Grilled Chicken With Pomegranate Barbeque Sauce

July 15, 6:41 AMDenver Food ExaminerAndrea Spikes

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So many memories... of dry, chewy, tasteless chicken fresh (or not-so-fresh) from the grill. Of the two gallons of corn syrup-laden barbeque sauce required to eat said tasteless muckitymuck. Of burnt chicken jerky sticking in between my teeth. What? That doesn't sound delicious to you?? Me neither.

That is why, when I'm grilling anything but beef, I insist on two things: moisture and flavor. Brining is one of the few ways of accomplishing both without adding pounds to our waistlines and sending us into diabetic shock. Oh, of course barbeque sauce is still a great thing but it should complement - not drown - our choice of protein.

Here's an easy way to brine chicken: Dissolve half a cup EACH of sugar and kosher salt in a quart of water in a gallon-sized zipper plastic bag. Drop in your four boneless and skinless chicken breasts, get out as much air from the bag as you can, seal that puppy up and stick it in the 'fridge for about 20 minutes. Then rinse the breasts well under cold, running water and pat dry thoroughly. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with ground pepper. Your moisture-packed, flavor-infused chicken is now ready for the grill.

But what about the sauce? I suppose any sauce will do, though your chicken will not require a cup of sauce to devour since it's already got flavor. This recipe is based on one from Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, and is lower in sugar and high in antioxidants than most bottled sauces.

Pomegranate BBQ Sauce
Good for meat, poultry, tofu or tempeh. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

2 cups 100% pomegranate juice
1/4 cup honey (optional)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
1/2 teaspon sea salt (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the pom. juice just to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on medium-low until reduced by one-half. (This will take about a half hour)

2. Stir in honey, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, cumin, chili powder, 1/2 teaspon sea salt and cayenne. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer ten minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning to taste.

3. Coat your chosen protein near the end of grilling or as a baste just before serving.