The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
SMOKED CHICKEN
“My mother used to make what we called ‘barbecue chicken’ in the oven,” Rodney Scott recalls in his new “World of Bbq”cookbook.“it was basically baked chicken with commercial barbecue sauce. I don’t want to knock it. I enjoyed that baked chicken, but I wouldn’t call it barbecue. It wasn’t until later, when we added chicken to the menu at the family restaurant that I got into true smoked chicken. The oven and the pit are very different, obviously. When you taste this chicken, you’ll have a hard time going back to your oven.”
Note: Spatchcock chickens are often available at stores like Whole Foods, but many butchers will do it for you. And there are plenty of videos online, if you want to try your hand at removing the chickens’ backbones, so they lie flat on the grill, and cook more evenly.
2 whole chickens (3 to 4 pounds each), spatchcocked and halved through the breastplate (a total of 4 halves)
3 tablespoons Rib Rub
(see recipe)
4 cups Rodney’s Sauce (see recipe)
Fire up your grill to between 225 and 250 degrees.
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.
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 degrees, about 1 hour.
Mop the chickens once more. Take them off the grill and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 4-6.
Per serving, based on 4: 464 calories (percent of calories from fat, 52), 25 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 28 grams total fat (6 grams saturated), 81 milligrams cholesterol, 1,372 milligrams sodium.
— All recipes from “Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day” by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie (Clarkson Potter, $29.99). Copyright © 2021 by Rodney Scott’s BBQ, LLC.