German Barbecue

Down around Austin in central Texas, is the heart of Texas barbeque. Some people will claim, that the area there produces the only real barbecue in the country. I won't argue that point tonight. Tonight let's celebrate a great Texan tradition.

Texas barbeque owes a lot to the Germans and Czech immigrants who took their traditions of sausage and smoked meats and merged them with the traditions of Civil War refugees, both black and white, who left the deep South for a new start in Texas, bringing their recipes and cooking styles to the mix. After more than 100 years of cooking, the result of this culinary congregation is an abundance of world-class barbecue. All located on what was once called "The Chisholm Trail."

Tonight I offer you a German inspired recipe for grilled chicken taken from German Foods.

Dark Beer-Marinated Chicken

This recipe may be halved. Always remember to use separate platters for raw and cooked chicken.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut oil
1 teaspoon German mustard, preferably Düsseldorf-style
1 cup dark German beer
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken parts
Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation

Whisk together peanut oil and mustard in a large bowl. Whisk in beer and lemon juice until mixture is smooth. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, basil and thyme. Add chicken pieces and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 12 hours.

In a charcoal grill, heat about 5 dozen charcoal briquettes until covered with white ash. Meanwhile, drain chicken and discard marinade.

Use large tongs to push hot briquettes to one side of the grill. Away from the grill, spray grill rack evenly with non-stick cooking spray; place on grill. Place chicken parts on grill rack, on the coals side. Cook uncovered until skin is crisp, about 10 minutes, moving and turning as needed with clean tongs to prevent charring.

Move chicken parts to the cool side of the grill; cover and cook until meat is opaque throughout and juices run clear, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve and Enjoy.