, the miso forming a sweet, caramelized crust, the fish inside moist and flaky. Fumiko made this on special occasions — birthdays, holidays, the days when ordinary was not enough and the fish needed to be transformed into something ceremonial. The miso marinade is the transformation: plain salmon becomes something burnished and sweet and complex, the way plain Jen became something burnished and sweet and complex through seven years of practice and grief and the steady application of heat.

I wrote an essay for the Portland magazine about cooking for a parent with Parkinson's — about the specific act of bringing food to someone whose hands tremble, whose fork sometimes freezes in mid-air, whose dignity is being renegotiated daily by a disease that takes the small things first: the steady grip, the smooth sentence, the ability to button a shirt without assistance. The essay was about food as the one thing I can offer that does not require Ken to perform competence — the soup is in a bowl, the bowl is held in both hands, the shaking does not spill if the bowl is full enough. I fill the bowl to the brim. The brim is the love. The love prevents the spill.

The essay ran in the magazine's spring issue. Lin read it and texted: "This is the hardest thing you've ever written and the best thing you've ever written and I hate that those are the same thing." She is right. The hardest and the best are always the same thing. The depth is where the power lives. The depth costs something every time.

The miso salmon I made that April was Fumiko’s lesson in transformation — how the right heat, applied patiently, turns the plain into the ceremonial. When I want to carry that same spirit to the grill but cook for a crowd (a signing, a celebration, a table full of people who showed up), I reach for these barbecue wings: charred at the edges, lacquered and sticky, the kind of thing that asks nothing of its guests except that they lean in and eat. The fire does the same work here. The depth costs the same thing. It’s always worth it.

Best Barbecue Wings

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 lbs chicken wings, split at joints, tips discarded
• 1 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite brand or homemade)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Dry and season. Pat chicken wings thoroughly dry with paper towels — this is what allows the skin to crisp and caramelize. Toss wings in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne if using. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, or refrigerate uncovered for up to 4 hours.
2. Prepare the grill. Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high (about 400°F). Lightly oil the grates. If using charcoal, set up a two-zone fire with coals on one side so you have a hot zone and a cooler zone.
3. Grill the wings. Place wings on the grill over direct heat. Cook for 20–25 minutes total, turning every 5 minutes, until the skin is golden and beginning to char at the edges and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
4. Glaze with barbecue sauce. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, brush wings generously with barbecue sauce on both sides. Move wings to indirect heat if flare-ups occur. The sauce will thicken, darken, and caramelize into a lacquered crust — this is exactly what you want.
5. Rest and serve. Transfer wings to a platter and let rest 5 minutes. Brush with one final layer of barbecue sauce, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 620mg