Buffalo wings: flats or drums?

[MarketStEl]

Tips?

You're supposed to cook the tips too?

I guess I must have been conditioned by too many orders of restaurant wings.

Though the place that serves the best Buffalo wings in Philly--Moriarty's, around the corner from me on Walnut--serves their wings whole, not separated.

[annecros]

Tips?

You're supposed to cook the tips too?

I guess I must have been conditioned by too many orders of restaurant wings.

Though the place that serves the best Buffalo wings in Philly--Moriarty's, around the corner from me on Walnut--serves their wings whole, not separated.

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The tips are for soup, and make the best. At least in our house they do.

I make my own wings, from a recipe and method I learned in a very good wing joint.

[Live It Up]

I only recently realized that I have a strong preference for the flats (I'm also not that into chicken meat, but the skin ), but I never knew that anybody else liked the flats. Everyone I know prefers the drums, but I find them rubbery. That said, the wing is still my favorite cut of chicken.

[scubadoo97]

Another vote for flats for the above reasons.  It's all about the skin.

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I don't order or make wings as a rule but when making a roasted, BBQ, grilled chicken... while the rest go for the breast I go straight for the wings and thighs. The flat of the wing is my favorite. The little meat there is succulent and the skin the best. Eaten together they are great.

[jeniac42]

Oooh, drums. Mostly because it seems like the average wing joint can't produce crispy skin, and the flats end up being like little blobs of undercooked poultry fat. At the places where I know they can cook the wings right, it's a tossup.

And wing tips, ooh.

[Country Cook]

Drums, for esthetics, ease if eating and cartilage content. , oh yeah and crispy skin.

Edited February 15, 2007 by Country Cook (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

I love both and when I make them at home I like to leave the wing whole ..I know I know ... it is not the authentic way to eat them ....I deep fry them until all parts are extra crispy toss them in sauce and then love the mess of tearing them appart and enjoying each section ....and my fingers as well

yummmm I think I need to make some!

[sun]

I've noticed someone else say that a preference for drums was partly based on them being somewhat cleaner to eat. Makes me feel better to admit that that is actually the only reason I need to prefer the drums. I want nothing except forefinger and thumb of the right hand to have sauce on them. I even realized recently that one of the reasons I don't cook more often is that I hate having to wash my hands after cutting onions. I guess I need to focus on the positives. I love the smell from cooking onions.

We happened to go out to a restaurant for a meeting at work today. I was the third one there and the first two people had already ordered and started eating! wings! This was great, I thought. But I shouldn't have ordered wings at a place famous for its pizza... Sadly, I cannot use today's eating experience to evaluate flavor and tenderness differences bt the flats and drums bc both were just uniformly meh. But I look forward to my next wings experience! Thanks, guys!

[Kris]

I prefer the flat side. When I order buffalo wings for myself, I usually ask for all flats (or "the thin side" depending on where I'm ordering from). I've always been accommodated without an extra charge.

The reason why I like the flat is because:

1. The skin is not as "slimy."

2. The meat is more tender and not as rubbery.

3. I don't like the tendons of the drummette portion.