Chicken wings using the Home Made Mini-Vortex in the Jumbo Joe


 
R

Robert McGee

TVWBB Gold Member
The real test of my Home Made Mini-Vortex is with chicken wings. Here's my first run:



After thirty minutes:



Done and on the plate:



I really didn't have quite enough coals this first time. I suggest you load it up with 35-40 lit coals and it will more nearly approach the heat of the original Vortex. In fact, I suggest using your tongs to rearrange the coals if necessary to get all of them in, for best results, if you decide to try this. Personally, I am quite happy with the results.

Make no mistake, my primary "go to" Vortex will be the original, but my motives for adding additional cooking capability for a crowd have been met. This thing works quite well, thank you;).

Thanks for lookin', and,
Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
I agree 90% of the time I'll use the performer with the vortex, but it's nice to have the other option also. Wings look good, we don't do them because around here chicken thighs, legs, quarters run under a $1.00 a pound, wings are $8.99 a pound, not going to happen. When football season starts we've seen them as high as $12.99 a pound.
 
Not a wing fan but that is a great looking cook. The ARD (Vortex) has changed me to someone who now likes chicken. As Rich says, price does matter. When the local Albertsons has legs and thighs on sale for about 89 cents a pound for a package of 6 legs and 6 thighs, we buy at least 4 packs and freeze them. Even $1.29 is to much in my mind. Need to get a second refrigerator for the garage to get more freezer space and to use during prep for bigger cooks.
 
I agree whole heartedly! The price of wings is the dumbest thing on earth!
I have a feeling I might just be getting a Vortex for my birthday!
Bob, I just got rid of my second fridge, I do miss it for the extra freezer space and large feast prep holding area. Not for any extra beer though.
 
I do have a small mini fridge in my office in the garage but that is only for soda's and water. Won't work for anything else. Tim, our problem is our fridge is what they call counter depth so it is not very deep and when we got it my wife insisted on a side by side unit. I wanted the french door type with a full size freezer but SWMBO won out. That is why we are looking to get a refrigerator for the garage. After that , I might consider a separate freezer since when we see sales on meat it would be great to have enough room to store extra at the right price. Also, I don't have enough room to keep my 3 ice cream freezing tubs frozen for ready use. The funny thing is that it makes sense to have more storage room even though it is now just the two of us. When we see a sale we like to take advantage. Besides, with the current side by side fridge, there just is not enough room for prep work and larger size containers. It is interesting how you look at disicions on what you bought after living with them for a few years. My wife was just saying that she now would like granite countertops instead of the tile counters that we put in when we remodeled a 8 or 10 years ago. It should be said that she is the one that insisted on the tile instead of granite or a similar thing. What can you do.

Timothy F. Lewis said:
I agree whole heartedly! The price of wings is the dumbest thing on earth!
I have a feeling I might just be getting a Vortex for my birthday!
Bob, I just got rid of my second fridge, I do miss it for the extra freezer space and large feast prep holding area. Not for any extra beer though.
Click to expand...
 
Rich Dahl said:
I agree 90% of the time I'll use the performer with the vortex, but it's nice to have the other option also. Wings look good, we don't do them because around here chicken thighs, legs, quarters run under a $1.00 a pound, wings are $8.99 a pound, not going to happen. When football season starts we've seen them as high as $12.99 a pound.
Click to expand...

The chicken wings, here, run about $4-$6 a lb. Right now, as we speak, thighs and drumsticks run $.87 per pound. The Vortex (and the Mini-Vortex:eek:) does just fine with them, also. We do LOTS of chicken parts in this household.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Costco usually has wings for $2 to $3 dollars a pound. That's where I buy mine.
 
Pat G said:
Costco usually has wings for $2 to $3 dollars a pound. That's where I buy mine.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip we buy all our steaks, pork belly, ribs, hamburger there, never looked at the wings. I'll look into that tomorrow when we go to Costco. I could live with that once in a while but not $8.99 a pound.
 
Bob Ivey said:
I do have a small mini fridge in my office in the garage but that is only for soda's and water. Won't work for anything else. Tim, our problem is our fridge is what they call counter depth so it is not very deep and when we got it my wife insisted on a side by side unit. I wanted the french door type with a full size freezer but SWMBO won out. That is why we are looking to get a refrigerator for the garage. After that , I might consider a separate freezer since when we see sales on meat it would be great to have enough room to store extra at the right price. Also, I don't have enough room to keep my 3 ice cream freezing tubs frozen for ready use. The funny thing is that it makes sense to have more storage room even though it is now just the two of us. When we see a sale we like to take advantage. Besides, with the current side by side fridge, there just is not enough room for prep work and larger size containers. It is interesting how you look at disicions on what you bought after living with them for a few years. My wife was just saying that she now would like granite countertops instead of the tile counters that we put in when we remodeled a 8 or 10 years ago. It should be said that she is the one that insisted on the tile instead of granite or a similar thing. What can you do.
Click to expand...

Bob we went to a French door bottom freezer from a side by side ...I hate the thing! You have to open both doors to get into the veggie trays or the slide out. The bottom freezer is a pain to get anything out of it's like a chest freezer. Give me a good side by side anytime.

We also have a 15 cubic foot refrigerator and a 15 cubic foot vertical freezer in the garage both of those freezers are packed. We always take advantage of meat sales.
 
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The main problem for us is that the fridge is a counter depth so getting anything in that is a little bigger is a pain. We just bought 4 of Albertsons "picnic pacs" of chicken parts (6 drumsticks and 6 thighs and they won't fit in the freezer. I had to take each package apart and put them in 1 gallon freezer bags. Costco spares or whole packers have to be bent to fit and that only works if there is not to much in the way. It's a pain but that is why we are going to get a standard refrigerator for the garage and later a vertical freezer. Only way I can see it working. I agree that the vertical freezer is the way to go so you can see what is there. It is crazy doing this for just the two of us but in the long run is will save us money. Our daughter and grand daughter are staying with us for maybe six more months but they hardly impact the situation. Don't know if I want to try CL or just buy from a regular store since the main thing I am concerned about is energy use also. Decisions decisions.

Rich Dahl said:
Bob we went to a French door bottom freezer from a side by side ...I hate the thing! You have to open both doors to get into the veggie trays or the slide out. The bottom freezer is a pain to get anything out of it's like a chest freezer. Give me a good side by side anytime.

We also have a 15 cubic foot refrigerator and a 15 cubic foot vertical freezer in the garage both of those freezers are packed. We always take advantage of meat sales.
Click to expand...
 
Pat G said:
Costco usually has wings for $2 to $3 dollars a pound. That's where I buy mine.
Click to expand...

I just happened to be at our local Costco (Cincinnati, O) this A.M. They had fresh chicken wings (the two main parts, no tips) for $1.99 per lb. Even tho' that's twice what chicken parts are some times, I picked up a large pack with a smile on my face.

Thank you, Pat!

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
I'm debating a freezer for the garage, I do the same thing with meat sales! I saw a beautiful butt at the store for 1.49/lb. II had to take it twenty minutes away to get it in a freezer at my sister in laws! I have a "dorm size" fridge with some beverages in it too, not big enough for much of anything! 4 Fosters, maybe a dozen regular size cans. Not much fits in the freezer either!
Interesting side fact, it has NOT made my weekly foray to the grocery store any less costly!
 
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