By Late April and the route is a painting. Mr. Harding's azaleas on Barksdale — except Barksdale is no longer my route, hasn't been since the split, and I realize with a pang that I haven't seen Mr. Harding's azaleas in a year and a half. I asked Kevin, the new carrier, about Mr. Harding. Kevin said he's still there, still ninety-three, still collecting his own mail. I said, "Does he still say the thing about bone meal and stubbornness?" Kevin said, "Every week." I smiled. Mr. Harding endures. His azaleas endure. The route endures, even without me on half of it.
My remaining route has its own beauties. The Cooper-Young stretch is lovely in April, the dogwoods and the crepe myrtles and the old magnolias that have been here longer than any of us. I walk it slower now — not because of the knee (the cortisone and the brace are holding) but because I'm counting. Thirteen months until retirement. Fifty-six more walks through this April light. I am savoring the way a man savors the last bites of a meal he knows he won't have again.
Saturday I made smoked salmon — a departure, a Rosetta-influenced choice, a concession to the ongoing negotiation between my heart (which wants pork) and my arteries (which want to continue functioning). A side of salmon, brined in salt, brown sugar, and soy sauce for four hours, then smoked at 200 over alder wood chips (the first time I've used alder, which is the Pacific Northwest's answer to hickory) for three hours. Low temperature, gentle smoke, the fish emerging glazed and golden and flaking into pieces that taste like the ocean decided to visit a campfire. Rosetta ate three pieces and said nothing negative, which is the salmon equivalent of a five-star review.
The alder-smoked salmon was a victory of sorts — Rosetta’s silence being the highest praise she gives — but a man can only negotiate with his arteries for so long before Memphis reclaims him. The following Saturday, with the smoker still smelling faintly of that Pacific Northwest wood and thirteen months of Aprils ahead of me worth savoring, I let my heart win one. Bourbon BBQ Smoked Chicken Wings: low and slow, just like the salmon, but with a glaze that speaks the language I grew up on. Some routes you return to because they’re yours.
Bourbon BBQ Smoked Chicken Wings
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 2 hrs | Total Time: 2 hrs 20 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken wings, split at joints, tips removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Hickory or applewood chips, soaked 30 minutes
Instructions
- Prep the wings. Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels. Toss in olive oil to coat evenly.
- Make the dry rub. Combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the wings, coating thoroughly. Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the smoker.
- Prepare the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 225°F. Add soaked wood chips according to your smoker’s instructions. You want a steady, thin blue smoke — not billowing white.
- Make the bourbon BBQ glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine BBQ sauce, bourbon, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and simmer for 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Smoke the wings. Arrange wings in a single layer on smoker grates. Smoke at 225°F for 1 hour 30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F and the skin has taken on a deep mahogany color.
- Glaze and finish. Brush wings generously with the bourbon BBQ glaze. Increase smoker temperature to 375°F (or transfer wings to a 375°F grill or oven). Cook an additional 15–20 minutes, turning and glazing once more, until the sauce is caramelized and sticky and the internal temperature reads 165°F.
- Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Pass extra glaze on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 680mg