Trying out new flavor combinations at home isn’t always successful; I don’t care what us food bloggers try and sale ya! For every recipe/photograph I post, there’s like five or six or ten or fifty that I don’t. Then, there are recipes like the Gochujang Honey Wings where most of it is successful, but part of it isn’t. The wings on their own were fantabulous, but then I had to go and get all extra and top them with a Cilantro Tahini I invented. Maybe not the best idea, since I’ve only had Tahini a few times, and always professionally prepared. Guess what? I don’t like tinned Tahini. It’s god awful bitter! The interwebs can’t agree if bitter Tahini is a good thing or not, but I’ve made up my mind already. Yuck! After painstakingly stirring the Sesame paste for nearly 20 minutes, I put the smallest of dabs on the tip of my tongue then instantly and unashamedly spit it out into the sink. I continued to rinse it out of my mouth as best I could. Not my cup of tea, but I thought, “what the heck? maybe it will taste better mixed in with more ingredients. Wrong! The tin is just sitting in the fridge now waiting for the expiration date so I can officially toss it out.

Do you like Tahini paste?

The interwebs can’t agree if Tahini is good bitter or not. The above link may help you decide, but as for me? No. No. And, no. So, this recipe is just for the wings, not the Cilantro Tahini sauce I paired with it, as I ended up wiping it off my wings. The wife proclaimed it delicious, but she is rather biased and is infamous for sparing feelings. Sometimes, it’s best to keep things simple, as these wings were so tasty they didn’t need any extra damn sauce.

Gochujang Honey Wings

Ingredients:

1 pkg good quality chicken wings

1 tbsp gochujang paste, or to taste (yes, it’s spicy!)

1 tbsp honey

1/4 tamari

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

In a mixing bowl, combine the gochujang, honey, tamari, liquid smoke, toasted sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Mix with a fork or whisk until a smooth sauce is formed. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired.

Add the chicken wings to a large storage bag or container and pour the sauce over the wings. Mix until the wings are thoroughly coated in the sauce then marry in the fridge three hours to overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350 F or prepare a charcoal grill. Cook the wings until an internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve immediately. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and fresh chopped cilantro, if desired.