If you've ever had the pleasure of eating at Husk in Charleston then you know what a true culinary mastermind Sean Brock is.

But if you haven't made it to Charleston (or you simply can't score a hard-to-come-by reservation), Brock's book Heritage (Artisan 2014) is filled with his mouth watering recipes including this one for grilled chicken wings with...wait for it...burnt-scallion barbecue sauce.

GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS WITH BURNT-SCALLION BARBECUE SAUCE

(from Heritage by Sean Brock)

Ingredients

Brine

8 cups water

¼ cup kosher salt

1 tablespoon sorghum

Sauce

10 scallions, trimmed

1 tablespoon peanut oil

Kosher salt

1 cup Husk BBQ Sauce (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon Bourbon Barrel Foods Bluegrass Soy Sauce

1 cup cilantro leaves  

Wings

6 chicken wings, cut into tips and drumettes

3 tablespoons green peanut oil

1 tablespoon Husk BBQ Rub (recipe follows)

¾ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green in equal parts)

½ cup dry-roasted peanuts, preferably Virginia peanuts, chopped

Equipment

1 pound hickory chips

Charcoal chimney starter

3 pounds charcoal

Kettle grill

 

For the brine: 

1. Combine the ingredients for the brine. I brine the wings using either a heavy-duty plastic bag that the wing tips can’t puncture or a Cryovac machine (you use a lot less brine this way). Place the wings in the brine and turn to cover well. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Soak the wood chips in water for a minimum of 30 minutes but preferably overnight. 

For the sauce: 

1. Toss the scallions in the peanut oil and season with salt. Lay them out on the grill rack and heavily char them on one side, about 8 minutes (the charred side should be black). Remove them from the grill and cool for about 5 minutes. Clean the grill rack if necessary.

2. Put the scallions and the remaining sauce ingredients in a blender and process until smooth, about 3 minutes. Set aside at room temperature.

For the wings:

1. Fill a chimney starter with 3 pounds hardwood charcoal, ignite the charcoal, and allow to burn until the coals are evenly lit and glowing. Distribute the coals in an even layer in the bottom of a kettle grill. Place the grill rack as close to the coals as possible. Drain the wings; discard the brine. Dry the wings with paper towels, toss in the peanut oil, and season with the BBQ rub.  

2. Place the wings in a single layer on the grill rack over the hot coals and grill until they don’t stick to the rack anymore, about 5 minutes. Turn the wings over and grill for 8 minutes more. Transfer the wings to a baking sheet.  

3. Drain the wood chips. Lift the rack from the grill and push the coals to one side. Place the wood chips on the coals and replace the rack. After about 2 minutes, place the wings in a single layer over the side of the grill where there are no coals. Place the lid on the grill, with the lid’s vents slightly open; the vents on the bottom of the grill should stay closed. Smoke the wings for 10 minutes. It’s important to monitor the airflow of the grill: keeping the lid’s vents slightly open allows a nice steady flow of subtle smoke.

4. Remove the wings from the grill, toss them in the sauce, and place them on a platter or in a serving pan. Top with the chopped scallions and peanuts and serve.

 

Husk BBQ Rub

Makes 2¼ cups

Not just for barbeque—you can use this on everything from roast chicken to ribs, pork shoulder, and beef.

Ingredients

1 cup smoked paprika

½ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup kosher salt

3 tablespoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons onion powder

3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

Instructions  

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Put in a jar and seal tightly. The rub will keep in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month.

 

Husk BBQ Sauce

Makes about 2 pints 

Ingredients

1 cup Pork Stock (recipe follows)

5 cups apple cider vinegar

5 tablespoons Husk BBQ Rub

1½ cups ketchup

Juice of ½ lemon

¼ cup packed brown sugar

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large stainless steel saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until it is reduced by half, about 30 minutes.

2. Ladle the sauce into two clean pint canning jars. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Tightly covered, the sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

 

Pork Stock

Makes 8 quarts

 Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil

10 pounds pork bones

4 gallons cold water

8 ounces quartered yellow onions

2 cups (8 ounces) 1-inch-thick slices peeled carrots

2 cups (8 ounces) ¼-inch-thick slices celery

10 garlic cloves

2 bunches flat-leaf parsley (8 ounces)

¼ cup whole black peppercorns

4 fresh bay leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  

2. Select a roasting pan large enough to hold the bones in one layer and put it in the oven to heat for 20 minutes. (Use two pans if necessary.) Add the oil to the pan and heat for about 30 seconds. Add the bones and toss them in the oil. Roast the bones, turning occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Transfer the bones to a large stockpot. Discard the fat from the roasting pan. Use a little of the water to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Pour the bits and liquid into the pot with the bones.

4. Add the remaining water and the rest of the ingredients to the pot and put the pot on one side of a burner set at medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil, skimming off any impurities that rise to the top, about 1 hour. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the stock for 12 hours, continuing to skim off any impurities; add more water if necessary to keep the ingredients covered.

5. Gently ladle the stock into a fine-mesh strainer set over a container. Do not press down on the solids, or you will cloud the stock. Discard the solids. Fill the sink with ice water. Place the container in the ice water and cool until chilled, about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate. Remove any fat that has solidified on the top before using.

6. Tightly covered, the stock will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Excerpted from Heritage by Sean Brock (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2014. Photographs by Peter Frank Edwards