Why is it that everything tastes better when cooked outdoors?   Would this Tamarind BBQ chicken have been delicious if it was baked?  Of course, but it tastes better because it was grilled.   I remember as a child cooking curry and rice on a coal pot in the yard as part of playing house.  Yes—when we Guyanese played house we go hard.   We would do a “bush cook” and I guarantee we would eat, then proceed to lick our fingers/plates whenever we were done.  Why?  Because it was cooked outdoors.   I know…cooking on an outdoor grill or coal pot does give an incredible smoky flavor to the food; however the work that goes into it plays a part.   Maybe it’s the extra time and involvement that comes with cooking outdoors.

For example, it took me 15 minutes just to light my grill in order to cook this chicken.  It was incredibly windy thus making it virtually impossible to keep the fire lit.  That’s 14 minutes and 59 seconds longer than it would have taken me to light my oven.   Not to mention the constant trips outside to check on the chicken to make sure it wasn’t burning.

When all is done, and you have cooked the perfect piece of meat you feel a sense of pride that is absent when you’ve turned on your oven, set the temperature and timer and stuck the chicken in and proceed to put your feet up on the table while it cooked.    Yep, that extra kick that you taste in your burgers, or the zing in your barbeque sauce is pride and it is oh so good! 

For this recipe I used a wet marinade for the chicken, sometimes I use a dry rub instead.   They are equally as delicious,  if you don’t have fresh herbs use the dry rub.   I’m not going to add grilling directions as I am not a grilling officionade, but I will say to add the glaze in the last 5 minutes of cooking or it will burn.  Happy Grilling!

Notes:

  • The tamarind glaze, wet and dry rub will be enough for 6 leg quarters.
  • Season chicken with either the wet or dry rub.

 

Tamarind Glaze

¼ cup soy sauce

1/3 cup tamarind concentrate*

½ cup ketchup

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp five spice powder

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp fresh ginger, crushed

Place all ingredients in a saucepot over medium heat.  Cook for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens.

*add ½ cup of tamarind pulp to about 1-1 ½ cup hot water, allow tamarind to soften.   Strain to remove the solids.

 

Wet Seasoning

2 tbsp green seasoning

1 tbsp salt

Place all ingredients on chicken, allow to marinade for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

 

Dry Seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp cayenne powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

Place all ingredients on chicken, allow to marinade for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.