Korean-Style Chicken Wings

Suggested tweaks: You could add more spice to the wings by incorporating chile flakes into the marinade. And if you like this technique, you could use the mixture on a whole chicken as well (brush it on instead of tossing).
Reprinted with permission from Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook by Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot. Copyright 2013. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House. All rights reserved. Available wherever books are sold.

Ingredients

serves serves 4 to 6, active time 15 minutes, total time about 1 hour, plus overnight marinating time for the chicken

• 3 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking soda
• 1 3/4 teaspoons (10.5) grams fine sea salt
• 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms) whole chicken wings
• 1/4 cup (65 grams) tamari soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons (42 grams) apple juice
• 1 tablespoon (16 grams) honey
• 1 tablespoon (14 grams) rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (14 grams) toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon (2 grams) Korean red chile flakes
• 1 tablespoon (3.75 grams) toasted sesame seeds, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) grated fresh ginger
• 1 scallion, finely sliced

Procedures

1. Put the egg whites, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and stir to dissolve the salt and baking soda. Add the chicken wings and stir to coat evenly. Remove the wings from the bowl and lay them out on 2 wire racks, each set over a baking sheet. Refrigerate the wings uncovered overnight for them to dry out.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 450°F (235°C).
   
3. Put the wings, still on the racks on the baking sheets, into the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Flip the wings over and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the wings over again and bake until a deep golden brown with a crackling skin, about 10 more minutes. Take the pans out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
   
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, apple juice, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chile flakes, sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, and scallion.
   
5. Pile the wings on a serving platter and serve the sauce alongside.

Japanese-Style (Kewpie) Mayo

Special equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

serves Makes about 1 cup, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon malt vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon MSG powder (see note above)
• 1/2 teaspoon Japanese mustard powder
• 1/8 teaspoon hon-dashi powder (see note above)
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup vegetable oil

Procedures

1. In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, malt vinegar, salt, MSG, mustard powder, hon-dashi powder, and garlic powder until hon-dashi is completely dissolved.
   
2. Place vinegar mixture in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade along with the egg yolks. Pulse to combine.
   
3. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in vegetable oil in a thin, steady stream. Transfer mayonnaise to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Texas-Style Beef Short Ribs

Special equipment

Smoker or Grill

Ingredients

serves Serves 6 to 8, active time 20 minutes, total time 7 hours

• 1/4 cup coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder (optional)
• 2 racks beef short ribs, 4-bones each, 10- to 12-inches square, membrane removed and hard fat cap trimmed to 1/8 inch
• 3 to 4 chunks of a medium smoking wood, such as oak or hickory (see shopping link above)
• 2 large pieces of butcher paper
•  
• Type of fire: Indirect
• Grill heat: Low

Procedures

1. In a small bowl combine pepper, salt, and garlic powder (if using) to make the rub. Season ribs all over liberally with the rub.
   
2. Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F, adding chunks of smoking wood chunks (see shopping link above) when at temperature. When the wood is ignited and producing smoke, place the ribs in the smoker or grill, meat side up, and smoke until an instant read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the ribs.
   
3. Wrap each rack of ribs tightly in butcher paper and return to smoker. Continue cooking until an instant read thermometer registers 185°F when inserted into the thickest part of the ribs. There should be no resistance when inserting the thermometer into the meat.
   
4. Transfer ribs to an empty cooler and let rest for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to 3 hours. Slice ribs into individual bones and serve.