Flame-Grilled Chicken with North Carolina Mop Sauce
Finger Hot Pepper Wet Rub
North Carolina-Style Mop Sauce
- Build a fire in the KUDU: empty a full chimney of hot coals and stack 2 to 3 logs on top of the coals.
- Set up the stainless-steel grate and adjust its height so that the flames barely touch i
- Grill the finger hot peppers until well charred on both sides.
- Remove the charred hot peppers from heat and place into a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and wait 15 minutes for the peppers to soften.
- Using a knife, gently scrape the skin from the charred peppers then slice the flesh into chunks.
- Transfer to a mortar and pestle or food processor along with the garlic cloves and kosher or coarse sea salt and crush or pulse to make a paste. Add smoked paprika, cracked black pepper, ground mustard, lemon juice and zest, and olive oil and mix to combine;
- Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, remove the chicken’s backbone and cut through the breastbone from the inside to separate the chicken into halves. make several 1/4-inch deep cuts into the skin side of the chicken to allow the wet rub to penetrate the meat, then apply the hot pepper mixture to both side of the chicken halves. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours;
- Place the marinated chicken halves on the hot grill grate and cover with the KUDU Smoker Lid. Move and turn the chicken as needed to achieve lightly charred skin and even cooking.
- While the chicken is cooking, place a KUDU Cast Iron Pan into the fire, preferably below the chicken to catch drippings. Combine all North Carolina-Style ingredients into the KUDU Cast Iron Pan and let cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Using a basting mop, brush the chicken halves with the North Carolina-Style sauce to keep them moist throughout cooking.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, remove from heat and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
