Jonathan and Justin Fox's chicken wings fly way above the rest. The Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q duo makes wings that are juicy and pleasantly chewy, and the meat has a beautiful, rosy tint—a tell-tale sign that a smoker was involved in their creation. The first move they make is to season them with a spicy rub, then smoke them low and slow, deep-fry them, and sauce 'em up. That’s some heavy lifting, but it's worth it. And you can get a similar result at home. Pick a lazy Sunday, skip the frying, and—boom—you’ve got superlative wings. Be thankful you’re only making a few though; every weekend at Fox Bros. they smoke 15,000. Here's how to cut that down a bit and pull it off at home:
For a charcoal grill, fill the chimney starter with charcoal; light and let burn until coals are covered with a thin layer of ash. Pour onto one side of grill. Arrange 3 chunks of wood or a handful of chips next to, not on top of, coals. Replace grate and cover grill, positioning vent on lid as far from heat source as possible.
For a gas grill, prepare grill for medium-low indirect heat, leaving one or two burners off. Place wood chips in smoker box and set over direct heat; cover grill.
Stick a probe thermometer through top vent if your grill has one. Heat until thermometer registers 275°, adjusting vents on bottom and top of grill or control knobs as needed to maintain temperature.
Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder, 1 teaspoon mustard powder, and 4 tsp. salt in a bowl. Place wings on a rimmed baking sheet; sprinkle both sides with rub. Let sit at room temperature until grill is ready.
Smoke wings over indirect heat, leaving a small gap between each wing so smoke can circulate well. Replenish the wood (and coals) as needed, until deeply browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165°. Let them smoke for 1½–2 hours (you don’t need to turn wings).
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and molasses and cook, stirring, until heated through; season with salt. You can use Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q Sauce for a true experience, or go for something that you're already familiar with. Whatever you chose, toss those smoked wings in it and serve them up to the masses. Or, maybe, just yourself.