Grilled chicken has rarely tasted better than it does in this recipe for whole chili-lime rubbed butterflied (spatchcock) chicken, fired up on my Grill Dome ceramic cooker.  By removing the backbone from the chicken and grilling it bone-side down, you are not only allowing the chicken to slow roast without drying out or burning from direct flame but also making sure the dark and white meat cook evenly.

GRILLED CHILI-LIME BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Ingredients

8 cups water

¼ cup Kosher salt

¼ cup brown sugar

2 (3lb.) chickens

¼ cup olive oil

Chili-lime salt (recipe follows)

 

Instructions

Combine water, salt, and brown sugar in a container large enough to hold the two chickens and stir until the salt has completely dissolved.

Place chickens on a large cutting board breast side down and remove the backbone from each chicken using kitchen shears or poultry shears.  Turn the chickens over and open up like a book, pressing down until the breastbone cracks and the chickens lay flat.

Place chickens in the brine mixture and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. 

Prepare Grill Dome for medium heat cooking, approximately 325 degrees.  Add 2-3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to ashed over charcoal for maximum smoke flavor.  Place a water filled aluminum half pan on the indirect cooking rack and put the main cooking grate in place.

Remove the chickens from the brine, rinse, and pat dry.  Coat both sides of the chickens with olive oil then season liberally with chili-lime salt. 

Place one butterflied chicken bone side down on the main cooking grate.  Add the grill extender rack and set the second chicken bone side down on the rack.  

Close the Grill Dome lid and allow the chickens to grill for approximately 1.5 hours until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast meat.  Remove chickens from the grill and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

CHILI-LIME SALT

Ingredients

2 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. lime zest

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tbsp. brown sugar

 

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Disclosure:  My Grill Dome cooker was provided for free by the company for recipe testing purposes.

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With Thanksgiving just a week away, it's not only time to consider what to cook for the big meal but also what to do with that leftover turkey. 

And while few things beat a little turkey, Dukes mayo, and pepper on white bread, one of my family's favorite post-Thanksgiving dishes is a soul warming leftover turkey gumbo.

LEFTOVER THANKSGIVING TURKEY GUMBO

Ingredients

1 pound. smoked sausage such as Kielbasa

1 pound grilled or smoked turkey, roughly chopped

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 cup flour

1 cup minced celery

1 cup minced onion

1 cup minced green bell pepper

64 ounces chicken or turkey stock

2 tablespoons file powder

Kosher salt and ground cayenne pepper to taste

 

Instructions

Prepare grill for medium-high heat (approximately 400 degrees).  Pre-heat a large stockpot on the grill. 

Slice smoked sausage into 1/4-inch rounds and add to stockpot. Sauté sausage slices until lightly browned.

Remove sausage from the stockpot, leaving the grease. Add canola oil and flour to the pot to create a roux.  Cook flour and oil for approximately 20 minutes, stirring frequently until it turns chocolate brown.

Add vegetables and cook until softened, stirring periodically.

Add the turkey, sausage, and chicken broth.  Allow the gumbo to simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Stir in file powder to thicken the gumbo.

Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.  Serve immediately along with white rice and/or crusty bread.

Impress your guests this Thanksgiving by giving up the oven in favor of your smoker or grill when preparing holiday bird.  To get you started, here's our recipe for the perfect smoked turkey.  

As with any protein you are grilling, the key to success is to pay close attention to the desired internal temperature as even a few extra degrees can mean the difference between a moist turkey and a dried out bird-shaped brick.  

As such, we recommend investing in a quality instant read thermometer like the chef favorite Thermapen (MRP $99.00) or ThermoPop (MRP $29.00).  

NOTE:  Before preparing, note that this recipe calls for brining the turkey first in order to ensure maximum moistness and flavor.  That said, be careful in selecting your bird as many of the big brand turkeys come pre-injected with a salt-base solution designed to keep it moist during the cooking process.

If using one of these pre-injected turkeys, it is important to skip the brining process as this will result in an overly salty main course.

