Vortex wings.

After my recent purchase of a 'Vortex' I thought it was a good time to test the kit and run a cook to see if it really makes any difference to crispy skin on chicken wings.

First to prepare the wings. Half of them I dusted with cornflour and mixed with Sriracha rub. (Hot wings). The other half had a good covering of smokey BBQ rub. Simply put all the ingredients into a freezer/sandwich bag and give it all a good shake.

It was a chilly March evening, but I got the coals well alight and glowing in the chimney starter and dumped them into the vortex.

A word of warning. This generated a lot of heat, more than I've experienced using baskets or grates. Putting a hand or arm accidentally over the top would surely result in serious injury so be careful.

The thermometer eventually read 550⁰F after only 5 mins.

Wings took only 25 mins with the lid on (turning and brushing with homemade BBQ sauce every 5 mins) and it was only 10 mins in until I noticed the skin bubbling and crackling up nicely.

The Verdict

The final result was definitely better. The meat was much more tender and the skin had more bite. The bones were clean on each demolished wing. 

After this test I'd say the vortex made a big difference, just a bit more care needed with temps over 550⁰F!