Brined Chicken with White Sauce

By Birgitta

I’m not normally a huge fan of chicken, but the simple one-hour brine helped the meat retain some moisture and imparted enough flavor to keep it from being such a snore. But once the grilled breasts (over charcoal, not wood) were dipped in the white sauce, the magic truly happened. The creamy, peppery sauce had a slight edge of heat that was transformational. By the end of the meal, we were pouring white sauce on everything we could find—grilled mushrooms, corn, bread, whatever — just so we could get some more of it.

The cooking method here is direct heat. Suggested wood: hickory, pecan, oak.

Adapted from "Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book" by Chris Lilly.

Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• For the brine:
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q White Sauce:
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from bitten.blogs.nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium bowl, combine the brine ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken breasts, making sure they are completely covered. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine and wipe off the excess salt.

Preheat an outdoor grill to 400 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on the grate directly over the heat and grill for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. The internal temperature of the chicken breasts should be 160 degrees.

Submerge each chicken breast into a bowl of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q White Sauce. Remove from the sauce and serve.

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q White Sauce: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend well. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.