Chicken World’S Best Bbq Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Brine
6 chicken legs with thigh (still connected, bone in, skin on, about 10 ounces each)
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a large knife
4 sprigs fresh thyme
BBQ Sauce
1 slice bacon
1 bunch fresh thyme
extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups ketchup
1 cup pineapple-apricot preserves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

In a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, brown sugar, garlic, and thyme.
Pour the brine into a 2-gallon sized ziploc plastic bag.
Add chicken; close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours.
Wrap the slice of bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with cooking twine together.
In a large saucepan over medium heat heat about 2 tablespoons of oil.
Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without changing colors.
Add ketchup, preserves, brown sugar, molasses, wine vinegar, dry mustard, cumin, paprika and fresh ground black pepper.
Give the sauce a stir and turn the heat down to low.
Cook slowly for 20 minutes to saturate the flavors together.
Directions for Grilling:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Preheat oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat.
Dip a few paper towels in oil and rub the grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface for grilling chicken.
Take the chicken out of the brine bag, pat it down on some paper towels.
Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes.
Transfer the grilled chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven.
Cook the chicken for 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from the oven and brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce.
Return chicken to the oven for 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time.
Serve with extra reserved sauce.