Mmm, barbecue.
In honor of our winner, winner of a chicken dinner last Friday night, it seems only fitting to share how I do birds at home. The NoMad had it right, for so many reasons, including their use of the whole chicken. Easily resolving the household debate over making light meat versus dark meat, everyone’s mouths (and guts) win this way.
We have a soft spot for barbecued chicken, perhaps because grills are virtually inaccessible in Manhattan (at least to us high-rise folk), but also because we love the sauce. As a matter of principle, though, I refuse to spend $5.99 at Fairway for the artisanal brands that come in flavors like “jalapeno-hickory-peppercorn-smoke.” Not when I have ingredients in the pantry to create my own “proprietary” blend.
The Bird:
1 whole chicken, butchered into eight pieces
(I aim for a three-pounder. My market sells pre-butchered birds, but I like to choose a whole one and sweet talk the butcher into chopping it for me, anyway. The pre-butchered packs tend to contain more than we need.)
Salt and pepper, to taste
The Sauce:
1 18 oz. bottle of barbecue sauce (Yes, I still use a cheap bottle of barbecue sauce as the base for my “proprietary” blend. It’s Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. I worked today, and I never claimed to be a pit master.)
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ T. honey
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. sriracha sauce (If you don’t know it, get to know it. It’s like ketchup that went on a fiery joyride to hell. Use more if you’re feeling spicy.)
1 tsp. curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse the chicken and pat very dry with paper towels. Rub each piece down with salt and pepper. Spread the pieces out on the rack of a broiler pan (or two, if necessary). Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.
Create the sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl and stirring. Tough, right?
After 45 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, and baste liberally with the sauce on all sides. My two-dollar basting brush has been a game-changer for this step, but if you don’t have one, just be aggressive and dunk each piece in the bowl.
Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove and baste again.
Place back in the oven for another 8 minutes.
This is when things get heated. Turn on the broiler, and broil the chicken for 4-5 minutes until it is browned and crispy. But be sure to keep a close watch, because “browned” can be one minute away from “burnt.”
1 whole chicken, butchered into eight pieces
(I aim for a three-pounder. My market sells pre-butchered birds, but I like to choose a whole one and sweet talk the butcher into chopping it for me, anyway. The pre-butchered packs tend to contain more than we need.)
Salt and pepper, to taste
The Sauce:
1 18 oz. bottle of barbecue sauce (Yes, I still use a cheap bottle of barbecue sauce as the base for my “proprietary” blend. It’s Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. I worked today, and I never claimed to be a pit master.)
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ T. honey
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. sriracha sauce (If you don’t know it, get to know it. It’s like ketchup that went on a fiery joyride to hell. Use more if you’re feeling spicy.)
1 tsp. curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse the chicken and pat very dry with paper towels. Rub each piece down with salt and pepper. Spread the pieces out on the rack of a broiler pan (or two, if necessary). Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.
Create the sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl and stirring. Tough, right?
After 45 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, and baste liberally with the sauce on all sides. My two-dollar basting brush has been a game-changer for this step, but if you don’t have one, just be aggressive and dunk each piece in the bowl.
Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove and baste again.
Place back in the oven for another 8 minutes.
This is when things get heated. Turn on the broiler, and broil the chicken for 4-5 minutes until it is browned and crispy. But be sure to keep a close watch, because “browned” can be one minute away from “burnt.”
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