DELICIOUS DRUMSTICKS. Grill-Roasted Spice-Rubbed Chicken Drumsticks are easy to prepare. (America’s Test Kitchen via AP)

From The Asian Reporter, V29, #13 (July 1, 2019), page 13.

By America’s Test Kitchen

With their built-in handles and small size, economical chicken drumsticks are tailor-made for a cookout. So we decided to devise a foolproof way to roast them on the grill to ultra-tender perfection with nicely browned skin and wonderfully juicy meat.

We usually don’t brine fattier dark meat, but since we were roasting the drumsticks for a fairly long time in the grill’s dry heat we brined them first in salt water to help them retain their juices as well as to season them. A light coating of spice rub also upped their flavor.

We set up a half-grill fire with two zones: On the cooler side we roasted the drumsticks beyond their usual doneness temperature of 175º Fahrenheit to 190º F, at which point most of their connective tissue had turned into rich gelatin and their skin had rendered gently.

Indirect grilling is largely hands off, but halfway through roasting we rearranged the drumsticks, moving those closer to the heat to the outside and those on the outside closer to the heat to ensure all of the drumsticks were done at the same time.

We moved them to the hotter side until the skin was nicely charred and crisp, which took only five minutes. Before applying the spice rub, smooth the skin over the drumsticks so it is covering as much surface area as possible. This will help the skin render evenly and prevent the meat from drying out.

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Servings: 6

Start to finish: 40 minutes plus 30 to 60 minutes brining

1/2 cup salt

5 pounds chicken drumsticks

1 recipe spice rub (recipes follow)

Dissolve salt in two quarts of cold water in a large container. Submerge drumsticks in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.

Place spice rub on plate. Remove drumsticks from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Holding one drumstick by bone end, press lightly into rub on all sides. Pat gently to remove excess rub. Repeat with remaining drumsticks.

For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (six quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot, about five minutes.

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature between 325º and 350º Fahrenheit.)

Clean and oil cooking grate. Place drumsticks, skin side down, on cooler side of grill. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Rearrange pieces so the drumsticks that were closest to the edge are now closer to the heat source and vice versa. Cover and cook until drumsticks register 185º F to 190º F, 20 to 30 minutes.

Move all drumsticks to hotter side of grill and cook, turning occasionally, until skin is nicely charred, about five minutes. Transfer to serving dish and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve.

Makes about 1/3 cup

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder (You can substitute granulated garlic for the garlic powder, if desired.)

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in small bowl.

Makes about 1/4 cup

If you can’t find whole allspice berries, substitute two teaspoons of ground allspice.

1 tablespoon allspice berries

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Grind allspice, peppercorns, and thyme in spice grinder or mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Transfer to bowl and stir in sugar, garlic powder, mustard, salt, and cayenne.

Nutrition information per serving: 642 calories (303 calories from fat); 34 g fat (0 g saturated, 0 g trans fats); 311 mg cholesterol; 1215 mg sodium; 5 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 72 g protein.

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