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Labor Day: Barbecued Chicken on a Charcoal Grill

Source of Recipe


Cook's Illustrated "American Classics"



List of Ingredients



• -- Barbecue Sauce --
  
• 3 cups bottled barbecue sauce
  
• ½ cup molasses
  
• ½ cup catsup
  
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
  
• 3 Tbsp brown mustard
  
• 2 tsp onion powder
  
• 1 tsp garlic powder
  
• .
  
• -- Chicken --
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
  
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  
• 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (breasts, whole legs, thighs, and/or drumsticks), trimmed and breasts halved
  
• .
  
• 13- x 9-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan
  






Instructions



1. For the sauce:
   Whisk all ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until sauce is thick and reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. (Sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 week.)
   
   
2. For the chicken:
   Mix salt, black pepper and cayenne in small bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and rub spice mixture over chicken pieces.
   
   
3. Open bottom grill vent. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with fine gray ash, about 20 minutes. Place 13- x 9-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan on half of grill and pour coals in even layer over other half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, open vent lids completely, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush, and oil grate.
   
   
4. Place chicken, skin-side down, on cooler side of grill. Cover, with half-opened lid vents over chicken, and cook until chicken begins to brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Move chicken into single line close to coals. Begin flipping chicken and brushing with 2 cups sauce every 5 minutes until sticky, about 20 minutes.
   
   
5. Slide chicken pieces over coals and continue to brush chicken until sauce on chicken becomes crusted and internal temperature of breast meat registers 165° F and legs, thighs and drusticks register 175° F, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Remove foil and serve, passing remaining sauce at table.
   
   Serves 4 to 6