World Champion Barbecue Expert Shares His 6 Secrets For The Perfect Grill Out
TRY SOME CUPCAKE CHICKEN
Anyone can throw some frozen burger patties on a fire and survive to grill another day. But if you want to impress, but with minimal fuss, Mixon recommends having a go at his world-famous cupcake chicken recipe. “It’s one of the dishes I’m known for — we serve it in two of my restaurants, the one in Chicago and the one in Alexandria, Virginia,” he says.
The recipe isn’t too detailed, but essentially it involves placing chicken thighs in a cupcake tin and smoking them while they soak in broth for 1 1/2 hours. Then, you flip and season them while preparing a barbecue sauce laced with blackberry preserves, before cooking them a while longer, doused in the mixture. “It’s very cool, and very easy,” says Mixon.
BE THE MAC DADDY
The littlest critics can be the hardest ones to satisfy. Getting the children involved with grilling the younger the better will make them appreciate the food even more. And the sweet spot, says Mixon, is 12-years-old and under. “That’s really when you’ve got to get them involved and not turn their nose up to it,” he says.
But if you want to make the kids’ table stampede for seconds, Mixon has five words for you: Baby Back Mac and Cheese. “Take falling off the bone baby back rib meat, debone it, then fold it into the mac and cheese and bake it in the oven,” he says. “It’s awesome.”
