A Talegate Town Approved Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

You should be able to knock these out in about 60-90 minutes making them the PERFECT Talegate Town cook.

The down side to blogging about BBQ or any cooking you do yourself is that first you plate your food, give thanks, then as the rest of the family and/or guest dig in, you haul your plate off somewhere and take pictures of it. So if my feature picture is a little iffy, that’s because as Pooh Bear would say “I had a rumbley in my tumbley.” Let’s also keep in mind I’m a BBQ’r NOT a photographer or food stylist.

This sandwich has an amazing flavor and a nice little burn. The decision you make early on will determine if it’s going to have a true authentic Buffalo flavor and rather low heat, or if your going to go for a very close Buffalo flavor and get a very nice burn to go with it.

Let me explain. We made this recipe twice in two days (told ya it was good), once with Franks hot sauce and once with Tabasco. Having spent a small amount of time in the great state of NY near the Buffalo area, I can tell ya Franks is about all you can get up that way. You have about as much chance of finding Tabasco sauce in that area, as you do of finding a vegetarian at Memphis in May. As for me I tend to opt for that Avery Island gold known as Tabasco sauce. I really believe this is a North/South thing.

The first time we made it with Tabasco sauce, the sandwich had a wonderful full flavor and a nice heat that smacked ya up side the head and said “I”m here, enjoy me.”

The second time we made it with Franks hot sauce. It had a MUCH milder heat but a truly amazing flavor. My son-in-law who grew up just outside of Buffalo got a little smile on his face when I slipped him a taste straight from the pot and quickly gave it a nod of approval. Though in discussions with him and my son we all agreed it needed more heat.

So my advice to you is if you want a GOOD heat go with the Tabasco, if you’re looking for a milder sauce go with franks, BOTH will give you a great flavor profile.

What you will need:

Recipe makes enough for sauce for 4-6 full  chicken breast shredded

• 2-6 chicken breast, washed, trimmed and dryed (I prefer bone in with skin)
• 2-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil for oiling the chicken and grill before cooking
• Salt and Pepper
• 2/3 cup hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

How we did it:

Begin as usual by washing and trimming any lose or tough parts off your chicken breast. If you’re using bone in, trim the ribs off too and discard. With that done, place your chicken in the the fridge, and CLEAN EVERYTHING that the chicken may of came in contact with. We prefer a tablespoon bleach to a quart of water mix in a spray bottle. A couple of caps of bleach in the dishwater doesn’t hurt either.

While your chicken is drying and resting in the fridge, set your grill up for INDIRECT grilling or fire up your smoker.

Once your coals are up to temperature, add wood chunks of your choice, oil your grates as well as  your chicken.

Now place your breast (chicken) on the grates, give ’em a little salt and pepper then settle in for a nice little smoke.

We ran the UDS at about 300f and it took us about 1/2 an hour to hit the magic mark of 165f internal on the chicken breast. If you’re using a grill you may want to check their temperature after about 20 minutes. If you don’t have a meat thermometer cook until the juices run clear.

Once they hit 165 and the juices run clear remove them from the grill.

While the chicken rest, begin making your sauce.

Combine the hot sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt in a pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer while stirring with a whisk. As soon as the liquid begins to bubble on the sides of the pot, remove from heat, stir with the whisk, and set aside for use.

Now shred your chicken, and add your sauce. The sauce will separate so give it one final stirring before pouring over your chicken.

All that’s left to do now is enjoy, add a little coleslaw on the side, to temper the heat from the sandwich, maybe a a little blue cheese crumbled on top, and your favorite beverage and you’re set for game day.

So go ahead and whip these babies up in your favorite teams Talegate Town, make a few extras for the poor guys stuck at parties serving hot dogs and hamburgers.