1tablespoonminced garlicthis was approximately 3 large cloves
1teaspoonoreganodried
1teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1/4teaspoonground cayenne pepper
4large or 6 small boneless skinless chicken thighs
Beer Cheese Sauce
recipe from Chris with Nibble Me This
2tablespoonsreserved bacon fat
1/4cupsweet onionminced
2tablespoonsall-purpose flour
1/2cuppale ale craft brewI used Sierra Nevada
1/2teaspoonsmoked paprika
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
1/8teaspoonwhite pepper
1/2cupchicken stock
1cupmild cheddar cheeseshredded
1tablespoonroasted jalapenodiced (this added great flavor, with very little heat)
1/4cuphalf and half
1teaspoonworcestershire
Sandwich Ingredients:
8strips of hickory smoked baconbuy the good stuff, this is worth it.
4thick slices of tomatooptional
Lettuceoptional
4rollsonion rolls would be great, I used some of the artisan dough I had in the fridge to make rolls and they were far too chewy. I'll make softer hamburger rolls next time.
Instructions
Mix the marinade and add the chicken. Let this marinate in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours. Allow this to rest on the counter-top for at least an hour to warm slightly before grilling.
Cook the bacon, drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
Sear the jalapeño on the grill until blackened. I cut the pepper in half, so that it would lay flat on the grill. Place the blackened pepper in a zip close bag and close tightly. After 5 minutes, you should be able to run off the blackened portions and discard that and the seeds. Finely dice the rest of the pepper.
In a small saute pan over medium heat, warm the bacon grease and saute the onion with it until it just starts to turn tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens. This should only take a few minutes.
Add the smoked paprika, white pepper and salt. Whisk in the beer. For a moment it will look like your sauce fell apart, but keep stirring constantly for another minute or so and it will smooth out again. Add the chicken stock and keep stirring.
Bring to a very low simmer and slowly add the cheese in small amounts at a time. Add the jalapeno, half and half and worcestershire sauce. Cover and keep warm over low heat. Stirring occasionally to maintain consistency.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill directly over medium high heat (400 degrees) for 6 minutes a side or until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees. Remove chicken from the grill. Butter and toast the insides of your rolls.
Build each sandwich with a thigh, two pieces of bacon, cheese sauce, lettuce, and tomato if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
I make this sandwich both with and without the cheese sauce, depending on my mood and what I have on hand. If we're skipping the cheese sauce, I will usually melt a slice of cheese over the chicken in the last minute or two of grilling. However, that isn't required. The sandwich is delicious without any cheese at all.