Chicken Your Way

Chicken is one of the most versatile meats, especially now during barbecue season.It can be marinated , dipped in sauce or even coated to create a tasty lunch or dinner. What is great is that almost every flavor goes with it ,It could be citrus-y, garlicky or boozy. It will still come out flavorful.

Wings and legs are the best parts of the chicken for grilling. A whole one will have to be butterflied or spatchcocked to make sure every section is grilled. Grocery stores sell both and sometimes in a combined package. David Tanis wrote about wings in his City Kitchen column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. He suggests getting the meatier wings or drumettes. It makes for a more filling eat. Less meatier pieces can be over marinated too , Meatier kinds soak a marinade but aren't overpowered by it. Do the pieces have to be prepped before being placed in any kind of sauce? No, in fact most chefs will tell you don't wash the pieces. Just start right away with what you want to do with them. The next step is deciding just what to do.. Longing for crunch ?  Then batter them and for a healthier chew  cook them on the grill. Marinating is another way to go. It's also a way to get creative with tweaking old recipes or create a new one. Another idea is just grilling the pieces and dipping them in any kind of sauce.

What ingredients work the best with wings and legs? Almost any kind. Mr. Tanis goes the Roman and Greek route with lemon and rosemary.Garlic and red pepper flakes give them zing. Although he bakes them on fingerling potatoes in the oven, they  can also be roasted on the grill. I would cook them separately and even would put the potatoes on the gill, for a crunchy , smoky side.  Lime can also be used  and is especially flavorful when mixed with soy and honey Orange can also add zing to chicken legs and wings. What is so great about this citrus fruit can be paired with honey for a sweet glaze or added to teriyaki sauce for a savory treat. Want more of a kick? Then use bourbon to spice it up.It's a sweet mix of the liquor and pineapple juice Hoisin and Worcestershire sauce are also added to balance out the flavors. Whiskey can also be used in a marinade. Just be sure that it's tempered with soy sauce or tamari.Another way to go is grill the chicken and dip the pieces into an old fashioned barbecue sauce. It 's a combination of ketchup, molasses and Worcestershire sauce with cayenne and garlic powders. You can add freshly chopped onions or onion powder along with shallots and scallions.


Chicken is a versatile meat that can be zinged up with any flavor.Try legs and wings in any combination for a tasty meal. Whatever ingredients work, go with them for a delicious barbecue.

San-J Marinades Spicing Up Your Barbecues

Barbecue season is here and with it comes grilling favorites beef, pork and chicken.Unfortunately these  classics can get boring if they're just thrown over the hot coals. There's a solution - San - J sauces for marinades and stir fries. These will liven up those ho hum chops and wings. giving them a much needed lift.

San-J  or San Jirushi is one of Japan's oldest companies, having been founded in 1804 by the Sato family. They started with miso and Tamari, a thick sauce . The company is still family owned by Takashi Sato , the eighth generation of owner . San J came to Richmond, Virginia,  in 1978  and have a variety of different products from instant soups to even rice crackers. All are gluten free because Tamari, unlike regular soy sauce is made from 100 percent soybeans. It is an ancient recipe, first being created in China in the Seventth Century AD. Tamari means "that which accumulates".because it was the protein rich drippings that was collected during the creation of miso, the fermented soybean paste and the main ingredient in miso soup.San-J' sauces are made in a similar, updated fashion.with  only soy beans, salt and water. One of the best aspects about Tamari is that it is gluten free. Regular soy sauce is watered down with wheat and often has a bitter taste. It flashes off or dissipates when cooked at high temperature, something Tamari does not.

I like San-J's sauces and recommend them for marinating different types of meat. Their orange sauce has a bright , citrusy flvor that would work well with anything chicken. Marinate cut up breasts in in along with peppers and onions for a yummy kabob. It It also would highlight wings and legs as well as a great dipping sauce for them too. The smoky Mongolian sauce would be good as a marinade for pork as well as for lamb and beef kabobs.This would also be an excellent soak for skirt steaks as well. I love the Asian  barbecue sauce. I plan on using this on everything, from being slathered on pork and beef ribs to burgers and dogs. It is thick and flavorful with a marriage of a sweet and smoky flavors.Being a chopped salad lover, I am looking forward to trying their different salad dressings too as well as their Tamari regular sauces.


The barbecue season is underway. Liven it up with the variety of Tamari sauces from San-J. They will enhance ribs and chicken, steaks and chops,  making for a memorable cook out.