2009.10.20
What's happened to chicken prices?
Wings of gold
Last week, a blog reader forwarded me a fascinating business article from The New York Times about chicken prices. According to the story, lots of restaurants have dropped wing specials or dropped chicken wings from the menu entirely in favor of "boneless wings," which are really just breaded chunks of chicken breast meat.
According to the article, this is happening because chicken wings, once little more than a throwaway part, are actually MORE EXPENSIVE now than chicken breasts. This may be more obvious to restaurant food buyers than supermarket customers because grocery stores may be trying to "preserve their margins on breast meat."
Is this happening because chicken wings have gotten so popular? In part, but the NYT reporter also found that when the economy took a nosedive, people stopped eating out as often and chicken breast sales slumped. But chicken wings were apparently still viewed as a cheap indulgence.
I haven't thought of chicken wings as "cheap" in quite some time. We buy them and make them at home pretty often, and by the time you factor in the work it takes to clean and trim them, we might as well go out to a restaurant and order a plate. We do it for fun and because our wings are pretty darn good.
Do you guys think boneless wings are a reasonable substitute for bone-in? If any chefs and restaurateurs are reading this entry, what do you make of the price flip-flop?
I have never considered wings a cheap indulgence. No where I have went even years ago before chicken wings went I was it cheap by any count. Most of the time you drop about $20 for 20 wings and a drink (not beer). The boneless part of it I kinda like. You get more meat for your money. When I got them at Buffalo Wild Wings last year they were even cheaper but I still closed in on that $20 price tag.
I already had a craving for wings lately. With this talk of wings I'm going to have to get some soon. When it comes to wings All Sports are the best around. Better tasting and larger than anyone else in the valley, that I have tried. Even the place specializes in wings with the uuh.......nice scenery.
Comment by Mike D — October 20, 2009 @ 12:09 pm
Boneless are better. But only when they are prepared with thigh meat. Like Corned Beef and 401. The boneless, breaded, fried, breast meat, dunked in sauce "wings" are not a suitable substitute for bone-in wings.
Comment by ernie — October 20, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
That durn Buffalo Wild Wings ruined it for everyone.............the law of supply and demand; demand went up and now this no supply
Comment by RT — October 20, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
They're not a substitute. Boneless wings are glorified chicken nuggets of higher quality, that's about all. We don;t eat many wings except for the specials nights at Sharkey's or Macado's, and we haven't bothered making them at home. Due South makes some very good smoked wings too, and if we made them at home, that's how we'd do it. But, as it is, we buy mostly boneless/skinless chicken breast in the 2-3 pound frozen bags, or boneless/skinless thighs, also frozen. We'll do fresh chicken sometimes, when it's on special for less than the frozen bulk packages, and will buy several packages and freeze them. So, we haven't noticed any of the changes.
Comment by Other John — October 20, 2009 @ 1:34 pm
I personally hate biting into something that has a bone in it. I prefer the boneless wings for this reason.
Comment by Jason — October 20, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
boneless overbreaded wings are disgusting. imo
Comment by Shellie Leete — October 20, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
My opinion is that boneless wings are a totally different item than regular wings! Some of the boneless ones are pretty good, but I've had some that are no better than "McNuggets!" They are really what Lindsey said, just breaded pieces of a chicken breast.
Comment by Dennis — October 20, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
I love a good chicken wing! I heard this report as well and was a bit confused. What happened to the days of 10 cent wings at the local tavern?
Bone in is not a wing. It is a mini-tender;)
Dr. Craig
http://doctorcraig.wordpress.com
Comment by Dr. Craig — October 20, 2009 @ 4:13 pm
Ok, now that others have offered opinions I'll say this: I actually like boneless wings AND bone-in wings, it just depends on what I'm in the mood for. Sometimes I do not want to get my hands dirty. When I order boneless, though, I don't think of them as wings. I think of them as good chicken nuggets.
My husband, on the other hand, greatly dislikes boneless wings. He thinks wings are for eating with your hands, and the bone adds more flavor. Which is probably true.
All of this reminds me of a story I did when Thelma's Chicken and Waffles first opened. John T. Edge of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the U. of Miss. gave me this great quote: "Boneless stuff is for wimps. The primal pleasure of being able to gnaw on a chicken bone is gone when you remove the bone."
Ha!
Comment by Lindsey Nair — October 20, 2009 @ 4:48 pm
I like to eat my wings at home, where I can put that bone in my mouth and suck that thing dry.
Comment by Debbie — October 20, 2009 @ 5:41 pm
I lived in Buffalo, NY in the late 60's to late 70's and actually had Anchor Bar wings in their earliest days...long before they hit other menus in this country. A real Buffalo wing is very large, deep fried and then tossed in a large paper bag with the hot sauce. They were served with celery and carrot sticks and blue cheese dressing.
I have tried wings in every restaurant I have visited in VA and they never get it right. All Sports Cafe is pretty good...and certainly beats anything else in Roanoke.
But, putting barbeque sauce and any other king of sauce on wings is not authentic...and the fun of it is munching those BIG juicy wings...I need a road trip to Buffalo..and a Beef on Kimmelwick...it is all reagional.
Comment by Rose — October 20, 2009 @ 8:37 pm
Not sure if it is still the case, but Blue Berry Hill has a lunch buffet for $7 per person and on Wendesday's they had all you can eat buffalo wings.. It's been about a year since I've went (we don't eat out much anymore), but they were awesome wings.
I hate all the waste involved in wings though, being a dog and ferret raw feeder I'd love to have all the cartliage rich wing tips that get thrown away.
Comment by Maria — October 20, 2009 @ 10:48 pm
Forget wings and just get drumsticks. They handle the sauce a little better and they are easier to grill. I use a spicy vinegar marinade like Scott's BBQ Sauce before grilling and a good wing sauce after grilling.
Comment by Henry — October 21, 2009 @ 9:01 am
Personally, I don't like boneless "wings" nearly as much as bone-in wings. Gobby breading is no substitute for the outer texture of a real wing. As for the price, I had not noticed because we don't go out for wings all that often. This is mainly because my favorite wing place is Buffalo Wild Wings, but the service is always terrible.
Comment by MrsHull — October 21, 2009 @ 9:27 am
I agree with Henry. Drumsticks are fun to cook like wings and I like to throw some wing sauce on them. There's more meat to eat!
Comment by Elliot — October 21, 2009 @ 11:49 am
I knew if I looked through comments made regarding chicken wings there would be one from a former Buffalonian, and there is was...Oct 20...by Rose. I'm a Duff's fan, not an Anchor Bar girl, but regardless, the only real wings are made in Buffalo. When I lived in Northern VA there were enough former Buffalonians that each year they shipped in wings from Anchor Bar, pizza from Bocce's, beef on weck and some other Buffalo favorites and partied like it was the Blizzard of '77! Maybe we need to start our own Buffalo Bash here in Roanoke.
Comment by Katrina — October 27, 2009 @ 9:01 pm
Our favorite pizza shop in Roanoke also serves wings and they ran out two weeks ago when we were there for our Friday night pizza date. Is there a chicken wing shortage happening in our area? That, along with the pumpkin shortage is bound to have it's ill effects on all of us.... LOL
Comment by Di — October 29, 2009 @ 3:43 pm