Grilled Chicken with Mole BBQ Sauce
Grilled Chicken with Mole BBQ Sauce
Serves 6 to 8
For the Mole BBQ Sauce:
1 cup (315 g) tomato ketchup
1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
2 ounces (55 g) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely grated
1/4 cup (60 ml) mesquite-flavored liquid smoke
4 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, with clinging sauce, coarsely chopped, or more to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon pure ground ancho chile
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
For the Ancho Rub:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pure ground ancho chile
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Two 4-pound (1.8-kg) chickens, cut into 4 drumsticks, 4 thighs, 4 wings, 4 breast halves, and 2 backs
Olive oil, for coating the chicken
Directions:
1. Make the BBQ sauce: Bring the ketchup, 1 cup (240 ml) water, the sugar, chocolate, liquid smoke, chipotles with adobo, garlic powder, onion powder, ancho, paprika, mustard, cumin, oregano, and pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Season it with salt and let it cool. PureÅLe the mixture in a blender, adding more chipotles, if you wish.
2. Make the rub: Mix the salt, ancho, mustard, cumin, oregano, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a small bowl.
3. Arrange the chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet and brush it all over with oil. Season it on both sides with the rub. Let it stand at room temperature while heating the grill. (Or cover and refrigerate the chicken for up to 12 hours; let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.)
4. Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect cooking over medium-high heat. For a charcoal grill, let the coals burn until they are covered with white ash and you can hold your hand about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the cooking grate for about 2 seconds. Leave the coals in the center of the grill. For a gas grill, preheat the grill on high. Turn the burner(s) off on one side of the grill, and adjust the heat to 450.F (230.C).
5. Brush the grill grates clean. Arrange the chicken pieces on the empty areas of the grill, placing them around the coals in the center of the charcoal grill, or on the off side of the gas grill. Cook them, with the lid closed as much as possible, flipping the chicken occasionally, until the chicken shows no sign of pink when pierced at the drumstick bone, 50 minutes to 1 hour. For a charcoal grill, after 25 minutes, add six to eight more pieces of charcoal to maintain the heat. During the last 10 minutes, occasionally turn the chicken and generously brush it on all sides with about half of the BBQ sauce.
6. Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve it hot, with the remaining sauce passed on the side. (The remaining BBQ sauce can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)