BARBECUED PULLED CHICKEN
Makes: 8
Chicken:
1 cup (250 mL) salt 2 (4-lb/1.8-kg) whole chickens, giblets discarded ( halve the chickens yourself or buy halved chickens from your butcher) Pepper 2 cups (500 mL) wood chips, soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained
Sauce:
2 tsp (10 mL) vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped fine 4 cups (1 L) chicken broth 1 1/4 cups (310 mL) cider vinegar 1 cup (250 mL) brewed coffee 3/4 cup (180 mL) molasses 1/2 cup (125 mL) tomato paste 1/2 cup (125 mL) ketchup 2 tbsp (30 mL) brown mustard 1 tbsp (15 mL) hot sauce 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) garlic powder 1/4 tsp (60 mL) liquid smoke
1. Dissolve salt in 4 quarts (4 L) cold water in large container. Remove backbones and split chickens in half lengthwise through centre of breastbone.
2. Using metal skewer, poke 20 holes all over each chicken half. Submerge chicken halves in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Remove chicken halves from brine, pat dry with paper towels, and season with pepper. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked wood chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in broth, vinegar, coffee, molasses, tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, hot sauce and garlic powder, and bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture is thick and reduced to 4 cups (1 L) about 65 to 75 minutes. Stir in liquid smoke; reserve 1 cup (250 mL) sauce for serving. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
6. For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts/6 L). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into steeply banked pile against side of grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.
7. For a gas grill: Place wood chip packet over primary burner. Turn all burners to high, cover and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
8. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken halves skin side up on cool side of grill with legs closest to heat source. Cover and cook until breasts register 160 F (70 C) and thighs register 175 F (80 C) 75 to 85 minutes.
9. Transfer chicken to carving board, tent loosely with foil and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard skin. Pull meat off bones, separating dark and light meat. Roughly chop dark meat into 1/2-inch (1-cm) pieces. Shred white meat into thin strands.
10. Add chicken to pot with sauce and cook over medium-low heat until chicken is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve on hamburger rolls, with extra reserved sauce as desired.