A commercial I always saw growing up was one for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. You might remember it: one cowboy, eating a chocolate bar is trying to mount his horse. He falls on the other side and his chocolate falls into a big jar of peanut butter being enjoyed by another cowboy (if nothing else, you have to admire the authenticity applied to this ad). They discover these are two fantastic foods that taste even better when combined.
No one denies that chocolate and peanut butter are awesome together, unless they’re some evil, pinko commie traitor to this nation. But today’s post contains something that might rival these two flavors – bacon and chicken.
The Gift of a Drumstick Wrapped in Deliciousness
Sundays during the NFL season are fun for me. I relish the opportunity to have a legit excuse to make a lot of tailgate-style food. The only issue is that I tend to fall back on my reliable standards. Wings, for instance, are almost always made.
In the spirit of trying to mix things up, I did a little Googling and found an article about smoked bacon-wrapped drumsticks. They had me at “smoked bacon-wrapped drumsticks.”
Luckily, chicken drumsticks are one food item that doesn’t seem to be affected too much by current meat prices. You can buy them in bulk for about $10, sometimes lower. Bacon is another story, but luckily I had bought a package of it at Costco a few months earlier and stuck it in my freezer for just such an occasion.
So there they were – the drumsticks, bacon, and a Kansas City-style rub that I mixed together – on my counter, ready to assemble.
The first step was to take off the knuckles of each drumstick. Then I pushed the leg meat toward the other end to make a “lollipop” shape. Each drumstick got a generous sprinkle of the rub, after which a slice of bacon was wrapped around.
I stood up each chicken leg on a rack and let them hang out on the counter while I started up my Char-Griller 980 Gravity-Fed Charcoal Grill. Once the temperature in the pit reached 275 degrees, the rack went on.
While the cook wasn’t too long, it’s important, obviously, to make sure that the bacon and chicken are both sufficiently cooked. After about 60-90 minutes, I checked and the bacon was on its way to a nice brown color, which let me know it was nearing doneness. The chicken was getting up there, but still needed some time. Once the bacon was done, however, I dipped each leg into a bowl of Killer Hogs BBQ Sauce, put them back on the rack, and let them go until the meat reached 175 degrees internally and the sauce created a nice glaze.
Once they rested for about 15 minutes, it was time to serve.
There are a few awesome things going on when you bite into one of these: the pork and the glaze create a sweet, candy-like flavor, while the chicken meat cuts the sweetness a little with a smokey, fatty element.
These were, indeed, the two great tastes that taste great together.
The Wine: 2019 Domane Wachau Federspiel Grüner Vertliner
When selecting the wine to pair with my gameday treat, I assumed that the flavors would call for a white wine, something that has the acidity and tart fruits to complement the sweetness of the meat.
On one of my racks was a Grüner Vertliner from Domane Wachau. Wachau, Austria is known for this varietal, along with Riesling. I was introduced to Gruner some time ago and it has become a staple in my collection ever since. Like Riesling, it’s acidic and bears intense apple, pear, and mineral aromas and flavors. Grüner can also be a bit more savory and herbal.
I thought that these elements would pair well with these bacon-wrapped drumsticks, and I wasn’t disappointed. The candy-like character of the drumstick was tempered somewhat by the acidity and minerality of the wine. It was a pleasing combination that I plan to recreate in Sunday gamedays to come.
Now, about this wine and where it comes from…
The Wachau, Austria region and its vineyards are located on steep (often terraced) hillsides above the Danube. This area is a sunny location where warm summer temperatures are stabilized slightly by the river below. This is where the region’s most flavorful wines originate.
From Wine-Searcher.com, we learn a bit about Wachau’s terroir:
The climate in Wachau, and indeed all of northern Austria, is influenced by two dramatically different climatological zones: the chilly Eastern Alps to the west, and the warm Pannonian Plain that dominates Hungary to the east. Overall, the Austrian climate is decidedly continental, with warm summers and cold winters, but along the banks of the Danube a more moderate mesoclimate prevails.
Soil types play an important role in Wachau vineyards. They are composed largely of sand, gravel and loess, carried downstream by the Danube over many millennia. Also present is a special kind of gneiss known as “gföhler”, which is said to bring a certain minerality to Wachau wines.
As for the producer, a visit to the Domane Wachau website reveals that there are actually several families involved in production with one winemaker guiding their process:
Our vintner families are the heroes of Domäne Wachau. With devotion to detail, they work the small plots, exercising artisanship based on sustainable principles. They are the ones who nurture the vineyards, who build and mend the dry stone walls, and carefully ensure biodiversity while increasingly focusing on organic farming. Each one is one of a kind – so unique and rich in character. Grape whisperers with creative minds and spirits. Whether young mavericks or experienced farmers. And with our winemaker, Heinz Frischengruber at their side, they always have a mentor to guide and support them.
If you’re a steadfast Riesling drinker, I highly recommend adding Grüner Vertliner to your repertoire. You won’t be disappointed in the way it can also pair well with your favorite chicken and white fish dishes. And from a quality producer like this, it’s well worth the inexpensive price you’ll pay to become a fan of this varietal.
Until you read again… Cheers!