Grilled Buffalo Wings - Simply Recipes

Many years ago, when I was a cross-country runner in college on Long Island, our team had a Tuesday tradition: After an especially hard workout, we would go to a place called Big Barry's in Lake Grove and eat as many Buffalo BBQ wings as we possibly could.

Why Tuesday? That was the night when each wing cost only 13 cents.

The Best BBQ Wings of My Life

Now I've eaten thousands of Buffalo wings before and since, but none were like Big Barry's. I swear they had to be either roasted or grilled because Barry's wings were crisp and charred and very much not like those nasty, pallid fried things you get in most of the country.

Amazing what a slight difference in a cooking method can do for a humble dish.

I loved these BBQ wings. Loved them. So much so that one day, after an unusually tough workout (and not a few beers), I decided to pick up the gauntlet that Barry's threw down at every customer who walked in the door: Eat enough wings to get your name on the Plaque of Honor and your whole table eats free. No problemo, I thought.

How Many Grilled Chicken Wings Can You Eat?

Because Barry's wings were barbecued (or roasted, I was never sure), and they could be ordered with sauce on the side, I had routinely eaten dozens at a sitting. I started with 25 wings, which went down easy. Another few Pabst Blue Ribbons and I was on to my second 25. Again, easy-peasy.

It was the final 25 that got me. Mind you, as a cross country runner I weighed maybe 140 pounds. The last dude who got his name on the plaque was a fireman from Middle Island who was 6'7" and weighed four bills, easy.

I hit a wall when I got to 60 wings. At the urging of my teammates (screaming, more like, because they didn't want to pay their bar tab), I managed to choke down another 7 wings before I gave up.

Don't Eat 100 BBQ Wings, but Make Plenty

Did I make it? Not even close, the waitress said, smiling sweetly. "Good try, though, especially since you're so skinny, but you'd need to eat another 40 wings to get on the board."

The thought of eating another 40 wings made me want to hurl, so we paid up and left as soon as we could.

This grilled chicken wings recipe is as close to Big Barry's BBQ wings as I've been able to make. They go down real easy, so make more than you think you'll need. But I'd advise stopping before you hit 100, OK?