# Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce Query **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113 "2008-12-01T00:25:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/21 "2008-12-02T19:57:09Z")
> [@I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](#): > > Buffalo born and bred here… what else would you use??? Buffalo wing sauce is 1/3 cup butter to 1/2 cup **Frank’s!** That’s how Anchor Bar does it, that’s how I do it, that’s how it’s done. End of indignant rant, sorry. Yup. I made wings in several restaurants in my college days, and butter (or margarine) is always a part of the sauce. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/22 "2008-12-02T19:57:36Z")
> [@I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](#): > > Buffalo born and bred here… what else would you use??? Buffalo wing sauce is 1/3 cup butter to 1/2 cup **Frank’s!** That’s how Anchor Bar does it, that’s how I do it, that’s how it’s done. End of indignant rant, sorry. It’s supposed to be margarine, not butter. [One of many sources](http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/02/aint-no-thing-like-a-chicken-wing/): > [@](#): > > In my experience, margarine yields a better result. For the record, the original Anchor Bar recipe uses margarine, not butter. Saveur Magazine also had a report written by a Buffalonian food writer a few years ago who also pointed out what I have understood to be the case, that the purist will insist on margarine, not butter, in wing sauce. I have the magazine somewhere in the house, but here’s an online [reference to it](http://www.hotnsaucywings.com/2006/03/index.html)" > [@](#): > > A great coincidence: just as I am starting this new blog, Saveur magazine publishes a short article on buffalo wings, including the “original” recipe from the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. > > Something that I must admit I didn’t know: the original recipe calls for margarine, NOT butter! Now, Buffalonians I know (and I am dating one) for the most part don’t seem to be particular about this. Plenty of recipes I’ve gotten called for butter, not margarine. That’s why in my original post I stressed that purists will say it’s margarine, not butter, because that is indeed what purists will say from my experience. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/23 "2008-12-02T20:01:45Z")
Actually, I found the magazine. It’s April 2006 Saveur, page 42: > [@](#): > > Residents of Buffalo, New York, where I was born, hold three things to be true. > > […] > > Second, wings are never baked; they’re deep-fried, then tossed in a delicious rust orange sauce made of an unlikely combination of melted margarine and hot sauce-- originally Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, though the Anchor Bar now bottles its own. ( **Butter in wing sauce is heretical** ; so is Tabasco.) (Emphasis mine.) Now, I wouldn’t go as far as this writer goes. Like I said, I’ve encountered plenty Buffalonians who have no problem with butter in wing sauce, and calling it “heretical” is a bit hyperbolic. But the above statement confirms pretty much everything I’ve ever learned about Buffalo wings. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/24 "2008-12-02T20:08:52Z")
FWIW, Alton eschewed margarine in favor of butter in his recipe for hot wings on three grounds: [ol][li]Some doctors now believe that the trans-fats in margarines may be worse for you than the saturated fats in butter they were invented to replace.[/li][li]Butter tastes great.[/li][li]Butter is real food.[/ol][/li] **I’m not claiming this is authentic, and neither does he.** ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/25 "2008-12-02T20:48:23Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > FWIW, Alton eschewed margarine in favor of butter in his recipe for hot wings on three grounds: > > [ol][li]Some doctors now believe that the trans-fats in margarines may be worse for you than the saturated fats in butter they were invented to replace.[/li][li]Butter tastes great.[/li][li]Butter is real food.[/ol][/li] > **I’m not claiming this is authentic, and neither does he.** Like I said, in every other case, I cannot stand margarine, but in wings, that’s what I use because I prefer the texture to melted butter. Otherwise, I agree with Alton on all three counts. (I confess, I’ve gotten to using “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” in order to have the texture I like with some of the buttery flavor I prefer.) ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/26 "2008-12-02T20:56:39Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Hub made delicious Buffalo Wings in the crockpot this weekend…except the hot sauce scorched the hair in my nose. He used the Frank’s Buffalo Wings Sauce right out of the bottle. > > Granted, I’m a wimp when it comes to hot flavors but dayum, this was h-o-t. > > Any ideas how to reduce the hotness of the sauce? Using less sauce would still be too much for my delicate tastebuds. I’m looking for something more along the lines of the same flavor but uber mild. Put sugar in it. Seriously. I use Frank’s myself and my recipe is Franks, margarine/butter (whatever we have on hand), a dash of white pepper, and sugar to (my wife’s) taste. AfterI sauce some wings for her I add a bunch of cayenne to get the heat back up and make my wings. The sugar does change the flavor a bit, but mostly it just kills the heat back. ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/27 "2008-12-02T21:30:15Z")
