Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce
If you know someone from Buffalo, they know someone who told them the secret ingredients to the Anchor Bar's famous Buffalo chicken wings. I know people from Buffalo. This is my version, as described to me many years ago, over almost as many beers.
If you know someone from Buffalo, they know someone who told them the secret ingredients to the Anchor Bar's famous Buffalo chicken wings. I know people from Buffalo. This is my version, as described to me many years ago, over almost as many beers.
- Carbohydrate 0.107755416667146 g
- Cholesterol 30.503125 mg
- Fat 11.517528125 g
- Fiber 0.0196312502622604 g
- Protein 0.134699375 g
- Saturated Fat 7.2897278125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (18g)
- Sodium 439.407666666691 mg
- Sugar 0.0881241664048855 g
- Trans Fat 0.807292500000001 g
- Calories 103 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the hot sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt in a pot and place over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer while stirring with a whisk.
- As soon as the liquid begins to bubble on the sides of the pot, remove from heat, stir with the whisk, and set aside for use.
A list of measurements cannot reveal the chemical battle playing out inside the saucepan when hot pepper sauce meets cold dairy fats. Culinary tradition traces the birth of this condiment to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, during the autumn of 1964, where Teressa Bellissimo dropped deep-fried wings into a mixture of cayenne-based pepper sauce and butter to feed hungry midnight patrons. Achieving that historic cling requires understanding how fat and water interact under direct thermal energy.
Controlling the Emulsion
Direct heat is the primary enemy of a stable dairy emulsion, because excessive temperatures force milk solids to separate from the butterfat and pool as an oily slick on top of the vinegar. Whisking continuously over medium heat ensures the cold butter incorporates smoothly into the hot pepper sauce just as tiny bubbles form along the interior perimeter of the pot. Removing the pan immediately at that exact boiling threshold preserves the temporary bond between the ingredients without scorching the garlic powder or flattening the sharp notes of the white vinegar.
- If the sauce separates into distinct layers of oil and liquid, vigorous whisking off the heat with an additional tablespoon of cold butter can force the emulsion back together.
- Watch the edges of the pot closely rather than relying on a timer, since varying burner BTUs change the heating rate significantly.
- Keep the finished sauce at room temperature if serving within two hours, as refrigeration causes the butter to solidify completely.
