Cocoa Chipotle Adobo Wings or Ribs

This smokey sauce has mole sauce in its DNA.  Cocoa, raisins and smokey chipotle peppers in adobo sauce come together for a rich note with a spicy kick. You can use this sauce and marinade for ribs as well, or for just baking chicken in the oven.  Its a handy sauce to know.

Get your summer grill cooking with this.
Cocoa Chipotle Marinade and sauce:
1 jalapeño pepper, quartered
3 cloves garlic, halved
1 Tbsp golden raisins
palmful of fresh mint
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
juice of 1 lime and 1 lemon
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp honey
2 chipotle peppers with 1 Tbsp Adobo sauce

3 lbs wings, separated, or boneless pork country ribs, Cut 1-inch thick

Place the jalapeño, garlic and raisins in a small food processor and pulse until minced. Add the green onion and mint and pulse again until minced. Then add the remaining marinade ingredients and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. This should make about 1-3/4 cups.

Pout just over half of marinade into a large bowl, and reserve there remainder for basting later. Tip the wings or ribs into the marinade in the bowl and stir well. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours or even better, overnight.

Heat grill to medium. Pour half the remaining sauce into a small bowl for the table side.  Grill wings or ribs for 5 minutes one side, then baste with remaining sauce. Flip and grill five minutes the second side. Baste the second side. Flip and grill on high another 5 minutes, basting generously with sauce. Watch carefully to avoid burning the wings which can occur with the high sugar content of the sauce.

Serve with remaining sauce on the side and with lemon and lime wedges.

 Serves 4-6.

Cook’s Note: Alternatively, you can take Mark Bittman’s approach of the NYT, and heat the grill to high. Then turn one half off and place the wings on the 'off' side. Close and cook for about 15 minutes. Then come back and finish the wings with about 2-3 minutes per side on the hot side. This is a good way to avoid burning.