Deep In The Heart Of Texas Backyard Barbeque Chicken Recipes

TEXAS BBQ CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, paprika, salt, dry mustard, chili powder, vinegar, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable juice cocktail, ketchup, water and garlic. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts.
• Bake uncovered, for 35 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove chicken breasts, shred with a fork, and return to the sauce. Bake in the oven for an additional 10 minutes so the chicken can soak up more flavor. Serve on a bed of rice with freshly ground black pepper.

TEXAS-STYLE BARBECUED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a medium-sized saucepan over moderate heat, heat oil 1 minute. Add onion and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft-about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Add ketchup, bourbon, stock, molasses, vinegar, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and hot red pepper sauce and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes; set aside or cool, store in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Gently pull the skin back from the chicken to expose the flesh but do not tear or remove it.
• Place in a large self-sealing plastic bag, add half of the sauce, seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Refrigerate remaining sauce until ready to use. Preheat the grill.
• Remove chicken from bag, reserving sauce. Smooth chicken skin back into place and arrange chicken, skin side down, 12.5 cm (5 inches) above a drip pan over glowing coals. Cover the grill, leaving the vents halfway open (or adjusting for the wind and outdoor temperature).
• Cook chicken, turning once, until both sides are browned-15 to 20 minutes. Brush chicken generously with sauce and continue grilling and basting, turning once, until the meat near the thigh bone is no longer pink when cut-25 to 30 minutes more.

TEXAS BBQ MEDLEY

Steps:

• You'll need to brine the meat at least 24 hrs before your BBQ. First, spatchcock the chicken. Flip the chicken over so the backbone is facing you. Use a sturdy pair of kitchen or poultry scissors to cut down either side of the backbone, then discard. Turn the chicken over and push down firmly on the breastbone to flatten out the bird. Make a few slashes in each leg joint. (Watch a video showing how to spatchcock a chicken at bbcgoodfood.com/videos/spatchcock.)
• Put each cut of meat in a separate, large sealable bag. Sprinkle 1 tbsp salt into each bag and massage it all over the meat. Squeeze the air from the bags, seal tightly and put in the fridge for 24 hrs.
• Tip the remaining salt, fennel seeds and peppercorns into a mortar. Tear the bay into small pieces and add this too. Crush the ingredients with the pestle until finely ground. Add the cayenne, paprika, garlic salt and sugars, and mix well. Remove the meat from the bags and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cover each cut with the rub, making sure you get into every nook. Return to the fridge for at least 1-2 hrs while you prepare the barbecue, or up to 24 hrs.
• You'll need to start the barbecue 7-8 hrs before you want to eat. Heat the coals and leave them until ashen. Add your wood chips, if using. When the flames have died down and you're left with smoky cinders, push the coals and wood chips to one side of the BBQ pit, then replace the grill and add the beef and pork, placing them above the empty side of the pit - this will ensure the meat smokes but doesn't burn. Pull down the lid and cook the meat for 30-40 mins, turning every now and then, until a dark crust has formed around the meat. Don't be afraid to take it quite far, the crust should be almost black (but caramelised as opposed to burnt). Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1.
• Transfer the meat to roasting tins, wrap tightly with foil and cook in the oven for 5-6 hrs until really tender.
• When the meat has 1 - 1 1/ 2 hrs to go, reheat the BBQ and wait for the coals to turn ashen before adding more wood chips. When the flames have died down, push to one side as before. Put the chicken on the BBQ, bone-side down, above the empty side of the pit. Cook for 20-25 mins on each side or until cooked through - check by piercing a leg to see if the juices are clear, or use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 70C. Wrap tightly in foil and set aside to rest.
• After 5-6 hrs, the beef and pork should be really tender. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 mins. If you've made a BBQ sauce (see the Texas BBQ sauce recipe here), brush this over the meat for a glossy finish. Remove any string from the pork and shred the meat. Cut the chicken into portions and serve everything on a big platter with the sliced sweet onions, gherkins and sides.

BACKYARD BARBECUED CHICKEN WITH HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-low, and brush the grate with oil.
• Season both sides of the chicken legs with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side down, and cook, adjusting the chicken's position and turning the pieces occasionally, until it appears to be about halfway cooked, about 15 minutes. Then use a basting brush to brush the chicken legs with the barbecue sauce, and continue to cook, turning the pieces frequently and reapplying barbecue sauce each time the chicken is turned, until it is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 to 165 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the chicken hot or warm.