Hickory-Smoked Chicken Recipe

• 6 whole skin-on, bone-in chicken legs (about 4 pounds)
• 3 cups hickory wood chips, plus more as needed
• 8 quarts lump charcoal, plus more as needed
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil, plus more for basting
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups White Barbecue Sauce (see recipe intro)

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes to dry while you prepare the grill.
3. Meanwhile, soak the wood chips in a bucket of water for at least 15 minutes.
4. Carefully pour the lit charcoal onto the pile of unlit charcoal on the grate.
5. Use tongs to stack the lit coals on the pile.
6. Top the lit charcoal with another cup of drained, damp wood chips (you should have 1 more cup of wood chips left for regulating the smoke as the chicken cooks).
7. Set the empty chimney aside.
8. Place the 8-inch square aluminum pan next to the hot charcoal (this is the drip pan).
9. Set the cooking grate back on the grill.
10. Fill the 9-by-5-inch aluminum loaf pan three-quarters of the way with cold water and place it on the cooking grate over the hot charcoal (the cold water is needed to keep the grill temperature low).
11. Set an oven thermometer in one of the grill lids vent holes or on the cooking grate near the edge of the grill and opposite the charcoal.
12. Cover the grill, making sure that the bottom and top vents are open and that smoke is coming out of the vents.
13. (If smoke is not coming out, check your fire to make sure it is lit.
14. If its not, relight it, using tongs to transfer the warm charcoal from the grill back into the chimney starter.)
15. Let the grill heat until it reaches at least 250 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
16. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator.
17. Rub it all over with oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
18. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
19. Place chicken skin side down on the cooking grate over the drip pan (not over the lit charcoal).
20. Cook, covered, making sure the lids vent is over the chicken (not the fire), for 30 minutes.
21. Check the grill temperature: It should be between 250 degrees F and 350 degrees F. If it is too hot, add more water to the loaf pan (it evaporates) and close the lower vent by half.
22. If the temperature is too low, make sure the bottom and top vents are open, or you may need to feed your charcoal by lighting more in the chimney.
23. If the smoke has died down, carefully remove the steam pan and transfer the cooking grate (with the chicken on top) to a heatproof surface.
24. Add the remaining 1 cup drained wood chips to the charcoal.
25. Return the cooking grate to the grill and set the steam pan back over the burning charcoals.
26. (Alternatively, slip the wood chips through the cooking grate so they fall on the charcoal.)
27. Baste the chicken with more oil and season with additional salt and pepper.
28. Rotate it on the grill and flip it skin side up.
29. Continue to cook, covered, until the internal temperature reads 170 degrees F on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (make sure its not touching the bone), about 25 to 45 minutes more, depending on the temperature of the grill.
30. When the chicken is done, remove it from the grill and immediately baste it with sauce.
31. Serve, passing additional sauce on the side.

chicken, hickory wood chips, lump charcoal, vegetable oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

Taken from www.chowhound.com/recipes/hickory-smoked-chicken-28485 (may not work)