Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, bone in
2 cups Mesa BBQ Sauce, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground pepper
BUTTERMILK DRESSING:
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups red leaf lettuce, roughly torn
3 cups romaine lettuce, roughly torn
1/2 pound American blue cheese, crumbled
1 large avocado, peeled, pit removed and thinly sliced
1 Vidalia onion, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices and grilled
2 plum tomatoes, quartered
MESA BBQ SAUCE:
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 plum tomatoes, coarsely diced
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons dark molasses
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder (available at Hispanic or specialty markets)
1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder (available at Hispanic or specialty markets)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
- Marinate chicken in bbq sauce for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Remove from marinade and grill each thigh for 6 to 7 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
- Mix all ingredients for dressing, and season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange lettuce on 4 plates, top each plate with a chicken thigh. Garnish with blue cheese, avocado, onion and tomato. Drizzle with the buttermilk dressing.
MESA BBQ SAUCE:
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sweat the onion and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes.
- Puree the mixture in a food processor, pour into a bowl, and let cool at room temperature. May be refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen.