This recipe takes about three hours to prepare. It requires a great deal of attention—save it for a day when you can spend the necessary time to do it right, and it will be worth it.
What you’ll need outside:
I use a barrel-type smoker. It has an access door on one end, and a chimney on the other end. A thermometer is really handy, though not mandatory.
I use charcoal briquettes and store-bought mesquite chips. I light the charcoal with liquid charcoal lighter, but you can use a chimney type, or electric, or just whatever.
There are a lot of trips to the pit required, so, especially in the spring, I use Deep Woods Off to repel fleas, chiggers, and whatever else seems to savor my ankles.
First, position your pit with the access door facing in the direction of the wind, if any. This will allow the pit to vent properly.
Next, make a pyramid-shaped pile of charcoal on the access door side of the pit. It should be just a bit bigger than a dinner plate at its base. You don’t want too big a fire. Your mantra is “low & slow”.
(the glove is for size reference)
Half fill a bucket with water. Pour in about a pound of mesquite chips and let them soak.
Then douse the pile of briquettes with starter fluid. Cover it evenly for about 20 seconds. Let it soak in for ten minutes.
What you’ll need inside:
While you wait ten minutes for the coals to soak, prepare your mop sauce. It consists of one bottle of bock beer( I use either Shiner or Ziegenbock), one stick butter, ¾ cup vinegar, 2 tbsp granulated garlic powder, and 1 tbsp of granulated onion powder. Combine all in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.
Now, ignite your soaked coals with a long match, or a long lighter. It helps to prop open the access door while the coals initiate their burn. Leave the lid open for this step.
While the coals start to burn, butterfly your chicken. Usually they put the heart, liver, gizzards, and whatever in the bird’s cavity. I discard; but you could put it in your mop sauce. To butterfly, cut the bird along the breast bone and spread it from side to side.
Rub with Tony Chachere’s all-purpose Cajun seasoning. I like to wear latex exam gloves for this step. Pour the Tony’s into a bowl so that you’re not touching the package with chickeny hands. Rub it all around the bird. Don’t be afraid to put it on thick, as some will be washed off by the mop sauce.
When coals have white around the edges, they’re ready to cook.
Place the chicken on the grill away from the fire (on mine that’s to the right, under the chimney).
Grab a handful of soaked mesquite chips and, through the access door, place them atop the hot coals. Be careful not to touch the coals!
After 10-15 minutes, mop on a little sauce, just to keep the skin moist. I use a small aluminum baking pan to hold the mop sauce. Just leave it right there on the pit alongside the chicken. That way, you don’t ruin a saucepan.
Mop every 30 minutes. Watch your thermometer. If it drifts below about 250, add some briquettes. Two hundred fifty to 300 is where I like mine. Whenever you want more smoke, throw on another handful of mesquite chips.
After two hours of smoking, twist a drumstick away from the body. If it easily pops out, the bird’s done. If not, let it keep smokin’. Remember, “low & slow”…
As soon as that leg bone pops out, remove from the pit, carve as usual and enjoy!!!
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