Everyday Food (July/August 2008)
When barbecuing chicken over the years, we've always done it the same way: create a barbecue sauce, marinate the chicken in said sauce, grill, and baste. It was a simple approach with varied but good results.
Turns out we've been doing it wrong.
Everyday Food advises that the sauce should only be applied in the final minutes of grilling. This prevents the sweet sauce from becoming burned or scorched.
The first time we heard this advice was on Good Food, which we've raved about before. (Seriously, start listening!) Nicely summed up on their website:
KNOW WHEN TO BASTE: Oil-and-vinegar-, citrus-, and yogurt-based bastes and marinades can be brushed on the meat throughout the cooking time. (If you baste with a marinade that you used for raw meat or seafood, do not apply it during the last 3 minutes of cooking.) When using a sugar-based barbecue sauce, apply it toward the end of the cooking time. The sugar in these sauces burns easily and should not be exposed to prolonged heat.
The logical question/fear that we had upon hearing this was that with sauce only applied at the end, would the chicken be flavorless?
Enter Everyday Food. Their solution is to create a smoky rub, consisting of paprika and chili powder, that is applied to the chicken prior to grilling. These spices give the chicken a wonderful base of flavor, that is then enhanced by application of the barbecue sauce in the final 5 minutes of cooking.
Our chicken turned out far above any barbecue chicken we've made in the past: packed with flavor and spice.
Have any tips for creating even better bbq chicken? Other grilling tips to share? Leave them in the comments!
Best BBQ Chicken
Everyday Food (July/August 2008)
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Serves 4
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes
vegetable oil, for grates
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
coarse salt & ground pepper
1 chicken (about 3 pounds) cut into 10 pieces
2 cups Simple Barbecue Sauce (see below)
1. Heat grill to medium. Lightly oil grates. In a small bowl, combine paprika, chili powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle spice rub all over chicken. Reserve 1 cup barbecue sauce in small bowl for serving. Keep remaining sauce in another bowl for basting.
2. Grill chicken, turning often, until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes (if browning too quickly, move to cooler part of grill). During final 5 minutes of cooking, baste chicken with barbecue sauce. Serve chicken with reserved sauce.
Simple Barbecue Sauce
Everyday Food (July/August 2008)
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1 24-ounce bottle of ketchup (about 3 cups)
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced by a third, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before using. To store, refrigerate, up to 2 weeks. Makes 3 1/2 cups.
