Grate Escape

There are a million things I love about living in New York—and there are a handful of things that drive me crazy.

Living without a grill is one of the latter.

Unfortunately, I'm not part of the lucky few that has a shared courtyard or—better yet—an actual yard. Instead, I rely on a grill pan that isn't even close to delivering the flavor of seasoned grates. Usually I hit up restaurants for my barbecue fix.

This weekend, though, things were different. Ryan and I headed to Nashville, Tenn., to visit his sister and her husband, who are fortunate grill owners. I was more than happy to replace an evening of restaurant-hopping with a cookout. We made Whole Foods our destination and picked up some supplies.

I settled on a bourbon-molasses sauce and built a menu around it. Judging from the near-empty drumstick platter and the crimson crime scene-esque sauce streaks on everyone's faces, I'd say I made the right decision.

Bourbon-Molasses Chicken Drumsticks (Courtesy of Bon Appetit via Epicurious.com)

Yield: 4 servings

Sauce

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 cup minced onion

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons yellow mustard (I used Dijon)

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup bourbon

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

12 chicken drumsticks

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add next five ingredients as well as 1/4 teaspoon pepper and chili powder. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in bourbon; cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. (This can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill in refrigerator.)

2. Mix salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Loosen skin on drumsticks. Rub salt and pepper under skin without tearing it. Cover; let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes.

3. Heat grill on medium. Grill drumsticks until skin is crisp and juices run clear, turning to cook on all sides, about 25 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl; reserve. Brush drumsticks with remaining sauce and cook until glaze forms, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer drumsticks to platter and serve with reserved sauce.

I served the chicken with baked sharp cheddar grits, a fresh pea and lettuce saute, and (non-homemade) sea salt caramel gelato. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!