Shelly's Recipe

4-LAYER BARBECUED GAME HENS

Category: Poultry I

2 Cornish game hens (24 oz), thawed and rinsed with giblets removed
3 cups ice
2 cups hot water
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 can (12 oz) apricot nectar
2 tbsp Montreal chicken seasoning
2 tbsp Grill Mates sweet & smoky rub
2 small cans (5.5 oz) apple juice
1/2 cup your favorite barbecue sauce
Canola oil cooking spray

Combine the hot water and salt in a large bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Add the ice, nectar and Montreal Chicken Seasoning to the bowl and mix well. Add the hens to the brine, cover and refrigerate six hours. Note: Make sure that the birds are completely submerged.

Once the hens are done brining, remove them from the liquid, drain them completely and pat them dry with paper towels.

Prepare your grill for indirect cooking at medium heat (about 375 degrees).

Coat each hen liberally (including the cavity) with the rub. Coat the skin of each hen with the cooking oil spray. Open the cans of juice and pour out about half. Insert the open end of a can into each hen cavity. Set the cans with the birds upright on the grill away from the direct heat.

Grill the hens indirect for an hour and 15 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees in the thigh. Remove the can from each bird, return them to the grill and coat each liberally with barbecue sauce. Continue cooking the hens five more minutes. Split the hens in half, serve and enjoy! Serves 4