Smoky BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Slaw for Sunday Lunch

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.