Sweet and Tangy BBQ Chicken

It wouldn’t be an American summer gettogether without grilled chicken brushed with our delicious homemade barbecue sauce. To help you enjoy more time with your guests and not worry about undercooking, completely precook the chicken in the oven and keep it refrigerated up to a day. Then, when you’re ready to dine, just warm up the chicken on the grill and brush on the sauce.

PREP: 15 minutes plus oven-steaming

GRILL: 15 to 20 minutes

MAKES: 12 main-dish servings

OVEN-STEAMED CHICKEN

3 chickens (about 4 pounds each), each cut into quarters, skin removed if you like

1½ teaspoons salt

2 lemons, cut into wedges

1 large onion (12 ounces), cut into wedges

SWEET AND TANGY BARBECUE SAUCE

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion (12 ounces), chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed with garlic press

¼ cup chili powder

1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree

1 jar (12 ounces) apricot preserves

½ cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1. Prepare oven-steamed chicken: Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange chicken quarters in large roasting pan (17" by 11 ½"), overlapping pieces if necessary. Sprinkle chicken with salt; top with lemon wedges and onion. Cover roasting pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Oven-steam chicken until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with tip of knife, about 1 ¼ hours, turning chicken halfway through baking time to ensure even cooking. Discard lemons and onion. Refrigerate broth for use another day. Transfer chicken to large platter; cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.

2. Prepare barbecue sauce: In 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil over medium heat until hot. (Do not use a smaller pan; sauce bubbles up and splatters during cooking—the deeper the pan, the better.) Add chopped onion and cook until tender and golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and chili powder; cook 1 minute. Remove saucepot from heat; carefully stir in remaining sauce ingredients. Heat sauce to boiling over medium-low heat and cook, partially covered, 10 minutes to thicken slightly, stirring occasionally.

3. Transfer sauce to bowl; if not using right away, cover and store up to 1 week in refrigerator or 2 months in freezer. Makes about 6 cups.

4. Prepare outdoor grill for covered direct grilling over medium heat. Reserve 3 cups barbecue sauce for serving. Place chicken on hot grill rack; cover grill and cook 10 minutes, turning chicken once. Cook chicken 5 to 10 minutes longer, turning occasionally and frequently brushing with remaining sauce until chicken is heated through and sauce is browned. Heat reserved sauce to serve with chicken.

EACH SERVING: About 315 calories, 44g protein, 6g carbohydrate, 12g total fat (3g saturated), 135mg cholesterol, 540mg sodium