Guest blog: the vinegar and the butter

As part of our debate over what makes a Buffalo wing a Buffalo wing, hunter Ron Wiesczyk has submitted an article on two essentials: vinegar and butter. For an article on capsaican by Ron, see http://www.chickenwinghunt.com/chicken_wing_hunt/2007/07/what-is-capsaic.html

A few weeks ago I ruffled feathers by asserting that a great wing sauce can be made without cayenne peppers.  But Buffalo sauce does not come merely from peppers (whether or not they are cayenne).  So what else is needed?

We all know the standard Buffalo sauce recipe is simply Frank’s and butter. Many people are unaware that vinegar – already in Frank’s – is a key part of its taste. 

It's the vinegar that releases the wonderful aroma detected by the nose, the one that gets those salivary glands working overtime in anticipation of the first bite.  And when your mouth finally gets to taste the wing, vinegar is the flavor that lies just beneath the heat. The one that gives the sauce its zing. (As for a mild sauce – without the vinegar there would be no mild sauce).

What about the butter?

The butter performs several roles:  It adds flavor (a subtle flavor...and the hotter the sauce the more subtle).  It also thickens the sauce and is key to getting the sauce to stick to the wings, especially as the wings cool. 

However, the most important effect of butter, in my opinion, is getting the flavor of the sauce to stick to your mouth.  Just as a buttery sauce sticks to your fingers, it also keeps that wonderful vinegar-and-pepper flavor lingering in your mouth long after the bones are gone.

So what else can you put in a Buffalo sauce? Does anything go?

Well yes—as long as it don't overpower our three basic ingredients (peppers, butter and vinegar). Auxiliary ingredients must be subtle--and stand safely in the background. A little smoke, a little sweetness, a touch of garlic, or a blend of your favorite spices--all these can enhance the flavor of your wings.  But be careful. Add too much of those flavors and you've fallen off the Buffalo map. 

Where does that map begin and end? Well -- having pepper, vinegar and butter at the heart of your sauce is a good rule of thumb if you want to stay safely in Buffalo territory. But there is no clear line. The edges of the territory are vague and grey. We hope to chart some of these hazy areas this summer. 

Meanwhile, if you’ve forged into a grey area, like what you taste, and want to keep going into the great beyond – go for it. Be proud!

But for me, I'll stay squarely on the Buffalo side of the line.