Trouble with vinegar and butter seperating

drhowarddrfinedrhoward said:

At least I think that's the problem.

I hve a hot wings sauce recipe that includes Red Hot sauce that includes
cayenne pepper, vinegar, and other things. To this I mix melted butter and
more cayenne, paprika and garlic powder. I melt the butter first, then add
the sauce, then the seasonings.

The problem I have is, after adding the chicken, there is a seperation
between a clear liquid and a thicker substance. If I leave the sauce too
long on the burner, the seperation also occurs. I'm assuming the clear
liquid is the vinegar and the thicker is the butter.

The original directions I have say to heat the butter till it just melts,
then add the hot sauce and seasonings. I'm wondering if I either don't heat
it enough or too much causing the seperation as evidenced by adding the hot
chicken causing it to heat up more.

But I don't know and was wondering what you all thought. Perhaps I need to
add a binder of some sort? And what binder?

You'll get separation with that combination of ingredients. What's the
problem? Why is some separation a bad thing? Whisk the sauce
ingredients together, toss the wings and eat. Drink a beer with them.
Worry about something important.

Pastorio

The problem is some of the chicken gets more of the clear liquid while
others get more butter. The liquid is spicier than the butter. It's also
unattractive.

Constant whisking doesn't help much once it separates plus trying to whisk
and and dunk at the same time. I prefer dunking the chicken because it's
easier than tossing. I use this for chicken strips, not just wings.

So it IS important.

drhowarddrfinedrhoward said:

At least I think that's the problem.

I hve a hot wings sauce recipe that includes Red Hot sauce that includes
cayenne pepper, vinegar, and other things. To this I mix melted butter and
more cayenne, paprika and garlic powder. I melt the butter first, then add
the sauce, then the seasonings.

The problem I have is, after adding the chicken, there is a seperation
between a clear liquid and a thicker substance. If I leave the sauce too
long on the burner, the seperation also occurs. I'm assuming the clear
liquid is the vinegar and the thicker is the butter.

The original directions I have say to heat the butter till it just melts,
then add the hot sauce and seasonings. I'm wondering if I either don't heat
it enough or too much causing the seperation as evidenced by adding the hot
chicken causing it to heat up more.

But I don't know and was wondering what you all thought. Perhaps I need to
add a binder of some sort? And what binder?

There are worst things that can happen to a hot wings sauce than having the
sauce separate, like not being hot enough or not enough beer to go with them. I
use melted butter, some Franks sauce, some Chinese hot chili sauce and a bit of
ketchup. It usually separates a little, so I just whisk it together and toss the
wings in it. Not a a problem.

drhowarddrfinedrhoward said:

The problem is some of the chicken gets more of the clear liquid while
others get more butter. The liquid is spicier than the butter. It's also
unattractive.

Constant whisking doesn't help much once it separates plus trying to whisk
and and dunk at the same time. I prefer dunking the chicken because it's
easier than tossing. I use this for chicken strips, not just wings.

So it IS important.

Try adding a little liquid soy lecithin. It is a wonderful emulsifier.

Bob

have you tried using margarine instead of butter? the original buffalo wing
recipe used margarine (I think). i've never had wings that had a separation
problem before. maybe you're using too much butter and/or too much vinegar.
the vinegar should only be about a capful. another thing you might try is
tossing the wings in your sauce (I know you prefer to dip, but if separation
is such a problem for you, would you be willing to try tossing?) and then
bake for a few minutes to cook the sauce into the wings a bit. maybe
stirring your sauce isn't enough -- maybe you need to shake it well to
emulsify. also, i'm not sure why you're heating the sauce. usually i melt
my butter, add the hot sauce and a capful of vinegar, then toss with the
wings.

Thanks. I was hoping not to have to do that, or use tartar or even flour or
something more handy.

I would never stoop so low as to cook with margarine. That would be worse
than cooking with shortening.

Tossing just doesn't fit with the large batch I make and having to re-bake
after frying would be a pain. It really doesn't work with this either.

