March Madness Means Hot Wings

To me, nothing says March Madness like a sports bar full of fans cheering for their team, swilling pitchers of brew and slamming tons of wings.  Wings are as much a part of basketball as buzzer beating shots.  But as good as the traditional Buffalo style hot wing is there is always room for new interpretations.

I recently came up with two new wing sauce recipes that I think you’ll love for you March Madness wing-ding shindigs.

Honey-Chipotle Sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon Chipotle pepper powder
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a small sauce pan combine honey and coconut oil over low heat.  Once the coconut oil has melted whisk in the remaining ingredients.

Spicy Thai Sauce
1/4 cup Sriracha (Thai hot sauce)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon five spice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons crushed garlic

Stir together and you are ready to go.

Most hot wings are usually served with a dairy-based dipping sauce, like Bleu cheese dressing.  Capsaicin (the chemical that makes chilies hot) is fat soluble meaning that fats will break it down, meaning that it cools the fire in your mouth.  The same dipping sauce works for both of these recipes.

Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon lime juice

Stir and chill.  Sour cream is better for Latin flavors and yogurt for Asian but either will work for both.

Remember, if the burn of chilies is too much for you, DO NOT drink a soft drink.  Carbonated water binds the Capsaicin to your taste buds making it burn much worse and for a lot longer.  Go for a glass of milk instead.