Slow Grilled Chicken with Barbecue Sauce

You need a covered grill, an oven thermometer and an afternoon for this crowd pleaser. It makes melt-in-your mouth chicken that is great even without any barbecue sauces or the rub.

• Four pounds of mixed bone-in, dark and white pieces of chicken
• Olive oil for basting
• Barbecue sauce (see recipe below or buy your favorite)

FOR THE RUB

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion salt
• 1/8 teaspoon thyme

1. Mix together the paprika, salt, sugar, black pepper, garlic powder, onion salt, cayenne pepper and thyme to make the rub.

2. Cut the breasts in half so the pieces are all about the same size and leave the skin on. You want about sixteen pieces of chicken--two each for eight of you.

3. Slather the rub on the chicken pushing it under the chicken skin where possible, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (But even an hour or so will improve the flavor.)

4. About four hours before you want to eat, turn the heat on the grill to high for 10 or 15 minutes. You want it hot enough to quickly brown chicken - 500°F or so. (If can hold your hand about three inches over the grill for only a second or two before you have to pull it back the temperature is about right.)

5. Sear the meat on both sides - 3 to 5 minutes per side

6. Then turn off all but one burner and move the chicken pieces to the side so they are not over the flame. Adjust the flame so that the temperature when the cover is down stays between 250°F and 275°F. If your grill is not equipped with an oven thermometer add it to your shopping list.

7. Turn the chicken about every 30 minutes, basting with olive oil as needed to keep it moist.

8. After about three-and-a-half hours check the chicken with a meat thermometer. It should be at about 170°F. Crank up the heat to 325°F for the last 15 minutes or so and baste with any barbecue sauce you might be using. If you baste it much earlier than that, the honey in the sauce will burn.

Barbecue Sauce

If you're going to pass yourself off as a budding gourmet cook, you must have your own barbecue sauce. Until you develop your own, use this one. It's, easy, sure-fire and tastes great. The trick is in the long, slow cooking of the onions. The longer the better.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• ½ cup water
• 3 ounces of tomato paste
• ½ cup red wine
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon liquid smoke

1. Heat the olive oil in a two-quart pan.

2. Mince a fist-sized onion and add it to the oil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, over low heat, for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. While the onions are cooking, dissolve a beef bullion cube in ? cup of water and mince a clove of garlic.

4. When the onions are finished simmering, add a clove of minced garlic and simmer for another minute.

5. Then add the beef broth and the rest of the ingredients in order, stirring after each to be sure they are incorporated evenly.

6. Simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes until it's fairly thick. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.

7. Slather on chicken, ribs or anything else you want to put on the grill, but don't do it until the last 30 minutes or so, otherwise the sugar in the honey will burn. Serve the rest with the meal.