Huli Huli Chicken

Huli Huli Chicken is Hawaii's version of barbacued chicken. Huli means turn in Hawaiian. There are large roadside grills that sell this chicken all over Hawaii. I've never had it, but the sweet smoky birds sounded amazing and I wanted to try my hand at making them.

I have tried a few recipes and they were just ok. Then I found a recipe in Cook's Country magazine, made it, and loved it! One of the keys is to cook the meat slowly skin side up first and then turn just once half way through. Tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. I served white rice with the chicken and we liked having extra sauce to drizzle over it. Yum!

Ingredients:
2 split chicken halves or split chicken breasts (about 4 pounds)
2 quarts water
2 cups soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoon ginger, sliced
1 cup wood chips (mesquite wood chips)

Glaze:
3 (6-ounce) cans pineapple juice
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chili paste

Directions:
1. Combine water and soy sauce in large bowl. Heat oil in small skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir into soy sauce mixture. Add chicken and refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

2. Combine pineapple juice, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce in empty saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thick and syrupy (you should have about 1 cup), 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Seal wood chips in foil packet and cut vent holes in top. Open bottom vents on grill. Light about 75 coals. When coals are covered with fine gray ash, spread evenly over bottom of grill. Arrange foil packet directly on coals. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered with lid vent open halfway, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. Scrape and oil cooking grate.

4. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange chicken skin side up on grill (do not place chicken directly above foil packet). Grill, covered, until chicken is well browned on bottom and meat registers 120 degrees, 25 minutes. Flip chicken skin-side down and continue to grill, covered, until skin is well browned and crisp 20 to 25 minutes longer. Breast meat should register 150 degrees and thigh meat should register 170 degrees.

5. Transfer chicken to platter, brush with half of glaze, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve, passing remaining glaze at table.

MAKE AHEAD: Both brine and glaze can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Do not brine chicken for longer than 8 hours or it will become too salty.