Barbecue Journey with Dan ‘The Man’ — Peanut Butter and Jelly Chicken Wings

I can't eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without thinking of my father. He went decades having at least one PBJ a day. Always with white bread, too. With a diet Mountain Dew. And some Lays potato chips.

His personal computer gaming business is "Puzzles by Joe" (PBJ), and its tag line is "PBJs for Your Brain."

I tried, albeit briefly, a diet consisting of a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I was underweight in high school -- 6-feet tall and 145 pounds -- so I tried eating a PBJ with whole milk nightly in an effort to bulk up.

Is there a better staple of an American upbringing than a PBJ with a side of chips on a paper plate?

We learned by the age of 5 how to eliminate the soggy bread syndrome by spreading peanut butter on both slices of bread before adding the jelly.

We learned that if we slice and add bananas to the sandwich it becomes something divine. Grill that sandwich and we start lighting altar candles.

There is no better union than when peanut butter meets jelly. No, not even peanut butter and chocolate.

So why, then, does a menu item that includes a peanut butter and jelly sauce give us pause?

It toys with our core values. Peanut butter and jelly belongs on white bread with the crust cut off and nowhere else. Nowhere. So get this menu away from me; I'm never coming back.

I had this reaction, too, the first time I saw the legendary PBJ outside the confines of Wonder bread. It happened at Wing Night at Ithaca's now-closed Lehigh Valley Tap House. They served $0.25 wings in sauces like honey mustard, honey BBQ, medium, mild, hot, 911, atomic, golden and garbage. And peanut butter and jelly.

I never saw anyone get the PBJ wings. How dare they simultaneously ruin my entire upbringing by combining chicken wings with peanut butter and jelly. Disgusting.

drbbq.com/

I haven't come across the mythical PBJ chicken wing on a menu since. That is until Christmas 2012 when my Uncle Ed gave me Ray Lampe's book "Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings." On page 111 is the unassuming title "Peanut Butter and Jelly Chicken Wings."

Finally!

The recipe is actually quite simple. It's almost exactly what one would expect: Heat peanut butter with jelly and hot sauce, then toss with the hot chicken wings.

By heating the peanut butter, jelly and hot sauce together, a smooth, creamy, peanut buttery (nobody better lay a finger) sauce is created. And it is delicious by itself and on the chicken wings.

Just make sure plenty of paper towels are handy. This is like eating a warm peanut butter and jelly sandwich with no bread; It is a mess.

These are a great novelty for a party. However non-traditional, they are worth trying. I liked them quite a lot, but after the mess they made both on my hands, face and in the cooking pot, I don't think I'll make them again soon.

Overall, I give these chicken wings a 6 on my scale of 1-10. There are better wings to eat, but I'm glad I ate these.

Big Chuck Tries the Wings

Here's what you'll need:

Sauce:
Creamy Peanut Butter
Seedless Raspberry Jam (or any other seedless jelly/jam)
Splash of Hot Sauce

The Chicken Wing Rub:
Chili Powder
Onion Powder
Ground Cumin
Salt
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Black Pepper
Paprika
Sugar in the Raw (I used Domino Washed Raw Cane Sugar)

Directions:

1. Cut the tips off the wings and split them at the joint

2. Liberally season your wings with the dry rub

Let the wings sit for 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to four hours to allow them to soak in the spices in the dry rub.

3. Grill the wings

Grill until they are golden brown and cooked through (takes about 35 minutes in total).

4. While the wings grill, heat sauce

Mix jam, peanut butter and hot sauce in a small sauce pan. Heat on low and continuously stir until smooth, creamy and of a dark brown color. Keep warmed while chicken wings cook.

TSM