3-Day Weekends are for Barbecuing

Not that I ever need an excuse to BBQ, but a 3-day weekend certainly makes it feel like a requirement...a least when you are related to my Dad.

So Barbecue Chicken it is.

First, you need the right sauce, my Mom's.

Bumpy Barbecue Sauce
Yields 1 cup

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup butter
1 Each lemon, juiced
1 Cup ketchup
1/4 Cup worcestershire sauce
2 Teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon pepper, black
2 Teaspoons sugar, white
1 to taste Tabasco, optional

Directions:
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add lemon juice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, sugar and pepper. Simmer until flavors are melded, about 20 minutes.

Add Tabasco to taste.

Then the rub...sorry, it's my secret and I won't post that. You will just have to buy it from me.

My method belongs to ATK, with a couple of tweaks.

Barbecue Chicken

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or 4 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
4 split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts , 10 to 12 ounces each
Ground black pepper
Large disposable aluminum baking pan
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce or bottled barbecue sauce, plus extra for serving

Light large chimney starter filled with hardwood charcoal (6 quarts) and allow to burn until all charcoal is covered with layer of fine gray ash, about 20 minutes. Build three-level fire by stacking most of coals on one side of grill, arranging remaining coals in single layer in middle of grill, and leaving remaining side empty of coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill with lid, and let grate heat up, about 5 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Grill is ready when temperature of stacked coals is medium-hot and that of single layer of coals is medium-low.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Cook chicken, uncovered, over hotter part of grill until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Move chicken thighs or legs to middle part of grill and move chicken breasts to area with no fire and cover with disposable aluminum roasting pan. Continue to grill thighs or legs, uncovered, turning occasionally, until dark and fully cooked, 12 to 16 minutes for thighs, 16 to 20 minutes for whole legs. Continue to grill breasts, skin-side up, for 10 minutes. Turn and cook for 5 minutes more or until done. To test for doneness, either peek into thickest part of chicken with tip of small knife (you should see no redness near bone) or check internal temperature at thickest part with instant-read thermometer, which should register 165 degrees for dark meat and 160 degrees for breasts.

Brush pieces liberally with barbecue sauce during final 2 minutes of cooking. Transfer to serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, passing extra barbecue sauce separately.

My changes: I find that the chicken easily needs 10 minutes more than this. I season with my rib rub instead of salt and pepper. I also put the sauce on the chicken with 5 to 7 minutes left in the cooking process.