To apply, slide your fingers between the skin and the chicken, and gently lift up the skin over the breast. Massage an equal amount of the paste, about 2 tablespoons, under the skin of each chicken half.
THAI HERB PASTE
Like the Thai Marinade in Lesson #1, this herb paste is based on the classic Thai barbecued chicken,
gai yang issan
. Pair it with the Thai Sweet and Spicy Garlic Sauce (page 107) or the Thai Chili Sauce (page 107
)
.
WSM AND OFFSET
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
5 to 7 garlic cloves
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely
chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, stemmed and loosely packed
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 limes, juiced (about ¼ cup juice)
1 tablespoon canola oil
KETTLE
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
3 to 5 garlic cloves
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and
coarsely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro, stemmed and loosely
packed
½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
½ tablespoon ground coriander
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
½ tablespoon canola oil
In a food processor, pulse the garlic, ginger, and cilantro to chop. Scrape the sides of the bowl and pulse a few more times, until the ingredients are blended in a rough and crumbly mixture. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the pepper, coriander, lime juice, and oil. Use a pestle or the back of a large spoon or spatula to smash and blend the mixture until it comes together in a chunky paste. To apply, slide your fingers between the skin and the chicken, and gently lift up the skin over the breast. Massage an equal amount of the paste, about 2 tablespoons, under the skin of each chicken half. Rub another 2 tablespoons of the paste on top of each chicken half.
SALTIMBOCCA HERB PASTE
Although barbecue purists might think it’s too much of a stretch from traditional recipes, this twist on the classic Italian dish, which translates as “jump mouth,” is a showstopper on smoked chicken.
WSM AND OFFSET
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
4 tablespoons butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves
5 ounces prosciutto (or cured country ham),
cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dried crushed red pepper, to taste
KETTLE
MAKES ABOUT ¼ CUP
2 tablespoons butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 to 4 fresh sage leaves
2.5 ounces prosciutto (or cured country ham),
cut into 1-inch pieces
½ tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dried crushed red pepper, to taste
In a food processor, pulse the butter for 15 seconds. Add all of the remaining ingredients and pulse the mixture until the ingredients are blended.
To apply, slide your fingers between the skin and the chicken, and gently lift up the skin over the breast. Massage an equal amount of the paste, about 2 tablespoons under the skin of each chicken half.
SAUCES AND DIPS
GOOD BARBECUE REQUIRES LITTLE
—if anything—in the way of sauce. Too often, people paint or pour on sweet sauces that are too heavy, masking the authentic, smoky flavor of good barbecued chicken. The few sauces I do use regularly are either built to complement the flavors of a marinade or rub or served very sparingly—more as an extra hint of flavor than an actual condiment.
SOUTH CAROLINA MUSTARD BARBECUE SAUCE
I’ve taken one of the classic South Carolina-style mustard sauces and added a blend of my favorite dried, ground Mexican chili peppers. I recommend toasting and grinding whole, dried peppers instead of using the store-bought powder, or you can substitute two tablespoons of the Toasted Mexican Pepper Blend (page 18). It is a delicious condiment on pulled pork sandwiches or dip for smoked chicken. It can also be used to baste smoked chicken in the last twenty minutes of a cook.
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
⅔ cup yellow prepared mustard
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ancho powder
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon guajillo powder (optional)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Louisiana-style or Mexican-style hot
sauce, such as Texas Pete, Louisiana, or Búfalo
½ teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon butter
Combine all of the ingredients except the soy sauce and butter in a medium saucepan. Simmer the mixture over a medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes. Remove the sauce from heat. Stir in the soy sauce and butter.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
ALABAMA WHITE
SAUCE
This barbecue sauce, often linked to Big Bob Gibson’s Barbecue in Decatur, is a favorite in northern Alabama. Although barbecue is typically associated with tomato-based sauces, mayonnaise gives this sauce a rich, tangy flavor. The sauce should be used as a condiment because heat will cause the mayo to break down and separate if it is added while the meat is still on the cooker.
MAKES 1¼ CUPS
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
(about ½ lemon)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth.
