Labor Day...Fast And Easy Barbecue Chicken

Having just returned from a tough trip, the last thing on my mind is cooking for a large group of people.  Moreover, it is supposed to pour on Labor Day as we are projected to receive quite a bit of rain from a tropical storm coming in from the South.

This chicken caught my eye as I was browsing through the Fine Cooking website.  It looks perfect for the iffy situation this weekend.  I do not like to grill boneless and skinless pieces of meat as I find they usually come out on the dry side.  Instead, remove the skin after cooking if you want.  To me, it is the best part.

Serve with coleslaw on the side and the blackberry cobbler featured on the country blog. 

Ingredients

6 Tbs. dark brown sugar

1 Tbs. chili powder

2 tsp. dry mustard

Kosher salt

8 chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry (original recipe calls for boneless and skinless)

3/4 cup tomato ketchup

1/4 cup low-salt soy sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. Chipotle Tabasco or other chipotle hot sauce; more to taste

Directions 

Heat a gas grill to between medium and medium high. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbs. of the brown sugar with the chili powder, dry mustard, and 1 Tbs. salt. Spread the chicken thighs on a large baking sheet and rub the spice mix all over them.

In a small saucepan, whisk the remaining 4 Tbs. brown sugar with the ketchup, soy sauce, cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard; bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar and blend the flavors. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Taste and add a pinch of salt, if needed. Stir in the Chipotle Tabasco, adding more to taste.

Spread the chicken thighs out on the grill, cover, and cook on the first side until they turn a deep reddish brown and begin to blacken in places (they'll also shrink and plump up), 4 to 5 minutes (rotate the thighs once 90 degrees on each side for the most even cooking). Flip the thighs and continue to cook on the second side until they're firm, deeply colored, and slightly blackened in places, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a brush, dab a generous amount of sauce over the top of the chicken, cook for 1 minute, flip, slather the other side with sauce, cook for 1 minute, and remove from the heat. Arrange on a platter and serve with any remaining sauce.

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine.