Slow-Grilled Tequila-Citrus Chicken Thighs

Prep time: 10 minutes
Marinating: 6 to 8 hours
Grilling time: 30 to 40 minutes

Marinade
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup tequila
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

8 chicken thighs (with bone and skin), 5 to 6 ounces each

1. In a medium bowl mix the marinade ingredients. Put the chicken thighs in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, lay flat in a rimmed dish, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, turning once.

2. Prepare a two-zone fire for low heat.

3. Remove the chicken from the bag and pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil and let boil for at least 30 seconds. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

4. Grill the chicken, skin side down first over direct low heat, with the lid closed until the meat is firm and no longer pink near the bone (an estimated 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 5 minutes). During the last 20 minutes of grilling, brush the chicken on both sides with the boiled marinade. Serve warm at room temperature. Makes four servings

Light Up Your Night
Chicago’s Venetian Fest Offers Boats, Notes & More

Check the list of summertime fun in the City of Chicago, and you’ll find no shortage of off-the-course options when the sun goes down. The oldest and one of the most beloved of Chicago’s summer traditions is the Venetian Fest, which celebrates its 50th anniversary July 28th. The Venetian Fest offers fun for the whole family, starting with the soothing sounds of the Grant Park Symphony, the prelude to a sundown parade of sailboats along the lakefront, from Shedd Aquarium to the Chicago Yacht Club. The evening concludes with a brilliant fireworks display over the lake, one of the summer’s biggest. Maybe the best part of all, is the family-friendly price: free. For more information, visit www.cityofchicago.org.

Flour Power
Invite The World's Best Bread Maker To Your Next Barbecue

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Happy Hour
Caipirinha

For those not familiar with the caipirinha, the word looks like the top row of the eye chart. But in fact, the storied South American cocktail is nothing less than bliss — think Rio de Janeiro on the rocks. The caipirinha is a muddled mess of cachaça (a Brazilian liquor made from fermented sugar cane juice), lime and raw sugar, the blend of which results in something like a margarita but with a more interesting flavor and texture. Leblon is the cachaça of choice because it’s rested in Cognac barrels, which adds a creamy finish.

1 lime
1 tablespoon raw sugar
2 oz Leblon Cachaça
Cracked ice

Cut the lime into small chunks. Place in a cocktail shaker and add raw sugar. Muddle the lime and sugar until almost a paste. Add at least 2 ounces of Leblon Cachaça and cracked ice. Shake well, and pour all contents into a heavy-based tumbler.

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