CLASSIC
BARBECUE SAUCE
If you have a sweet tooth when it comes to barbecue sauces, this classic hits all the right notes. It doesn’t have the cloying sugary rush of most bottled sauces, because it’s balanced with the moderate heat of the Toasted Mexican Pepper Blend and tarted up with lemon juice.
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup finely chopped onion
2 cups ketchup
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons yellow prepared mustard
1 lemon, juiced (about 4 tablespoons juice)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Toasted Mexican Pepper Blend
(page 18) or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion in the butter until the onion is softened and barely caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes over medium-low heat.
Store, refrigerated, up to two weeks.
CHIMICHURRI
This classic sauce from Argentina is fresh and herbal—a perfect match for barbecued chicken or a steak just off the grill. Traditional recipes use only parsley, but adding an equal amount of cilantro smooths out the rough edges. This sauce is also excellent as a dip for breads or spread onto bruschetta and topped with roasted red peppers.
MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS
1 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley,
stemmed and tightly packed
1 cup fresh cilantro, stemmed and tightly packed
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
Store, refrigerated, up to two weeks.
THAI SWEET AND SPICY GARLIC SAUCE
Smoked chickens bathed in the Thai Marinade (page 67) or slathered in Thai Herb Paste (page 102) are dynamite paired with this traditional dipping sauce. Authentic recipes use dried Thai chiles. If you can find them in a local gourmet or Asian market, use ten stemmed, toasted, and crumbled dried Thai chiles in place of the dried crushed red pepper flakes.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
½ cup sugar
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup water
6 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, garlic, and salt in a nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking continuously. Reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce until it has thickened to the consistency of runny syrup, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the dried crushed red pepper flakes or toasted crumbled chiles. Let the sauce stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Store, refrigerated, for up to two days.
THAI CHILE DIPPING SAUCE
Straight out of the bottle,
nam pla
, or fish sauce, is not for the faint of heart. But a splash of the popular Southeast Asian seasoning adds depth and character to sauces and curries.
Another knockout dip for chicken with Thai Marinade (page 67), Lemongrass Brine (page 92), or Thai Herb Paste (page 102), this traditional sauce is the perfect example of how to balance very different flavors—from the sour tang of lime and the heat of chiles to the distinctly salty
nam pla
.
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
2½ teaspoons uncooked rice, toasted until
light brown (see Toasting Herbs and Spices,
page 18)
¼ cup
nam pla
(Thai fish sauce)
2 limes, juiced (about ½ cup juice)
2 tablespoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 green onions, chopped
Grind the toasted rice to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Pour the rice into a medium bowl. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, dried crushed red pepper flakes, and green onions to the bowl and stir. Let the sauce stand at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
Store, refrigerated, for up to two days.
PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
This sweet and savory sauce is a traditional side with chicken satay. It can be served with basic brined chicken, chicken with Thai Marinade (page 67), or chicken with Thai Herb Paste (page 102).
MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
¾ cup crunchy peanut butter
½ onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon
nam pla
(Thai fish sauce)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar or palm sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped or 1 lime, juiced
(about 2 tablespoons juice)
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk the mixture together and bring it to a simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken, about 8 to 10 minutes.
If the mixture becomes too thick to use as a dipping sauce, thin it with additional coconut milk. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature before serving.
Store, refrigerated, for up to two days.
BUFFALO SAUCE
Why screw around with wings when you can have a whole Buffalo-sauced chicken? This sauce can be brushed onto the skin of the chicken halves at the end of the cook or served as a dip on the side.
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup Louisiana-style or Mexican-style hot sauce,
such as Texas Pete, Louisiana, or Búfalo
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Pinch of kosher salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium non-reactive saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before serving.
Store, refrigerated, for up to one week.
LOW & SLOW QUIZ: LESSON 2
If you’ve successfully completed Lessons #1 and #2 at least two times apiece, you should know your cooker like an old friend. Answering these rudimentary questions should be second nature. If you strike out more than two times, repeat Lesson #2.