Sweet Tea Brined & Grilled Chicken

By calypan

Ingredients

• FOR THE BRINE, STEEP:
• 1 iced black tea bag (family-size)
• 4 cups boiling water
• WHISK IN:
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 ⁄2 cup kosher salt
• 8 cups ice cubes
• Juice of 2 limes (reserve lime halves)
• 1 ⁄4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (4–6 lb.)
• FOR THE RUB, COMBINE:
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• FOR THE SAUCE, SIMMER:
• 1 ⁄4 cup honey
• 1 ⁄4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 ⁄4 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 1 ⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
• Red pepper flakes to taste

Preparation

Step 1

For the brine, steep tea bag in water in a large bowl, covered, 5 minutes. Discard tea bag.

Whisk in brown sugar and ½ cup salt until dissolved. Stir in ice, lime juice, lime halves, and mint. Place chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

For the rub, combine chili powder, black pepper, cinnamon, thyme, and cayenne. Remove chicken from brine, pat dry, and massage both sides with rub. Refrigerate chicken until ready to grill, up to 2 hours.

For the sauce, simmer honey, vinegar, mustard, and ½ tsp. salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat, 5 minutes. Off heat, season sauce with pepper flakes.

Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to high and other side to low.

Grill chicken indirectly, skin side up, covered, rotating periodically for even cooking, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165° and into the thigh or drumstick registers 170°, about 30 minutes. Glaze chicken with sauce, cover, and grill 5 minutes more. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving with remaining sauce.