Yeah, that’s what I do. I use 3 tablespoons butter (because it’s real food) + 3 tablespoons Texas Pete Hot Sauce (because the kids prefer it, sorry) + 1 teaspoon sugar. Toss with fried wings. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/28 "2008-12-02T21:33:24Z")
Honey also works well to take some of the edge off (both the vinegariness and the heat) and to give it a little more flavor. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/29 "2008-12-02T22:54:14Z")
My version is equal parts of Frank’s original hot sauce, butter and Whole Foods brand thick teriyaki sauce. The sweetness of the sauce cuts the heat and vinegariness and adds a mellowness to the wings. Also, if the whole wing disjointing process bugs you, the same recipe is terrific on drumsticks and the resulting product is a little less fatty. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/30 "2008-12-03T01:49:20Z")
It may be heresy, but I kinda like the ideas of margarine/sugar/teriyaki additions. We’ll give it another go. Hub and I have been very lazy when it comes to meal planning so our goal for 2009 is to eat more stuff at home. Thanks to everyone! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/31 "2008-12-03T02:00:34Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > It may be heresy, but I kinda like the ideas of margarine/sugar/teriyaki additions. We’ll give it another go. Nah, don’t worry about heresy. Just make something you like. My own wings sauce is the Franks & margarine, plus (depending on my mood), yellow mustard, honey, garlic, freshly ground black pepper, and thyme. If I want to kick it up (Frank’s is a bit too mild for my tastes, but it becomes too acidic for me if I just increase the Franks:maragarine ratio) I add an extract-based sauce like Blair’s or Dave’s Insanity. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/32 "2008-12-03T03:46:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > In my experience, it hasn’t been _that_ much smoke, but I do have a decent fan and vent. Anyhow, 95% of the time I deep fry them in a pot of oil. Nothing beats deep fried wings. I can never get the oven ones crispy enough for my liking, and even the deep fried ones I pat down, dry in the fridge, and fry in 375 degree oil in small batches (to ensure I don’t drop the oil temp too far) to get the crispiness I so desire. I think there might be a connection with you issues for oven frying. If you don’t have a shitload of smoke your oven isn’t hot enough. If your oven isn’t hot enough then your wings aren’t going to be crispy enough. I agree that fried is best, but in my kitchen it’s just not practical to deep fry and I don’t have that much oil on hand at any given time that I feel like wasting with one use. I’ve used Alton’s pre-bake steaming method with outstanding results. It renders much of the fat out, and lets you crank up the oven temp to get really crispy wings that aren’t soggy with fat or sauce. Now I want some… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/33 "2008-12-03T03:49:04Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I think there might be a connection with you issues for oven frying. If you don’t have a shitload of smoke your oven isn’t hot enough. If your oven isn’t hot enough then your wings aren’t going to be crispy enough. > > I agree that fried is best, but in my kitchen it’s just not practical to deep fry and I don’t have that much oil on hand at any given time that I feel like wasting with one use. I’ve used Alton’s pre-bake steaming method with outstanding results. It renders much of the fat out, and lets you crank up the oven temp to get really crispy wings that aren’t soggy with fat or sauce. > > Now I want some… So do yours come out super crispy, like deep-fried crispy? When I bake mine, I do it at 450 (like I do my roast chicken), and it is crispy, just not crispy enough for my liking. I’ll have to give the Alton Brown method a shot. Or maybe I’ll push the oven to 500 and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/34 "2008-12-03T04:00:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > So do yours come out super crispy, like deep-fried crispy? When I bake mine, I do it at 450 (like I do my roast chicken), and it is crispy, just not crispy enough for my liking. I’ll have to give the Alton Brown method a shot. Or maybe I’ll push the oven to 500 and see what happens. IIRC I go at 450 or 475. Plus I start them cold, so the heat hits the skin a little longer while the inside stays moister. The steaming method makes all the difference I think. Plus you can prop the over door open a inch or so so that the heating element doesn’t switch off which should mean more of a intense heating and crispier skin. Also make sure the wings are in a rack, elevated off the cookie sheet because there will still be some drippings. