Ingredients
Marinade:
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup or red barbecue sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons fresh ginger, skinned and grated fine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dark Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons Sriracha Sauce
4 medium cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
Chicken:
2 chickens cut into quarters (4-5 lbs of meat)
Preparation
Marinade:
- Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. You can refrigerate it for several weeks.
Chicken:
Pour marinade in a large bowl, or better still, into a large zipper bag. Add the chicken. Marinate for at least 3 hours, as long as 24 hours.
Set up the grill for 2-zone cooking and preheat it so the indirect side is about 325°F. Pour the marinade into a sauce pan and bring to a boil to pasteurize it so it can be used for basting. Keep cooking until it reduces significantly, perhaps 25%.
Roast the chicken with the lid down on the indirect side of the grill. Huli it (turn it) frequently so the sugar in the sauce doesn’t blacken. After turning, paint the upper surface with a layer of the sauce.
Take the meat’s temp, and as it approaches 150°F, stop basting so you don’t contaminate the cooked meat with juices in the marinade from the brush. Discard the sauce. When it hits 150°F, move the meat over the direct heat, skin side down to crisp the skin. Check it every minute or two to make sure it is not burning. When the white meat is 165°F and the dark meat 170 to 175°F, you’re ready for your luau.
Notes: About the chicken broth. Feel free to substitute white wine, sherry (it doesn’t matter if it is dry or sweet in this recipe), or even water.
About the vinegar. If you wish you can swap some fresh lemon or lime juice for all or part of the vinegar.
About the Sriracha. Sriracha is a garlicy hot chile paste. It is special and widely available, but if you can’t get it, feel free to use whatever hot sauce you have around. This quantity is not very hot, especially when painted on chicken, but you can use less or add more to your taste.
