Huli Huli chicken is often prepared using chicken halves. Yep, you take a whole chicken and cut it in half, and grill it. Anna had gotten a big bag of leg quarters (on sale!), so I decided that they should be “huli”-ed.

I also made some Hawaiian style macaroni salad and baked the world’s largest sweet potato.

The chicken is brined, grilled, and then doused with a sweet, sticky glaze.

For the chicken:

2 quarts water

2 cups soy sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil (plus extra for the grate)

6 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

4 split chicken halves (about 8 pounds total)

(This is where I substituted the leg quarters. It was a 10-pound bag.)

Combine the water and soy sauce in a large bowl. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir into soy sauce/water mixture. Add the chicken and refrigerate, covered, for at least an hour and up to 8 hours.

Instead of a bowl, I will often brine or marinate meats in a ziplock bag.

For the glaze:

3 (6-ounce) cans pineapple juice

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

4 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 4 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce (like sriracha)

(I used a mild chili-garlic sauce to make it more kid-friendly)

Combine the pineapple juice, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and chili-garlic sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thick and syrupy, resulting in about 1 cup.

Start the charcoal using your preferred method. I like a chimney starter. When the coals are ready, build a single-level fire, spreading the coals in an even layer at the bottom of the grill. Be sure to include some wood chunks with the coals or toss chips on before the chicken goes on the grate. In Hawaii, Kiawe wood is used for cooking. It’s actually a species of mesquite, so I used some mesquite chunks with the coals in the chimney starter. I also used a couple handfuls of cherry wood chips.

Oil the grate, and place the chicken skin-side up over medium-hot coals. Grill, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes, then turn the pieces over and grill for another 20 to 25 minutes. When done, the skin should be browned and crisp and thigh meat should read 170 to 175 degrees.

(Watch this short video below)

(Note: About 40-45 minutes into the cooking time, I felt that the coals were cooling a bit and that the cooking was slowing. I fired up a ½ full load of coals in the chimney starter and distributed them evenly over the existing coals in the bottom of the grill. This got things going again. Tossed some smaller mesquite chunks on the coals, too, for good measure.)

Transfer the chicken to a platter and brush with half of the glaze, and let rest 5 minutes. The other half of the glaze can be served at the table.

(Watch Video of Valentina cutting pineapple)

(Watch the video of the sweet potato being unwrapped!)

Huli Huli Chicken

The Ingredients

For the Chicken & Brine:

• 8 lbs chicken halves or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 quarts of water
• 2 cups soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

For the Sticky Glaze:

• 3 cans (6 oz each) pineapple juice
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tsp Asian chili-garlic sauce (like Huy Fong or Sriracha)

Optional for authenticity: 2 cups of mesquite wood chips, soaked in water for 15 minutes.

The Method

1. Brine the chicken:1 to 8 hours.

Whisk the water and 2 cups of soy sauce together in a large container. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Cook the brine’s garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, until fragrant, then stir them into the soy-water mixture. Add your chicken, cover, and refrigerate.

Critical Time Limit: Do not leave it in the brine for more than 8 hours, or the chicken will become overly salty.

2. Simmer the glaze: 20-25 min.

While the chicken brines, combine all the glaze ingredients (pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and chili sauce) in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to about 1 cup of thick, syrupy glaze. Set aside.

3. Prep the grill: 15 min.

If using charcoal, light your coals and spread them evenly. If using gas, turn burners to medium-low. Clean and oil the grates. If using wood chips, wrap them in a foil packet, poke vent holes in the top, and place them directly on the hot coals or your primary gas burner until they start smoking heavily.

4. Grill skin-side up: 25-30 min.

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on the grill skin-side up (away from direct flame if using wood chips). Cover and cook until the bottom is well browned and the internal temp reaches around 120°F.

5. Flip and crisp: 20-25 min.

Flip the chicken skin-side down. Cover and continue grilling until the skin is beautifully browned and crisp, and the thickest part of the thigh registers 170°F to 175°F.

6. Glaze and caramelize: 2 min.

During the last 2 minutes of grilling, generously brush the thick glaze over the chicken, flipping it over briefly just to let the sugars caramelize and lock onto the meat. Watch it like a hawk here—it will burn quickly if left unattended!

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

The Ingredients

The Dressing Base:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp table salt (plus extra for the pasta water)

The Salad:

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 4 scallions (green onions), sliced thin
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated on a box grater
• 1 celery rib, chopped very fine

The Method

1. Whisk the dressing for 5 min.

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole milk, mayonnaise, brown sugar, black pepper, and ½ tsp of salt until perfectly smooth.

The Secret Splitting Step: Pour exactly 1 cup of this dressing into a separate container, cover it, and refrigerate it. You’ll need this at the very end to refresh the salad.

2. Overcook the macaroni:15 min.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 tbsp of salt and the macaroni. Boil the pasta for 15 minutes (about 4 to 5 minutes longer than package directions) until it is very soft and fat.

3. Absorb the vinegar:10 min.

Drain the macaroni into a colander and shake it well to remove excess water. Transfer the hot pasta right into a large mixing bowl, pour the ½ cup of apple cider vinegar directly over it, and toss well. Let it sit for 10 minutes to fully absorb the vinegar as it cools.

4. Add veggies and first dressing mix:5 min.

Pour the larger remaining portion of the dressing over the warm macaroni and stir well. Fold in the sliced scallions, grated carrot, and finely chopped celery.

5. Chill completely:1 hour.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) until completely cold. As it chills, the overcooked macaroni will drink up most of the liquid.

6. Finish and serve:2 min.

Right before serving, pull the salad and your reserved 1 cup of dressing out of the fridge. Pour that fresh dressing over the pasta and stir it through. This restores the ultra-creamy, glossy texture so it doesn’t taste dry. Taste and add a pinch more salt or pepper if you like, then serve cold!