Alabama Barbecued Chicken
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS For Alabama-inspired barbecued chicken, we ditched the tomato and slathered a mayonnaise-based
sauce on hickory-smoked chicken. Smoking generally takes hours, but our recipe expedites
the process by cutting the chickens in half and cooking them in the middle of the
grill, sandwiched between piles of smoking coals topped with hickory chips. We coated
our chickens with the traditional Alabama mixture of seasoned mayonnaise and vinegar
two times during cooking so the hot chicken absorbed the sauce and was flavored through
and through. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Hickory wood chips are traditional here; however, any type of wood chips will work fine. Two medium wood chunks, soaked in water for one hour, can be substituted for the wood chips on a charcoal grill.
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SAUCE |
|
|
¾ |
cup mayonnaise |
|
2 |
tablespoons cider vinegar |
|
2 |
teaspoons sugar |
|
½ |
teaspoon prepared horseradish |
|
½ |
teaspoon salt |
|
½ |
teaspoon black pepper |
|
¼ |
teaspoon cayenne pepper |
|
CHICKEN |
|
|
1 |
teaspoon salt |
|
1 |
teaspoon black pepper |
|
½ |
teaspoon cayenne pepper |
|
2 |
(3½- to 4-pound) whole chickens |
|
2 |
cups wood chips, soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained |
|
1 |
(13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal) |
1. FOR THE SAUCE: Process ingredients in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
2. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine salt, pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of backbone to remove it. Trim any excess fat or skin at neck. Flip chicken over and, using chef’s knife, cut through breastbone to separate chicken into halves. Repeat with other chicken. Pat chickens dry with paper towels and rub them evenly with spice mixture. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top.
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent halfway and place disposable pan in center of grill. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into 2 even piles on either side of pan. Place wood chip packet on 1 pile of coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL: Place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-low. (Adjust burners as needed to maintain grill temperature around 350 degrees.)
4. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken skin side down on grill (in center of grill if using charcoal). Cover (positioning lid vent over chicken if using charcoal) and cook chicken until well browned on bottom and thighs register 120 degrees, 35 to 45 minutes.
5. Flip chicken skin side up. Cover and continue to cook chicken until skin is golden brown and crisp and breasts register 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
6. Transfer chicken to carving board and brush with 2 tablespoons sauce. Tent chicken with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Brush chicken with remaining sauce, carve, and serve.