Entree: Mexico – Nuevo Leon (Northern Mexico) – Pollo Asado

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 50 min

Additional 2 hrs

Total 2 hrs 50 min

Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks), approx. 1,360 g gross; estimated 680 g cooked edible meat and skin
240 ml freshly squeezed orange juice (about 248 g)
60 ml freshly squeezed lime juice (about 60 g)
60 ml olive oil (about 55 g)
12 g garlic, minced
10 g kosher salt
2 g black pepper, freshly ground
4 g ground cumin
2 g dried Mexican oregano
8–16 g ancho chile powder; use 12 g as the estimate midpoint
2 g smoked paprika
15 ml Worcestershire sauce (about 17 g)
15 ml honey (about 21 g)
15 g fresh cilantro, chopped, for finishing
680 g baby potatoes, halved
30 ml olive oil (about 27 g), for potatoes
5 g kosher salt, for potatoes
1 g smoked paprika, for potatoes
8 spring onions (cebollitas), trimmed (225 g)
8–10 corn tortillas; use 9 tortillas (about 234 g total) for the estimate
Pico de gallo (section heading)
280 g tomatoes, diced
85 g white onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (about 14 g edible portion)
30 ml lime juice (about 30 g)
8 g fresh cilantro, chopped
3 g kosher salt
Optional lime wedges for serving; quantity not specified

Instructions

1. 1. Mix the orange juice, lime juice, 60 ml olive oil, garlic, 10 g salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, ancho chile powder, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Reserve 60 ml of this marinade in a saucepan before adding chicken.
2. 2. Put the chicken in the remaining marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 2–12 hours. Keep the reserved marinade separate from the raw chicken.
3. 3. Toss the halved potatoes with 30 ml olive oil, 5 g salt, and 1 g smoked paprika. Parboil for 8–10 minutes until just fork-tender; drain.
4. 4. Make the pico de gallo by combining the tomatoes, white onion, jalapeño, 30 ml lime juice, 8 g cilantro, and 3 g salt. Refrigerate until serving.
5. 5. Preheat a grill for two-zone cooking, with a hot direct-heat side and a medium indirect-heat side.
6. 6. Bring the reserved marinade to a boil and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Keep warm for basting; discard any marinade that contacted raw chicken.
7. 7. Put the parboiled potatoes in a skillet or foil packet over indirect heat. Grill for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until golden and tender; keep warm.
8. 8. Grill the chicken skin-side down over direct heat for 6–8 minutes. Move it to indirect heat and cook for 20–30 minutes more, turning every 6–8 minutes and basting with the cooked reserved marinade. Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).
9. 9. During the final 6–8 minutes, grill the spring onions over direct heat, turning once, until tender and charred in spots. Warm the tortillas on the grill for 20–30 seconds per side.
10. 10. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then finish with 15 g chopped cilantro. Serve with the grilled spring onions, potatoes, tortillas, pico de gallo, and optional lime wedges.