Thai Wings

My absolute favorite thing to order in a restaurant is the Pad Thai Pig Ears from Euclid Hall in Denver. All the flavors of pad thai--but intensified. And instead of rice noodles--fried pig ears. Amazingly delicious and totally inappropriate--dirty food in the best way.
This recipe is my attempt to copy that dish--but cooking pig ears at home seems like a recipe for disaster. So I copied the sauce and used it for chicken wings.
These were phenomenal! Totally the best wings I've ever made.  I brought them to a co-worker's surprise bachelor party. I would serve them as hot as possible--mine got a bit soggy while we waited for him and his fiance to show up.

Thai Wings 

A dozen chicken wings (or more) 

1/2 cup of tamarind paste 

3 /4 cup water 

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce 

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar 

2 cloves of garlic 

2 tablespoons of chili-garlic paste (or any hot sauce--sriracha would be fine too) 

Garnishes 

chopped mint

chopped basil

chopped cilantro 

crushed peanuts 

(about half a cup of each) 

optional

lime wedges, chopped scallions, bean sprouts

Start by roasting the wings. Place them on a cookie sheet and roast on the oven's convection setting, at 400 degrees, for about 45 minutes, or until the skin is brown and crispy. 

While they're roasting, make the sauce. 

Place the tamarind paste in a small saucepan with the water and boil to soften up the tamarind. After simmering a bit, this should turn into mush. Smash with a fork or potato peeler to get it saucy.
When the tamarind is hot and liquefied, put it into a blender. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and chili-garlic paste. Blend!
When the wings are done, take them out and place them in a big bowl. Pour the sauce over them, and toss to coat.
Place on a plate and garnish with the chopped herbs and crushed peanuts.
Eat immediately!

I used tamarind paste that comes in a block. I bought it from the Asian grocery.

I made a small batch to test the recipe the night before the party. 

YUM.