Whether it’s or , you’re probably making the wrong decision first when thinking about which wing to eat.
Even before choosing flavours and how many to have, there’s an important consideration to address. You may have glazed over it at every kid's birthday party, family picnic or backyard barbecue that featured a tray of baked supermarket chicken wings – which do you pick: the tiny drumstick thing or the flat other bit?
The mini drum, as named by the , is sometimes referred to as a drumette, and is the joint between the chicken carcass and its ‘forearm’ – essentially the ‘upper arm’ of the chook.
This brings us to the ‘forearm’ part, which is known as the mid wing. It’s the connector between the mini drum and the wing tip (usually discarded), and according to chef Dan Hong, is the only part of the chicken wing anyone needs to worry about.
The mid-wing contains two thin bones that run parallel to one another and is completely covered in skin. This maximises the skin to meat ratio, which Hong claims, creates a juicier wing.
The chef says he favours this cut of the wing so much that orders of wings at his restaurant in Sydney, , are solely made up of the mid-wing joint.
“The meat within the drumette is also very dry- much like chicken breast. This is why I only serve mid-wings. People who prefer the drumette [are] the equivalent of people that prefer breast to thigh,” Hong wrote on his Instagram post (pictured above).
People who prefer the drumette [are] the equivalent of people that prefer breast to thigh
In Australia, a lot of chicken wings available in supermarkets come completely attached from drumette to wing tip and look like this:
To get restaurant style wings at home, you can and use the tips in a chicken or . Not only do they look less aggressive, they’re also easier to eat.
The full chicken wing from mini drum to tip. Source: Getty Images
The drumette has a strong advantage in its one-handed, grab-and-bite convenience, meaning you don’t have to nibble around two tiny bones and try to harvest meat from between them. On the flipside, it also means you can’t do this:
Who knew eating chicken wings could look so classy.
