BBQ BRICK CHICKEN
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| Seriously Tender and Juicy |
Every once in awhile I pick up an idea for a great dish from Guy Fieri. The dude is crazy and wacky but he sure can cook. I watched him make a variation of this on the Today Show and modified it to suit my tastes. I give him full credit for the inspiration and Brick Chicken is now a family favorite.
Ingredients
- For The Brine:
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 3 cups ice
- One 5- to 7-pound whole chicken
- For The Sauce:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 4 Tbsp Prickly Pear Jelly
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- For dry rub:
- 2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp plus Szego Hot Paprika
- 1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Lemon, juiced
Preparation
Place the whole chicken, breast-side down, on cutting board. Using and electrice knife, serrated knife or kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting up from the tailbone to the neck on both sides.
For the brine:
To a small saucepan, add 1 cup water, the salt, sugar, bay leaves and garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once at a simmer, turn off the heat and add the ice. Once the liquid is cool, place into a resealable bag over a bowl and add the chicken to the brine, making sure it is completely submersed. Allow to brine in the fridge for at least an 60 mimutes but preferably several hours
Make the sauce:
In a small pot over medium-low heat, combine orange juice, prickly pear jelly, soy sauce and sherry vinegar. When liquid simmers, whisk in the brown sugar and ginger. Simmer until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and let stand .
Needless to say, I like locally sourced ingredients and this is really good prickly pear jelly!
Needless to say, I like locally sourced ingredients and this is really good prickly pear jelly!
Preheat grill to medium
Rub the bird:
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Thoroughly mix herbs together in a small bowl and coat the chicken with the dry rub, making sure to sprinkle the bird liberally inside and out.
Hit The Grill:
Place chicken, breast side down first, for 7 to 8 minutes on a hot grill. Place a heavy weight (like a foil-wrapped brick) on top and press down firmly to flatten the chicken. Turn once and continue to grill, bone-side down for another 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium as it cooks if it starts to burn - this will allow the chicken to cook through.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken as it cooks and the skin gets browned and crispy. Remove brick and with a silicone pastry brush, glaze the chicken with the Cactus Jelly Sauce during the last 5 minutes. The chicken is doen when an instant-read thermometer tucked under the breast will read 165 degrees. Allow the chicken to rest for 6 to 8 minutes.
Carve and Serve:
Carve the chicken into breasts, thighs and wings. Arrange on a large serving dish alongside the sauce.
Buon Appetito!!
Buon Appetito!!
