The Tangy Truth: Mastering Alabama White Sauce Barbecue

Overview

This video explores the history and mastery of Alabama White Sauce Barbecue, invented in 1925 by Bob Gibson. It details how to prepare, smoke, sear, and glaze a spatchcocked chicken with this unique mayonnaise-based emulsion for perfect, crispy results.

Ingredients

• 480 milliliters (2 cups) heavy-duty mayonnaise
• 120 milliliters (0.5 cup) apple cider vinegar
• 60 milliliters (0.25 cup) fresh lemon juice
• 15 grams (1 tablespoon) coarse black pepper
• 10 grams (2 teaspoons) prepared horseradish
• 1.8-kilogram (4-pound) whole chicken
• 18 grams (1 tablespoon) kosher salt
• 8 grams (1 tablespoon) smoked paprika
• 5 grams (1 teaspoon) garlic powder
• Hickory logs

Instructions

1. Whisk 480 milliliters (2 cups) of heavy-duty mayonnaise with 120 milliliters (0.5 cup) of apple cider vinegar, 60 milliliters (0.25 cup) of fresh lemon juice, 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of coarse black pepper, and 10 grams (2 teaspoons) of prepared horseradish until perfectly smooth.
2. Cover the sauce and let it rest in the refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2 hours.
3. Spatchcock a 1.8-kilogram (4-pound) whole chicken by removing the backbone with heavy poultry shears and flattening it out.
4. For the dry rub, combine 18 grams (1 tablespoon) of kosher salt, 8 grams (1 tablespoon) of smoked paprika, and 5 grams (1 teaspoon) of garlic powder.
5. Massage the dry rub evenly under and over the chicken skin.
6. Place the bird on a wire rack over a baking sheet and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit) for 12 hours.
7. Fire up an offset smoker using split hickory logs to establish a steady ambient temperature of 135 degrees Celsius (275 degrees Fahrenheit) and a clean, thin blue smoke.
8. Place the spatchcocked chicken bone-side down on the grates and smoke undisturbed for 90 minutes until the internal breast temperature reaches 68 degrees Celsius (155 degrees Fahrenheit).
9. Transfer the chicken directly over hot coals or crank a gas grill to 205 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit).
10. Sear the bird skin-side down for 4 minutes, rotating it 90 degrees at the 2-minute mark, then flip and sear the bone side for 2 minutes, aiming for a final internal breast temperature of 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit).
11. Let the chilled white sauce come to an ambient room temperature of 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit).
12. Plunge the hot, 74-degree-Celsius (165-degree-Fahrenheit) chicken entirely into the bowl of white sauce for 5 seconds using heavy tongs, then lift it out and let excess drip off.
13. Transfer the glazed chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
14. Serve the carved pieces with extra sauce on the side for dipping.

In this video

• Bob Gibson invented Alabama White Sauce in 1925 in Decatur, Alabama, smoking pork and chickens over hickory coals.
• The sauce is a stark white emulsion of mayonnaise, black pepper, and vinegar designed to cut straight through heavy hickory fat.
• For the quintessential Decatur mop, the Alabama White Sauce is built cold and served at room temperature, containing specific ratios of mayo to acid.
• A 1.8-kilogram (4-pound) whole chicken should be spatchcocked and dry-brined uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 hours for optimal skin crisping.
• Chicken is smoked bone-side down over split hickory logs at a steady ambient temperature of 135 degrees Celsius (275 degrees Fahrenheit) for 90 minutes.
• After smoking to an internal breast temperature of 68 degrees Celsius (155 degrees Fahrenheit), the chicken is seared over hot coals or a 205-degree-Celsius (400-degree-Fahrenheit) grill to render subdermal fat.
• The searing process blisters the skin, driving the final internal breast temperature to a safe 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit).
• The hot, 74-degree-Celsius (165-degree-Fahrenheit) chicken must be completely submerged in the 22-degree-Celsius (72-degree-Fahrenheit) ambient white sauce for exactly 5 seconds.
• This thermal shock partially breaks the emulsion, allowing oil to sink into the crispy skin and vinegar/horseradish solids to form a tangy, peppery lacquer.
• Rest the glazed chicken for exactly 10 minutes before carving to prevent the rapid steam release from blowing the lacquer off the meat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Alabama White Sauce made of?

Alabama White Sauce is a stark white emulsion of mayonnaise, black pepper, and vinegar, featuring fresh lemon juice and prepared horseradish, designed to cut through heavy hickory fat.

How do you prepare chicken for Alabama White Sauce?

A 1.8-kilogram (4-pound) whole chicken is spatchcocked, then massaged with a dry rub of kosher salt, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. It is then dry-brined uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 hours to desiccate the skin for optimal crisping.

What temperature should you smoke chicken at for Alabama White Sauce?

Smoke the spatchcocked chicken bone-side down over hickory logs at a steady ambient temperature of 135 degrees Celsius (275 degrees Fahrenheit) for 90 minutes. This achieves an internal breast temperature of 68 degrees Celsius (155 degrees Fahrenheit) with a subtle smoke ring.

How do you crisp chicken skin for Alabama White Sauce?

After smoking, transfer the chicken directly over hot coals or a gas grill at 205 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Sear the skin-side down for 4 minutes, rotating at 2 minutes, then flip and sear the bone side for 2 minutes to blister the skin and render subdermal fat.

What is the proper way to apply Alabama White Sauce to chicken?

Submerge the hot, 74-degree-Celsius (165-degree-Fahrenheit) chicken entirely into the 22-degree-Celsius (72-degree-Fahrenheit) ambient white sauce for exactly 5 seconds. This allows the residual heat to melt the mayonnaise fat into a translucent, clinging glaze.