Smoked Chicken Thighs with Sorghum-Chile Glaze

“Sorgum—you can think of it as the South’s maple syrup—is sweet yet earthy with a touch of spice that a dash of chile de arbol brings to the forefront. If you can’t find it, a combination of honey and molasses will do the trick.” -Bobby Flay

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder, plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground fennel
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon chile de árbol powder
• 1⁄4 cup canola oil
• Sorghum-Chile Glaze (recipe follows)
• 1 cup apple or hickory wood chips

Instructions

1. To make the brine, bring 4 cups cold water, 1⁄2 cup of the salt, and the sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook until the salt and sugar are dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
2. Put the chicken thighs in a bowl, add the cooled brine, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Remove from the brine, rinse well, and pat dry.
3. Combine all of the spices and the oil in a small bowl. Rub each chicken thigh with some of the spice rub, put in a zip top bag, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
4. Soak 1 cup apple or hickory wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
5. Set the EGG for indirect cooking (with convEGGtor) at 250°F/121°C. Place half of the drained wood chips over the hot coals, add the cooking grid, and close the dome. Let smoke build for 10 minutes.
6. Add the chicken to the smoker grid and smoke for 40 minutes. Add the remaining drained wood chips and continue to smoke the chicken until the temperature reaches 165°F/74°C, about 1 hour more. During the last 15 minutes of smoking, brush the thighs with some of the glaze.
7. Remove the chicken from the grill, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve brushed with more of the glaze and sprinkled with ancho powder.
8. Serves 4 to 6

Sorghum-Chile Glaze Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup sorghum
• 1 teaspoon chile de árbol powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sorghum-Chile Glaze Instructions

1. Whisk together the sorghum and chile de arbol; season with salt and pepper. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
2. Makes 3⁄4 cup

Adapted from Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction. Copyright ©2013 by Boy Meets Grill, Inc. Photographs by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House. For more of Bobby’s recipes, visit his website bobbyflay.com.