San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Smoked Chicken from “Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ”
Smaller than a whole hog, chickens are ideal for an aspiring barbecue master with less space to work with. Rodney Scott’s technique, outlined in detail in “Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ” (Clarkson Potter), isn’t complicated but it’ll generate juicy birds that you can either serve straight or mix into other dishes, like salad or Scott’s one-pot chicken perloo.
For the chicken
2 whole chickens (3 to 4 pounds each), spatchcocked and halved through the breastplate
3 tablespoons Rib Rub
4 cups Rodney’s Sauce
Fire up your grill to between 225 and 250 degrees F.
Sprinkle the chickens on all sides with the rib rub. Place the chicken onto the hot grill, bone-side down. Close and cook until the bone sides are nicely browned, about 1 hour and 30 minutes, being careful to maintain a steady grilling temperature between 225 and 250 degrees F.
Mop the skin side with the sauce, then flip the chickens and mop the bone side with sauce as well. Close and cook until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 1 hour.
Mop the chickens once more. Take them off the grill and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
For the rib rub
½ cup Diamond Crystal kosher
salt
¼ cup MSG
¼ cup freshly ground black
pepper
¼ cup paprika
¼ cup chile powder
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
tablespoons garlic powder
tablespoons onion powder
teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix all of the ingredients and place them in an airtight container. Cover and store in a cool dry place until ready to use. Makes two cups.
For Rodney’s sauce
1 gallon distilled white vinegar
1 lemon, thinly sliced ½ cup ground black pepper
cup cayenne pepper
1¼ tablespoons red pepper
flakes
cups sugar
In a small stockpot, warm the vinegar over mediumhigh heat. After about 5 minutes, when the vinegar reaches 150 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, just before it starts to simmer, add the lemon slices and continue to cook until the lemon peels begin to soften and wilt, about 10 minutes more.
Whisk in the black pepper, cayenne, pepper flakes, and sugar. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the sauce reaches 190 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to completely cool before using. Makes 1 gallon. Once the lemon is removed, the sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 8 weeks.
More online
For more recipes from the cookbooks, go to sfchronicle.com/food