Talk shop with any BBQ expert, and you'll eventually hear them say the phrase, "low and slow." It's the secret to great barbecue, they'll say—and they're right. Low temperatures and long cook times render just about any cut of meat so tender proteins nearly fall apart when you remove them from the smoker. But a smoker can handle higher heat like a champ, too.

Case in point: John Stage's barbecued chicken quarters. Stage, owner of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que restaurants, cranks the heat on a smoker up to the 350°F range to crisp up the skin of the chicken while cooking the inside until juicy and tender. This method wouldn't work for a larger, thicker cut of meat, like a brisket, but it's perfect for chicken quarters, which carry less meat.

More BBQ school notes to improve your final product:

Charcoal Bar-B-Que Chicken
Recipe by John Stage, owner of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que restaurants

What you'll need:
8 chicken quarters
2/3 cup olive oil
Dinosaur BBQ All-Purpose Red Rub (recipe below)
2 cups store-bought BBQ sauce, preferably Dinosaur BBQ Sensuous Slathering Sauce

How to make it:
1. Prep the chicken by breaking the joint between the leg and thigh. Trim away any backbone attached to the thigh.  In a medium bowl mix together the oil and spice rub*, and massage it into the chicken pieces.  Cover and refrigerate the chicken until you're ready to grill it.
2. Prepare your smoker to 325 to 350°F, using a few wood chunks (I used applewood) or a few handfuls of chips to start the smoke. Arrange the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on the top smoker grate. Close the lid and cook until the rub takes on a darker color and bark-like texture, 25 to 30 minutes. Open the lid and flip the chicken. Then close the lid and cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 to 165°F.
3. Open the lid, flip all the pieces skin-side up, and slather with BBQ sauce. Close the lid and cook the chicken until the sauce darkens and glazes the chicken, 10 to 15 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

*Stage says you only need 7 Tbsp of the spice rub for the chicken. I used all of it. Maybe it was overkill, but the chicken came out incredibly well seasoned. If it’s too much, you can always same leftover rub. It’ll keep for about 3 months before it starts to lose its potency.

All-Purpose Red Rub

What you'll need:
½ cup paprika
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup 1 ½ Tbsp granulated garlic
6 Tbsp granulated onion
¼ cup chili powder
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper

How to make it:
Dump all the ingredients into a bowl and rub them together with your hands.  Store in a plastic or glass container until ready to use.  Makes 2 ¾ cups.

—Photos by Ryan Harris 

Via: BBQ School Cook Up Crispy Barbecued Chicken