What Summer Smells Like

As much as I’ve documented my love for my Calphalon grill pan, there comes a time in every cook’s life when they need to fire up the real thing: an outdoor charcoal grill. Just the smell of one burning away is enough to transport me back to my Florida childhood—summers spent al fresco, running around in the yard all day before the family gathered to grill up a chicken dinner in the late afternoon. I think the sauce back then was KC Masterpiece and, hey, there were no complaints from me—I was just happy to get to lick my fingers clean. Today, however, I’d like to suggest my alternative sauce for when you have a few extra hours to kill. This sauce makes plenty for 4 pieces of chicken (it’d probably even cover 6), so just divide it in half if you’re feeding 2.

Great Grilled Chicken
Serves 4

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ c. vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp. reserved
1 c. tomato paste
1 c. cider vinegar
1 c. honey
½ c. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. Dijon mustard
½ c. soy sauce
1 c. hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. chipotle chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
½ tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
sea salt and black pepper

In a large saucepan over low heat, sauté the onions and garlic in a half cup of the oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish, add the chicken and the marinade. Turn the chicken until completely coated, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Heat an outdoor grill to high. Pour remaining oil on a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack (don’t use cooking spray on a hot grill). Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer marinade to a medium skillet.

Reduce the grill heat to medium and grill the chicken until cooked through, about 7 to 9 minutes per side. Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove chicken from grill and baste with cooked sauce. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving with the remaining sauce.