Pollo Asado — The Weekender

By: Marisa McClellan

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Pollo Asado - The Weekender

Citrus grilled Pollo Asado, as seen on Food Network's The Pioneer Woman.

Photo by: 0 ©2013,Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

0, 2013,Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Like so many other Americans, my husband and I eat a lot of chicken. I roast them whole, grill marinated breasts for slicing over salad, and regularly stew thighs for soups and enchiladas. Because this particular protein makes such regular appearances on our dining table, I’m always on the lookout for methods that will breathe new life into this poultry staple.

One way to reinvigorate the chicken habit is with a new marinade. I tend to be loyal to either teriyaki sauce or a slurry of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh rosemary and garlic. Both are delicious, but they can get tiresome over time. So when I spotted The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Pollo Asado, with its marinade of orange, lemon and lime juice, I felt called to give it a try.

Because I have a fairly small household, I halved the amount of chicken, but I kept the volume of marinade the same (because it’s easy enough to squeeze some citrus). After the chicken had spent a couple of hours in the fridge, I heated a grill pan in the oven (it was a rainy day and the logistics of outdoor grilling were beyond me) and cooked the chicken until it registered 165 degrees F.

Pollo Asado Marinade

Served with warm corn tortillas and a pile of fajita-style red peppers and onions, it was a fabulous Sunday evening dinner. I highly suggest you make it for your very own Weekender.

Before you start cooking, read these tips:

— Remember that anytime you’re marinating chicken, longer is better. I marinated my chicken for only a couple of hours, but ideally you’d set this chicken up in the dressing overnight.

— Whenever you cook chicken, make sure to use an instant-read thermometer to check that the meat is done. It’s easier and far more reliable than cutting into cooking chicken to look for pinkness.

Marisa McClellan is a food writer and canning teacher who lives in Center City Philadelphia. Find more of her food (all cooked up in her 80-square-foot kitchen) at her blog, Food in Jars. Her first cookbook, Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round, is now available.

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