At Marcus Bar & Grille, chef Marcus Samuelsson’s namesake restaurant in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, Southern classics get a bold remix. Think chicken and cornbread waffles with chili butter, charred yams with lime aioli, and sweet potato cake with ginger whipped cream. So when executive chef Gary Caldwell and VP of Culinary Greg Pena teamed up to create a new wing recipe, they wanted to showcase a serious smoke and grill mastery—with a little flair. Their brown sugar smoked wings checked those boxes. “The wings have a caramelized sugar accent with a surprise spicy essence that comes and then disappears,” Caldwell says. “They remind you of Texas smoke with a little Louisiana accent.”
For an additional punch, Caldwell created “peach pepper” sauce, a blend of lemon juice, corn syrup, Monin peach concentrate, and black pepper—to complement the wings’ smoky depth.
Below, Caldwell shares his simple method for re-creating the dish at home. He recommends brining the wings for twenty-four hours and staying patient while grilling. “Control the temperature, take your time, and let the flavors build,” he says.
