Separation anxiety, chicken wings edition

February 2, 2024 5:26 AM

When splitting chicken wings into their three parts, do you have a foolproof method for getting clean separations at the joints, with no jagged edges? Whether with poultry shears or a knife, and despite having watched several YouTube videos, I get it right on some of them but can’t find the right spot on others.

I know not to cut through bone, and sometimes my knife finds the right spot easily, and slices right through with next to no effort at all. But other times it just doesn’t, no matter how much I wiggle, twist, or strain the joint or angle or direct the knife. Do you have the secret, or know of a video that shows it so precisely that I’ll be able to pick it up?

posted by daisyace to Food & Drink (3 answers total)

What works for me is first, using a very sharp knife, and second, stretching the joint open a bit with my left hand while cutting with my right. If the knife is sharp and the joint is pressed open a bit, you can basically feel your way through the joint with the knife.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:17 AM on February 2, 2024 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks, Dip Flash! I’ll try that for our Super Bowl wings and report back how it goes.
posted by daisyace at 12:50 PM on February 3, 2024 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: The wings my husband bought came already cut up, so I won’t get around to trying a new technique this time, but I’m storing it away for a future occasion.
posted by daisyace at 6:33 AM on February 10, 2024