Read Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons for Free Online Page B

importantly, starting to trust what these cookers can do when you leave them alone. Besides, do you know how many chickens a chucklehead like me had to cook to begin to know what I’m teaching you? Hundreds of chickens have been sacrificed so you can do it perfectly the first time. You shouldn’t be able to screw up this lesson no matter how hard you try, but just in case, that’s why you’re cooking eight dollars worth of chicken instead of fifty dollars worth of ribs.
    You’ll notice this program is not structured like most cookbooks. Following the list of ingredients for each dinner, the instructions are laid out in a timeline based on when you want to eat. For example, if dinner is at 6:00 p.m., the instructions are to prep the chicken and marinate it about eight to ten hours before dinnertime, or around 8:00 a.m. This allows for four to six hours of marinating time and two hours of cooking time. If there’s one idea I want to get across with this format, it’s that you can’t rely on exact times for low and slow. Times will vary. Be flexible. You’ll also find that this format helps you stay organized and serve on time when you’re feeding a crowd. But before you even think of risking embarrassment and inviting all of your friends over to celebrate your mastery of low and slow, you need to do each lesson at least two or three times to get the hang of it.
    Sincerely,

    Gary Wiviott
    CHICKEN MOJO CRIOLLO
     
     
     
    Mojo criollo [MOH-hoh kree-OH-yoh] is a simple Cuban marinade made with garlic, onion, and citrus. As simple as it is to make, you’re buying a bottle of it from the store for the first cook. Purists might balk at using a commercial marinade, but I’m telling you to use it for the same reason we’re using chicken for your first lesson. It’s cheap, predictable, and readily available. (You’ll find mojo criollo in the ethnic foods section of most supermarkets and in grocery stores catering to a Latino population.) After your first cook, feel free to use any of the other marinades (including my recipe for homemade mojo criollo) included at the end of the chapter.
    WSM AND OFFSET
     
    SERVES 4 TO 6
     
     
    2 whole fryers (3- to 4-pound chickens), split in half, legs disjointed (page 50)
    1 (32-ounce) bottle mojo criollo , Goya or other brand
    ½ cup olive oil
    1 lemon, cut in half
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    KETTLE
     
    SERVES 2 TO 4
     
     
    1 whole fryer (3- to 4-pound chicken), split in half, legs disjointed (page 50)
    2 cups mojo criollo, Goya or other brand
    ¼ cup olive oil
    ½ lemon
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    6 TO 8 HOURS BEFORE DINNER
    Divide the chicken halves between two one-gallon zip-top bags so that there are two chicken halves per bag (Use one zip-top bag if using the kettle cooker.) Vigorously shake the bottle of mojo criollo, and pour two cups of the marinade into each bag. Pour ¼ cup of the olive oil into each bag and squeeze half a lemon into each bag. Place the bags in a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Put the bags in the refrigerator and allow the chicken to marinate for 4 to 6 hours, turning the bags once or twice to redistribute the marinade.
     
    2 HOURS BEFORE DINNER
    Start a KISS method fire according to the instructions for your WSM (page 32), offset (page34), or kettle (page 36). While you’re waiting for the charcoal in the chimney to engage, remove the chicken halves from the bags and pat them dry with paper towels. Brush the chicken with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. When the lit charcoal and wood are ready for cooking, arrange the chicken on the grate.
    HOW TO SPLIT A CHICKEN
     
    Ask the butcher in your grocery store to remove the backbone and split a whole chicken in half, or do it yourself. Here’s how.
     
     
    1. Lay the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using heavy-duty kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut down both sides of the backbone. You’re