The Secrets to Finger-Lickin' Chicken Wings for Your Super Bowl Party

My youth was filled with football. My dad could be called an enthusiast, crazed fan of the game, lover of the pigskin. If he was home and awake, the game was on. He wasn't always standing next to the TV (which is how he prefers to watch  rather than sitting down), but he would be within earshot, poking his head over to watch the play when it sounded like something was happening.

The sounds of a football game are a part of my childhood, the play-by-play and the commentators' voices echoing through memories of building airplanes out of LEGO and drawing pictures at the dining room table. They're engrained to the point that I expect to hear my dad's feedback the minute I hear a football game on TV, his expressions of disgust or cheering as the clock ticks down.

Those memories tend to make me rather nostalgic come Super Bowl time, when even those who don't enjoy football as much as my dad find themselves gathering in living rooms to eat and watch the game, laughing, yelling, cheering together.

Chicken wings seem to be a Super Bowl staple for many, but they're often less than satisfactory when done at home. Here's the secret to a good, crispy wing that holds sauce well and will have fans alternate between cheering and licking their fingers, just as it should be on Super Bowl Sunday.

Finger-Lickin' Good Chicken Wings

The secret is easy: Grill first, then sauce. No broiling or oven-baked beauties will melt the fat into a crisp layer like a good grilling will. Put on your man pants and get out there to grill them.

3 pounds chicken wings

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

2 cups sauce of your choice

Add chicken wings to a large bowl or zip-top bag. Cover in oil, salt and pepper and stir or shake the bag to coat evenly. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the wings for 5 minutes on one side, flip and grill another 5 minutes and flip once more for a final 5 minutes of grilling.

Move wings to a foil pan off to the side of the grill. Pour sauce over and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce caramelizes slightly. Remove from the grill and serve warm.

Makes 3 pounds chicken wings.