How to Make a Mop Sauce for Barbecue Chicken

Mop your grilled chicken with a homemade sauce.

Unlike common commercial barbecue sauces, "mops" are watery, vinegary concoctions that are repeatedly sopped onto the meat as it cooks. As a result, the flavor of the sauce permeates the meat and helps keep it moist. Leftover sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, but don't hang onto any sauce that touched raw meat or was used for basting. If possible, prepare the mop sauce a day ahead to allow the flavors to meld.

Things You'll Need

• Medium saucepan
• A barbecue mop or basting brush
• 3 pounds split, bone-in chicken breasts
• Grill
• 3 cups hickory or mesquite chips, soaked in water for an hour
• 1 cup prepared barbecue sauce
• 3/4 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup of ale, flat
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon barbecue rub seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Hot pepper sauce, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine barbecue sauce, chili sauce, ketchup, vinegar, orange juice, ale, chili powder, barbecue rub seasoning, Worcestershire, sugar and hot pepper sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

2. Allow mixture to cool. Refrigerate overnight.

3. Remove the chicken from refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking and bring to room temperature. Remove the mop sauce from refrigerator and divide the mixture into two, setting aside half to serve with the cooked chicken.

4. Prepare the grill for cooking. Drain the wood chips and shake to remove excess water. Sprinkle the chips over hot coals or place in the chip box.

5. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and baste lightly with the mop liquid. Place the chicken skin-side down on grill rack, away from direct heat. Apply the mop sauce to the other side.

6. Cover the grill and cook the chicken, turning for the first time after about 10 minutes. Turn and baste the chicken with the mop sauce on both sides every 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts.

7. Serve the chicken hot or cold with reserved mop sauce.

Tips & Warnings

• The mop sauce will be thin and watery.

• Do not allow chicken to burn or the skin will become bitter.

References

• Amazing Ribs: Texas Barbecue Juice