SMOKED TURKEY

Ingredients

12-14lb. turkey, thawed

2 gallons water

1 cup Kosher salt

¾ cup brown sugar

1.5 cup BBQ dry rub seasoning

3 tbsp. canola oil

 

Instructions

Heat the water, Kosher salt, brown sugar, and 1 cup BBQ dry rub seasoning in a large pot over medium high heat.  Simmer for approximately 20 minutes until the salt, brown sugar and dry rub have completely dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow the liquid to cool to room temperature.

Place turkey in a large stockpot and cover completely with the saltwater brine, weighting it down if necessary to ensure it is completely submerged.  Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour per pound.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well.  Discard the brine and allow the turkey to air dry for approximately an hour.  Prepare a chimney of charcoal and add to the smoker*.  Add 3-4 chunks of your favorite smoking wood.  Preheat smoker for medium low cooking, approximately 250 degrees.  Rub the turkey with the canola oil and season with the remaining ½ cup of BBQ dry rub.

Place the turkey on the smoker, cover, and allow it to smoke for 4-5 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Remove the turkey from the grill, tent loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving. 

* Editor’s note:  If you do not have a smoker, prepare grill for indirect cooking, placing charcoal briquets on two sides of the grill and a disposable aluminum half pan in the center. 

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If pigs had feathers and said "cluck" then we'd all be eating chicken bacon.

Recently I was preparing to make some grilled chicken club sandwiches for the family when I realized that the package of bacon that I thought was in the fridge was no longer there.

While I could have continued with the sandwiches sans bacon, they just wouldn't be the same without a bit of salty crunch.  And so chicken bacon was born.

By removing the skin from the chicken thighs and allowing them to render directly on the grill grate, I was able to create crispy, bacon-like strips that were just as flavorful as traditional bacon when added to the rest of the sandwiches.

Behold the grilled "chicken bacon" sandwich, aka the CBLT, with fire roasted garlic mayo and crispy chicken skins!

GRILLED CHICKEN BACON SANDWICH

Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

2 tbsp. of your favorite BBQ dry rub seasoning

I head of garlic

1/2 tsp. olive oil

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 loaf crusty Italian bread, cut into 4-inch sections and sliced horizontally

Lettuce, roughly chopped

2 tomatoes, thinly slices

 

Instructions

Prepare grill for 2-zone cooking, placing pre-heated Kingsford briquets on one side of the charcoal grate to create a hot and a cool zone.  Add 2-3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal briquets.  Place the main cooking grate on the grill and adjust the vents to bring the temperature to 400 degrees.  

Remove the skin from the chicken and lightly season both sides with BBQ dry rub.  Season both sides of the chicken thighs with BBQ dry rub.   Remove the top from the garlic and wrap it in a double layer of foil along with the olive oil.

Set the foil wrapped garlic on the hot side of the grill then add the chicken thighs.  Brown the thighs on both sides then move them to the cool side of the grill and cover.  Allow the thighs to smoke for 10 minutes then add the the chicken skins to the cool side of the grill.  

Cover the grill and allow the thighs and chicken skin to cook for approximately 10 more minutes until the thighs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees (we recommend investing in an instant read thermometer such as the Thermapen) and most of the fat has rendered from the chicken skins.  

Remove the thighs and foil wrapped garlic from the grill and move the skins to the hot side of the grill.  Carefully grill the skins, turning frequently until crisp, approximately 3 minutes.  Remove the chicken skins from the grill and set aside until ready to use. 

Squeeze 3-4 of the roasted garlic cloves from the head of garlic and place in a small bowl.  Mash the garlic with the backside of a spoon and blend with the mayonnaise.  Remove the bones from the chicken thighs and slice the meat.

Spread the garlic mayonnaise on both sides of the Italian bread.  Place sliced chicken on the bottom halves of the bread (note: you may note use all of the chicken. If not, simply reserve for later.), top with lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and crispy chicken skins (aka chicken bacon). Add the top of the Italian bread and serve immediately.

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