Thanks to an overnight marinade, a spice-and-sugar rub, a sweet-sour mop, and four hours on the grill, this amber-colored chicken turns out very delectable. Place the chicken upright inside the grill on top of a partially filled can of beer to make it extra moist.
Ingredients
Marinated chicken
1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup honey
4 garlic cloves (minced)
Three little shallots, chopped
A smidgeon of kosher salt
1/4 tsp finely ground pepper
Half a cup of olive oil
Three-and-a-half-pound chickens
Rub
- One and a half tablespoons of granulated sugar
- One and a half tablespoons of light brown sugar
- one and a half tablespoons of garlic salt
- One tablespoon plus one-half teaspoon of sweet paprika, smoked
- One teaspoon of dried onion powder
- One tsp finely ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram
- One-half teaspoon of cayenne
Mop
- ½ cup white wine, dry
- Half a cup of apple juice
Guidelines
Step 1
Combine the vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, shallots, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil gradually. Transfer the birds into a two-gallon plastic bag that can be sealed, then add the marinade. To ensure the hens are well coated, seal and turn. Chill for the entire night, rotating occasionally.
Step 2
Light fifty briquettes of charcoal with a chimney. Insert a cork through the thermometer’s wand and use it to block one of the grill lid’s air vents. If the fire gets too hot, close the vents; if it gets too cold, open them. Keep the remaining lid vents open and adjust the bottom vents as necessary.
Step 3
Whisk together the wine and apple juice in a small bowl or spray bottle, and combine all the rub components in a bowl.
Step 4
Drain the chickens. Set them on a large rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle all over with the rub, inside and out.
Step 5
When the coals are hot, push them to one side of the grill and set a drip pan half-filled with water on the other side. Using tongs, transfer 4 of the hot coals to the chimney to light an additional 25 briquettes. Set the chickens breast side up on the grill grate over the drip pan, with their cavities facing the coals. Cover and cook for 2 hours, spraying the chickens with the mop every hour. Check the thermometer to maintain a temperature of 250° to 275°. Add more coals, 25 at a time, every hour or so as needed.
Step 6
Once the chicken have been cooking for two hours, flip them 90 degrees so that their sides are now facing the coals. Turning the chickens should be done carefully to preserve the juices inside the cavities. Use the mop to spritz the hens. After an hour of cooking under cover, flip the chickens so that their opposing sides are now facing the embers. After one or one and a half hours, or when an inner thigh thermometer registers 170°, spray once more, cover, and cook.
Step 7
Place the chickens on a baking sheet with a rim. Transfer the cavity juices into a bowl for serve. Give the chickens ten minutes to relax. Trim the legs completely and place them on a dish. After slicing the breast meat from the bone, place it on the tray. Pour any liquids that have collected into the serving basin. Serve the chicken with Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce and its juices.
Recommended Combination
The slightly sweet flavorings of this tender chicken point to a red wine that’s lighter and more restrained than most people would typically pair with barbecue. A Napa Valley blend of rustic red grapes, such as Charbono, Carignane, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, is a perfect choice here.
