Barbecue - Chicken Pieces
The secret to really superlative barbecued chicken that has moist, tender meat and sticky, pleasantly smoky outer coating is to lower the heat of the fire and not add sauce until the last minutes of cooking. It's also much easier to cook un-boned meat than boned - so if you are a beginner, consider starting with good quality chicken breasts and working your way up to wings, legs and thighs. Breast cooks easier and more evenly because the meat around the bone isn't 'held back' by the bone's density.
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Lightly oil or spray a clean grill rack. Dry chicken on kitchen towels to ensure it doesn't give off lots of water or fat that will make your grill spit. Marinate or rub chicken; spices suitable for rubs are cayenne, pepper, a pinch of garam masala, dried thyme, and a little sugar, or buy a barbecue mix to suit your taste. Remove the skin before seasoning and rub the seasoning in well. Place the chicken on the grill once it has pre-heated to medium and cook for thirty minutes, turning every five, minutes and rotating as needed to balance hot and cool spots on your grill. After twenty-five minutes, check with a meat thermometer. Sauces shouldn't be used until the chicken is close to done. Their high sugar content make them burn and that is why we are often faced with chicken that is black outside and raw inside! So to avoid this, brush with sauce or glaze about five or ten minutes before removing the chicken from the grill. Barbecue chicken photograph by Adactio, used under a creative commons attribution licence.
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