Am I too late with this one? Possibly — as I look out the window at the gray sky threatening above, I realize that September is gone — summer has once again slipped through my fingers.
We enjoyed these barbecue chicken sandwiches for lunch on the back deck a couple of weekends ago. The late summer sun still warmed our backs, and aged wasps buzzed drunkenly around our sauce covered fingers.
That said, perhaps post-wasp October is a better time of year to enjoy BBQ. Finger stings hurt. A lot.
The inspiration for this meal comes from Emeril, the original king of the Food Network. The no-cook barbecue sauce goes together easily and tastes great despite the lack of simmering. I have served his slaw for years — it’s universally popular, and the creamy dressing is a great match for the sauce’s tang.
I also made the buns, but they weren’t anything to write home about, so I won’t write about them here either. Onwards and upwards, right?
Smoked Chicken Dry Rub
| Brown Sugar | 3 T |
| Salt | 1 T |
| Cumin | 1 T |
| Paprika | 1 T |
| Freshly Ground Black Pepper | 1 T |
| Cayenne | 1 T |
| Garlic Powder | ½ t |
| Dried Oregano | ½ t |
| Dried Thyme | ½ t |
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Peel back the skin from the chicken pieces and rub the spices all over the meat. Reserve the remaining dry rub for another recipe — it’s also great on pork.
Replace the skin to cover the meat. Arrange the pieces on the smoker rack or baking tray, cover with a clean towel (I’m trying to avoid plastic wrap) and refrigerate overnight.
I smoked 2 dozen chicken legs for 2 hours at 200° F for 2 hours, then cooked them at 250° F for another 2.5 hours. Whether you smoke it or slow roast it in a low oven, the meat is done when the internal temperature is somewhere between 175-185° F.
For sandwiches, discard the skin and pull the meat from the bones. Toss with barbecue sauce, pile onto buns and serve with coleslaw.
**We have a Bradley smoker, made here in BC. It’s programmable, the size of a bar fridge, and holds 4 racks — an excellent little home smoker. To date, we’ve done salmon, tuna, beef, bison, garlic, cheese, pork and chicken.
Even if you don’t think your buns are anything to rave about, the fact that you made everything else and then took the time to make the buns is very impressive. I love the sound of your coleslaw. Something new to try – yay!
Thanks Amy! I`m still looking for a good hamburger bun recipe…
Great looking recipe! Coleslaw makes a good topping to any bbqed meat sandwich. My favorite is to do it with pulled pork.
This is definitely a people pleaser! I really like the rolls you’ve used. They look delicious!
Ha ha – yeah, I’m still waiting for my Indian summer too! These look very tasty, anytime of year. And by the way, did you redesign your site recently? I’ve been looking at so many blogs over the past weeks for PFB that maybe I’m just getting everything mixed up in my head but it seems like the layout is new. I like it – looks more like a complete website than ‘just a blog’. :-)
Thanks Ruby — the new site has been up for a few weeks — glad you like it! I`m attempting to create a food portal…
It’s never too late for good BBQ! I think it’s so cool that you have your own smoker. And that slaw looks like crispy fresh goodness! Very nice.
Thank very much Marisa!
That sandwich looks fantastic. Personally, even if it’s 20 degrees out I’ll be using the grill. It’s the best way to cook meat in my book. This will definitely be given a try. Thanks for sharing.