What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings

Chicken wings aren't just bar food – you can easily make these Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings in your own kitchen, and in the slow cooker, no less. The resulting wings are tasty and fall-off-the-bone tender. 

Though chicken wings are perhaps the quintessential bar food (heck, there are several restaurants in which "wings" features prominently in their name!), I have never actually eaten them in a bar. Though my college town did have a BW3s (aka, B-dubs), I think the only time I ever went there was with a group of friends during my senior year, and by that time I was two years into what would become a decade-long stint as a vegetarian. Ergo, no hot and spicy wings for me.

And even after I broke my vegetarian diet back around 2005, I rarely order meat at a restaurant, and bar wings are not particularly a draw for me. But I have made wings at home. Several years' back when we lived in Philly, I baked up some Buffalo wings for Dustin to enjoy during the Super Bowl.

However, I spied a package of organic chicken wings at the grocery store yesterday, and seeing as it was the only thawed chicken available, I decided to go for it. Rather than just wing it (ha ha!), I searched the Internet for a few options and came across a couple of recipes for slow cooker chicken wings. I switched a few things around, including significantly decreasing the sugar content, and the resulting recipe is quite delicious. After two hours in the slow cooker, these chicken wings are incredibly tender. A couple of minutes under the broiler crisps up the skin and caramelizes the sauce. Serve alongside extra sauce (and plenty of napkins), and you've got a winner of a meal. 

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings (printer-friendly version)
makes 2-4 servings

For the sauce:
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more to taste
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground aleppo pepper (or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 pounds chicken wings

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

1. Lightly coat the bottom of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the chicken wings in a single layer.
2. In a bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Pour the sauce over the chicken wings and spoon over the chicken to evenly coat both sides.
3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
4. After the cooking time is complete, mix together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in 1/4 cup water. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on high for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
5. Set the oven to broil. Carefully transfer the chicken wings to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the chicken begins to caramelize and lightly char.
6. Serve immediately with extra sauce on the side. And don't forget extra napkins!

What's For Dinner: Maple-Glazed Pork Chops

These Maple-Glazed Pork Chops are perfect for grilling out.

The return of summer also means a return to grilling. Of course, you can totally grill out any time of the year, but here in Northern Wisconsin it's not quite that fun to grill out when the temperature outside is subzero and there is a foot of snow on the ground. (Well, at least I am admittedly not hardy enough to withstand such temperatures; tailgating Green Bay Packers fans do so on a regular basis.)

Pork chops are a great option for grilling out. The key to delicious pork chops is a good marinade. And don't shortchange the marination period. I suggest marinating the meat for at least an hour, and up to overnight. If you like, prep extra marinade for brushing the meat while grilling; for food safety reasons, do not re-use the liquid the meat was marinating in.

These pork chops get a tasty sweet and savory flavor from a maple syrup-balsamic vinegar marinade. The marinade is super-simple, and as such, is open to as much embellishment as you'd like to add: fresh herbs or garlic would be a perfect place to start.

Maple-Glazed Pork Chops (printer-friendly version)
makes 4 servings

6 tablespoons maple syrup
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4-inch thick)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
2. Pour the marinade into a gallon-size plastic zippered bag. Add the pork chops, seal the bag closed, and gently turn to coat. Place the bag in the fridge and let the pork chops marinate for at least one hour, up to overnight.
3. Remove the pork chops from the bag and discard the marinade. Cook the pork chops on an oiled grill over medium heat for 13-17 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the chops from the grill when they reach 145 degrees. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

(adapted from this Taste of Home recipe)