Smoky Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Directions

• Smoke the Chicken
• Start by spatchcocking your chicken and carefully separating the skin from the breast meat and the legs.
  If you’re not sure about this process, checkout my easy-to-follow guide here.

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• Rub a small amount of cooking oil on the underside of the chicken and sprinkle over a small amount of the Plowboys BBQ ‘Yardbird’ Rub. Don’t go crazy with this rub on chicken, it’s quite salty but bursting with flavour. On chicken less is more.
  Now turn the bird over and repeat, adding rub both directly to the flesh of the separated breast and the leg meat. And then pull the skin back over the legs and add some rub to the skin as well.

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• Start up your BBQ and set for indirect cooking. I’m using the Kamado Joe SloRoller for this cook. Close the dome and raise the temp to a range somewhere between 160°C – 180°C/320°F – 355°F.
  When you’re there, throw a small chunk of hickory into the hot coals and give it a couple of minutes to get going then place the chicken bones down in the centre of the grill.
  

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• If you’re using probes, place 1 in the centre of the breast and 1near the joint between the drum and the thigh.
  Close the dome and smoke/roast for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

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• Dress the Lettuce
• In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, both mustards and the pepper, and set it aside.
  Shred the lettuce into about 1/4″/6mm ribbons, soak in very cold water for about 10 minutes, and then spin in a salad spinner. Place in a medium bowl and keep in the fridge until needed.
  Do not dress now! The vinegar in the dressing will start to cook the lettuce and make it go limp

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• REST THE CHICKEN:
• After about an hour of smoking you should be getting close to done.
  We’re looking for an internal temp of around 74°C/165°F in the centre of the breast and somewhere at or above 80°C/176°F in the thighs.
  When you start getting close to these temps, double check with an instant read thermometer. When reached, remove the chicken to a wooden board, wrap with foil and set in a warm place to rest
  While the chicken’s resting it’s time to get your bacon and buns ready, and any other sides you want to cook.
  Here I’m making use of the Kamado Joe Divide and Conquer system and inserting the Cast Iron Griddle half moon (flat side up) to cook my bacon and buns while grilling some corn on the cooking grate.
  If you don’t have the Cast Iron Griddle, a Cast Iron Skillet would also be perfect

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• Pull the Chicken:
• After about 20 minutes resting, remove the chicken from the foil, reserving any juices and pull all the meat from the bones, setting aside the skin and shredding the meat as you go.
  You can either use a sharp knife and meat fork for this or just get stuck in with your clean, washed hands

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• Place the shredded chicken in a bowl or dish, chop the chicken skin into small pieces, and add to the shredded chicken along with the reserved resting juices.
  Cooking the chicken at a hotter temperature means the skin will be properly crisped and browned. The crisped skin along with the fantastic Yardbird Rub, means this skin is going to be bursting with flavour, which we’re now adding back into the mix.
  Now pour over a generous helping of the Smoke on Wheels Bootleg BBQ sauce, and stir through to coat.

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• Build the Sandwich:
• Now get your bacon sizzling, your buns toasted and your lettuce dressed.
  Build your Smoky Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with a good extra dollop of the Bootleg Sauce.

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• Serve:
• Serve these Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with any sides you like, I kept it simple here with fries and grilled buttered corn.