Grilled chicken marinated in Worcestershire and soy sauce was one of the first things R. B.’s Gourmet-subscribing mother, Loie, taught him to cook. It was probably the first marinade he’d ever tasted, and he loved the way it quickly permeated the chicken skin with color and the meat with salty flavor. Later on, he discovered that Loie’s salty black concoction is a common barbecue trick available at the supermarket under several labels. Both the popular store blends and Loie’s homemade pack quite a punch and don’t need much time to work up some flavor on chicken or beef. Here is Loie’s cheater recipe, which you can easily double and store in a sealed container in the fridge. Use it for chicken or a Gunsmoke steak cooked on the grill, in a skillet, or under the broiler.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

　　1/4 cup soy sauce

　　1/4 cup bottled smoke

　　3 pounds chicken pieces, trimmed of excess skin and fat

　　

Step 1

COMBINE the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and bottled smoke in a large sealable plastic bag set in a bowl.

　　

Step 2

ADD the chicken. Seal the bag and massage the bag to coat the pieces. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

　　

Step 3

HEAT the oven to 500°F. Remove the chicken from the bag and place it in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Discard the marinade.

　　

Step 4

PUT the chicken in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 1 1/2 hours for very tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken. Reduce the baking time to 1 hour for chicken breasts.

　　Cheater BBQ