Bourbon BBQ Chicken With Sixteen Spice Rub (Throwdown)

From Bobby Flay's Throwdown cookbook.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Sixteen Spice Rub

• 3  tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 3  tablespoons  ancho chili powder
• 3  tablespoons  pasilla chili powder
• 3  tablespoons ground cumin
• 3  tablespoons ground coriander
• 3  tablespoons ground ginger
• 1  tablespoon ground cloves
• 1  tablespoon  ground fennel seed
• 2  tablespoons garlic powder
• 2  tablespoons onion powder
• 1  tablespoon allspice
• 1  teaspoon  chile, de arbol
• 3  tablespoons brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons kosher salt
• 2  tablespoons  coarsely ground black pepper
• 1  teaspoon cayenne pepper

• Barbecue Sauce

• 2  tablespoons canola oil
• 1  medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
• 3  cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup Bourbon, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1  cup ketchup
• 1⁄3 cup water
• 2  tablespoons  ancho chili powder
• 1  tablespoon paprika
• 1  tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1  tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1  canned chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
• 2  tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon honey
• 1  tablespoon molasses

• Chicken

• 1  quart buttermilk
•  hot sauce (such as Tobasco)
• 3  bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
• 3  bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 3  bone-in skin-on chicken legs
• 1⁄4 cup canola oil
•  kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Pour the buttermilk into a large baking dish and add a few dashes of hot sauce, stir to combine. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
2. Make the rub: Whisk all the spice rub ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Make the bbq sauce: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup of the bourbon and cook until reduced. Add the ketchup and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
4. Cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into a bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of bourbon and allow to cool at room temperature. The sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed container.
5. Heat the grill to medium heat. Brush the chicken with the 1/4 cup of oil and season on both sides with the spice rub. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill the chicken slowly, with the lid closed, until golden brown on both sides and fat has rendered. Begin brushing the chicken liberally with the bbq sauce during the last 10 minutes of grilling.
6. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.