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/35 "2008-12-03T04:21:28Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The original recipe calls for butter and Frank’s at about equal volumes. I’m curious about this “original recipe.” Where can I find it? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/36 "2008-12-03T04:52:53Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I’m curious about this “original recipe.” Where can I find it? According to the Saveur referenced above, which says it’s “based on [the recipe] from the Anchor Bar,” it’s 12 tbsp. margarine to 1 cup Frank’s RedHot (or 3/4 cup margarine to 1 cup Franks). Now, I had researched this before, and I found [this recipe](http://www.bigoven.com/18792-Anchor-Bar-Buffalo-Wing-Sauce-recipe.html) being bandied about in several locations as the “real” Anchor Bar sauce recipe (some versions of the recipe included a story that the recipe came from a disgruntled cook at the Anchor Bar). Having been to the Anchor Bar, I don’t remember the sauce tasting that complex, so I have some real doubts as to to its veracity. [Here’s another claim](http://www.cluckbucket.com/recipes/anchorbar.htm) to the original recipe, and this goes with the simple Franks and margarine mix. My guess is that’s pretty accurate. The Anchor Bar makes its suicide sauce by adding a bucketload of fresh black pepper to the sauce. It’s kind of odd and the only place I’ve ever had suicide wings amped up by black pepper was at the Anchor Bar. They taste good for the first few wings, and then the black pepper is just overwhelming (not from the heat, but from the flavor.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/37 "2008-12-03T04:57:26Z")
[Plus you may be able to glean some hints from their bottled sauce](http://www.hotsauce.com/Anchor-Bar-Original-Buffalo-Wing-Sauce-p/3748.htm). > [@](#): > > Ingredients > Cayenne Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Liquid Margarine, Salt, Natural Gums, Spices and Garlic. I’m not sure whether the bottled sauce is exactly the same as the original sauce. I suspect that the garlic and spices were a later addition, but I don’t know. edit: Actually, there is some garlic in Frank’s, so there would be garlic in the original. [Here’s another, better grouped list of ingredients in the bottled sauce.](http://carolinasauce.stores.yahoo.net/12d0000-1086567849.html) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/38 "2008-12-03T05:30:06Z")
I guess my question is “What is the ‘original’ sauce?” If you go to the Anchor Bar website, Momma Teressa supposedly invented them in 1964. Now, I personally and professionally think they have a great case. These barbecued chicken wings probably started out there. If you keep reading the website, she flavored them with a “secret sauce.” So, what was the secret sauce? You mean she had a bottle of Franks on the counter? Someone give me some help here. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/39 "2008-12-03T05:43:22Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I guess my question is “What is the ‘original’ sauce?” > > If you go to the Anchor Bar website, Momma Teressa supposedly invented them in 1964. Now, I personally and professionally think they have a great case. These barbecued chicken wings probably started out there. If you keep reading the website, she flavored them with a “secret sauce.” So, what was the secret sauce? You mean she had a bottle of Franks on the counter? > > Someone give me some help here. Supposedly, yes, that’s the story, although it may have been called Durkee’s Hot Sauce at the time. (And the wings aren’t “barbecued” in any sense of the word that I know.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113/40 "2008-12-03T05:50:13Z")
Actually, I’d be curious to know exactly what the deal is with Durkee’s and Frank’s. I can’t quite seem to figure out how, and if, these companies are related. Some websites say it was Franks, then it changed its name to Durkee’s, then back to Frank’s. From other websites, I get the sense they’re two different products. And still others call it “Durkee Frank’s RedHot” sauce. Anyhow, one [source regarding the “secret” sauce](http://www.cosmicchile.com/xdpy/kb/hot-sauce-history.html) > [@](#): > > Jacob Frank started selling Frank’s Redhot Cayenne Pepper Sauce in 1920 and it was this hot sauce that French’s, the current owner of Frank’s Redhot Cayenne Pepper Sauce, proclaims as the “secret ingredient” in the original Wing Sauce concocted in 1964 by Teresa Bellissimo at the Anchor Bar and Grill in Buffalo, NY. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buffalo-wings-hot-sauce-query/475113.md?page=3)