Ridgecrest Ray's BBQ Chicken

If you're from around Wilkes County, N.C. there is a pretty good chance you've had some chicken from a Chicken Que. Now some of it's not the best and some of it is out of this World, but if you follow my instructions your chicken will taste just as good and possibly even better than any chicken you've ever purchased at a Chicken Que.

Barbecued chicken, those words make my mouth water just thinking about it. It’s grilled rather than smoke-roasted at low temperature. But it requires a similar attention to technique. You’ll want to move the pieces around on the grill to keep them from burning and flip them often as well. Cooking barbecued chicken benefits from a basting technique that paints it onto the meat you're cooking coat after coat, allowing it to reduce and intensify rather than seize up and burn.

Equipment needed

Charcoal or Propane Grill

Meat thermometer

Squirt Bottle of Water

Ingredients

Chicken (I prefer skin on rather than skinless)

Ridgecrest Ray’s BBQ Sauce

Total time: 45 Minutes – Prep time: 0 –Cook time: 45 minutes

Directions

1. Build a fire in your grill, leaving one side free of coals. When coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds), you are ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn one of the burners down to low or off, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes.)

2. Put your chicken on the grill directly over the coals and cook for about 15 minutes, turning once every 5 minutes or so (if any flame-ups occur while cooking over charcoal spray it with a little water). When the chicken skin starts to crisp and darken it’s time to add Ridgecrest Ray’s BBQ Sauce. Move the pieces to the cooler side of the grill and let them cook while still flipping for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until a peek inside shows that the meat no longer has any red at the center.

*Each time you flip your chicken during this stage keep adding BBQ sauce. You can’t flip your chicken enough and you also can’t over sauce during this time.

3. Move the chicken back onto the hot side of the grill and baste with sauce again, turning the meat a few times. Remove to a warmed platter and serve.