"drhowarddrfinedrhoward" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I would never stoop so low as to cook with margarine. That would be worse
than cooking with shortening.

Tossing just doesn't fit with the large batch I make and having to re-bake
after frying would be a pain. It really doesn't work with this either.

Then you've stumped us all. My deepest sympathy to you on this ordeal.

drhowarddrfinedrhoward said:

...The problem I have is, after adding the chicken, there is a seperation
between a clear liquid and a thicker substance. If I leave the sauce too
long on the burner, the seperation also occurs. I'm assuming the clear
liquid is the vinegar and the thicker is the butter.
The original directions I have say to heat the butter till it just melts,
then add the hot sauce and seasonings. I'm wondering if I either don't heat
it enough or too much causing the seperation as evidenced by adding the hot
chicken causing it to heat up more.
But I don't know and was wondering what you all thought. Perhaps I need to
add a binder of some sort? And what binder?

I saw on the tv network where they used mustard as salad dressing binder and
emulsifier. Not too much was needed, about a tablespoon. They used Dijon
mustard. Wonder how that would muck up the flavor? Might be a new flavor
sensation, tho... I like a mustard based bbq sauce or sweet dipping sauce.
Edrena

zxcvbob said:

drhowarddrfinedrhoward said:

The problem is some of the chicken gets more of the clear liquid while
others get more butter. The liquid is spicier than the butter. It's also
unattractive.

Constant whisking doesn't help much once it separates plus trying to whisk
and and dunk at the same time. I prefer dunking the chicken because it's
easier than tossing. I use this for chicken strips, not just wings.

So it IS important.

Try adding a little liquid soy lecithin. It is a wonderful emulsifier.

If it was "whizzed" by an emersion blender or in some other
machine, it would emulsify.

For the record, I don't add vinegar, so the butter and hot
sauce "marry" with no problem.

Recipe from www.cdkitchen.com

* 2 1/2 pounds wings, split and tips discarded
* 1/2 cup Franks Redhot sauce (I add more!!)
* 1/3 cup butter, melted
* blue cheese dressing (optional)
* celery (optional)

Deep fry* wings at 400°F (High) for 12 minutes or until
cooked and crispy; drain.

In large bowl, combine Frank's RedHot Sauce and butter. Toss
wings in sauce to coat completely. If desired, serve with
blue cheese salad dressing and celery sticks.

Wing Sauce Variation: Toss cooked wings in 3/4 cup Frank's
Redhot Buffalo Wing Sauce.

*Alternate Cooking Directions:

Bake 1 hour at 425°F until fully cooked and crispy, turning
halfway.

Broil 6-inches from heat 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.

Grill over medium heat 30 to 40 minutes, turning often.

*** In the past, I have lightly coated my wings with oil and
baked them in a very hot oven (they turn out quite well!),
however my son got a fry daddy for Christmas... so deep
fried Buffalo Wings is on the "to do" list this month.

sf

I'm not interested in changing the recipe at all.

The solution appears to be heating the sauce at a lower temperature which
fits in with the original directions.

One person suggested I heat the sauce first, then add cold butter in pieces.

I'll try these next.

For those who wanted to know, heating the hot sauce and butter at a
lower heat solved the problem. The original recipe says to melt the
butter, then keep it warm. I was heating the sauce at a higher heat to
either speed up the melt or quickly heat the added hot sauce and spices
before adding to the chicken. This, apparently, caused a separation of
the vinegar and butter. Problem solved.

: For the record, I don't add vinegar, so the butter and hot
: sauce "marry" with no problem.

The vinegar is already in the hot sauce, so yes, you are adding vinegar.

On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 22:01:22 +0000 (UTC), [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

: For the record, I don't add vinegar, so the butter and hot
: sauce "marry" with no problem.

The vinegar is already in the hot sauce, so yes, you are adding vinegar.

Make that EXTRA vinegar.

sf