Smoky barbecued chicken legs and thighs

Serves 4

Barbecue champion and Hopkinton resident Chris Hart makes this in his Big Green Egg. He cooks the chicken legs at a lower temperature for far longer. This is an improvised, quicker version (with considerably less pepper than Hart uses) that you can make on a regular grill.

BRINE

1	bottle (8 ounces) Italian dressing
2	quarts water
1/2	cup kosher salt
3/4	cup brown sugar
1/2	cup Worcestershire sauce
10	bone-in whole chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks), trimmed of excess skin and fat

1. In a pot or large plastic tub combine the dressing, water, salt, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.

2. Add the chicken pieces. Turn the pieces in the mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

RUB

1/2	cup kosher salt
1/3	cup turbinado sugar
1	tablespoon black pepper
1	teaspoon lemon pepper
1	teaspoon white pepper
1	tablespoon garlic salt
1	teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
1	teaspoon onion salt
1	teaspoon dry mustard
12	ounces (1 1/4 cups) bottled barbecue sauce

1. In a bowl, combine the salt, turbinado sugar, black pepper, lemon pepper, white pepper, garlic salt, chili powder, onion salt, and mustard.

2. Remove the chicken pieces from the brine. Transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet. Let them air- dry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

3. When the chicken skin is dry, lightly dust the pieces with the rub.

4. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal-burning kettle grill. With the cover on, insert a thermometer into the vent on the top of the Notes: dome. Brush the coals to one side of the grill so you have a hot side and a cooler side. Add a fist-sized chunk of green fruitwood (not soaked) to the cool side of the fire.The thermometer should read 350 to 375 degrees.

5. Set the chicken legs, skin side down, on the hot side of the grill. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Turn the pieces, recover the grill and cook for 1 minute more.

6. Move the chicken to the cool side of the grill. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Turn the pieces and cook, covered, for another 10 minutes.

7. Set aside 1/4 of the barbecue sauce. Use the remaining sauce to baste the legs during the last 5 minutes on the grill. When the legs are done, a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 175 degrees.

8. Heat the remaining barbecue sauce. Set the chicken on a platter skin side up. Use a clean brush to baste the chicken with the sauce. Adapted from Chris Hart