So, Valentine’s Day doesn’t exactly conjure up images of Cupid and a plate of wings, but since when have I done anything the traditional way?

Plus, my Valentine appreciates these kinds of foods way more than heart shaped sugar cookies. Probably because I never make this kind of food.  Like, ever.

My husband made these wings for a super bowl party, based on this recipe and the adaptations of said recipe by a good friend.   After these wings though, I think he became a “great” friend.

I was sent to the store for celery and blue cheese dressing during part of the magic making, but Nick was kind enough to take photos for me. I guess you could say that this is his unofficial wing post.

He started with plain chicken wings:

Which were then steamed (crazy!):

Once the wings were done in the sauna, they received a nice towel service:

Next, they were placed on cookie racks and allowed to cool off in the refrigerator for about an hour:

Once the wings were nice and relaxed, they were baked in the oven:

Up until this point, these wings were prepared in a “Jo approved” manner. Here’s where things changed a little:

Dude, that’s a lot of butter.  Just saying.

Garlic and hot sauce were added to the melted butter, and then everything was tossed together in a bowl:

These were spicy! My tolerance for spicy foods has greatly improved over the last few years, but I could only eat about 3 of these suckers before my lips were burning and my nose was running out the door. You can modify the spice level based on the hot sauce you use, but in our humble opinion, wings should have some kick.  It kind of makes up for the absurd amount of butter, because you definitely can’t gorge yourself on something so spicy.  Checks and balances are a good thing in the world of wings.

Make these for someone you love.  Just be sure to wipe your face before kissing.  Happy Valentine’s!