Featured by Lauren Scott w/ the Houston Dinner Club - Learn more about Lauren and her content at the links below!
Salsa Verde Ranch Wings
Original Recipe Credit: Homesick Texan
Serves 4
This recipe was originally found on the Homesick Texan blog, which is a great source for Texas-style cooking and recipes. We tweaked it by adding a bit of lime to the sauce, which gives it a little more brightness. The sauce is delicious, so feel free to double that recipe. We also recommend seasoning the wings before starting the recipe to help bring out the flavor. Serve with tortilla chips and a big batch of guacamole, and watch these babies disappear.
Ingredients
2-3 jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise, seeded (leave the white veins or some seeds if you want a
little more heat)
4 tomatillos, husked and cut in half
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup cilantro (stems and leaves)
1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of one lime, plus lime wedges, for serving
Pinch cayenne or red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Chicken wings (2-3 lbs)
Recipe
Salsa Verde Ranch Dressing:
Place the jalapeños, the tomatillos, and the garlic cloves in a sauce pan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 7-19 minutes, or until tomatillos have turned army-green in color and softened. With a slotted spoon, transfer the jalapeños, the tomatillos, and the garlic cloves to a food processor or blender. Add the cilantro and juice of one lime and blend until smooth. Add 1 tbsp of cooking water, if it needs more juice. Let cool for a few minutes. Transfer puree to a medium sized bowl and add yogurt, mayo, cumin, and cayenne, if using. Stir until well combined, and season to taste with salt, pepper, or other seasonings.
Wings:
Salt and pepper the wings in a food-safe storage container. Pour ¼ c. to ½ c. of salsa verde ranch over the wings and toss to coat. Cover and marinate for 1 hour. Allow wings to come to room temperature prior to cooking. To cook the wings, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil, and place wings in one, even layer on the sheet, working in batches as necessary. Turn on the broiler and move the rack about 6” from the heating element. Cook the wings for 8-10 minutes, until one side is browned and crisp. Remove from over, flip the wings, and baste with salsa verde ranch. Return to oven, and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes.
Remove from oven, and serve with additional lime wedges and sauce.
Pairing Suggestions:
Mexican Lager
Duchman Family Viognier
The BEST Texas Ranch Water
The BEST Texas Ranch Water
One (tall) serving
A traditional ranch water is a tequila and soda (preferably Topo Chico) with a squeeze of a lime or two.
While this a perfect summer beverage for the hot Texas summers, we think we have improved upon the original recipe by adding orange liquor, making it faintly reminiscent of a margarita. Paula’s Texas Orange is available at many liquor stores in Texas and is a Texan, wallet-friendly alternative to Cointreau (and just as tasty). As for the tequila, anything silver and 100% agave will do. We have used Sauza Blue Silver, Camarena, Espolón, 1800, and Herradura, and it goes down smoothly every time! Be warned, this drink packs a sneaky punch.
2 oz silver, 100% agave tequila
1 oz orange liquor (we like Paula’s Texas Orange)
A small bottle (6.5 oz) of Topo Chico, or other sparkling water
Juice of one lime
Lime slices, garnish
Add tequila, orange liquor, and juice of one lime to a highball glass or other tall glass (yeti mugs also work marvelously). Add ice to glass. Pour Topo Chico over ice. Give it a stir, and add a lime wedge to serve.
https://www.instagram.com/houstondinnerclub/
If you like food in Houston, you will like the Dinner Club. Monthly gatherings at different Houston eateries, plus a bit of everything in between.
Leave a comment