Yucatan Chicken Skewers with Red Cabbage Slaw and Peanut-Red Chile Sauce

Don't be fooled by the sheer number of ingredients at play here... the slaw takes no time to put together. The marinade takes no time to put together. The only real time-consuming task is the sauce. And, wow, that is SOME SAUCE. Mind you, most of the time is spent just bubbling away on the stove.

Now that we have eaten it, we're trying to think of how many things we can put this sauce on. The list is comprehensive enough to include breakfast cereal, fruit and apple pie. Seriously though, the sauce is magnificent and would be at home being used with anything Asian, such as spring rolls; it is a great dipping sauce. The peanut-y flavor gives way to a subtle heat that is just great.

Let's not forget the chicken. I am sure I mentioned before that thighs are the way to go. I mean, they are just so much more juicy. Sure, it's a little more work to bone them out, but we're talking about 5 minutes. The flavor delivery is worth it, especially with this citrus-y, spicy marinade.

If you make your own flour tortillas, good for you! Keep doing that and make some for this dish. If not, buy some (but don't tell Vanessa). The idea is that you slap the chicken, slaw and some sauce in the tortilla and go to town!

SKEWERS
½ cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)
¼ cup fresh lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
6 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in half lengthwise
24 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)
Finely chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish (optional)

SLAW
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ head red cabbage, finely shredded
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

PEANUT-RED CHILE BBQ SAUCE
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 ½ cups Mesa Grill BBQ Sauce (see below)
2 cups Enriched Chicken Stock or low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup smooth peanut butter, such as Jif
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

MESA GRILL BBQ SAUCE
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cans plum tomatoes and their juice, pureed
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup molasses
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons pasilla chile powder
1 tablespoon chipotle chile puree
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

SKEWERS
To marinate the chicken, in a large shallow baking dish, whisk together the orange and lime juices, oil, chile powder, and garlic until combined.

Skewer each chicken thigh half with 2 skewers running lengthwise through the chicken so that it lies flat. Put the chicken in the baking dish and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Preheat a grill to high or a grill pan over high heat.

Remove the thighs from the marinade (discard the marinade) and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until just cooked through.

Place the tortillas on the grill and grill for 10 seconds per side to heat through.

Serve the skewers on a platter accompanied by the cabbage slaw, peanut-red chile barbecue sauce, tortillas, mint and cilantro leaves, and peanuts for everyone to assemble his own wrap.

SLAW
Whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, oil, and honey in a medium bowl. Add the cabbage, onion, and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving.

MESA GRILL BBQ SAUCE (For use in the main sauce)
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of water, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Add the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, molasses, mustard, brown sugar, honey, ancho powder, pasilla powder, and chipotle puree, lower the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. The sauce will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed container.

PEANUT-RED CHILE BBQ SAUCE
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the Mesa Grill BBQ Sauce and chicken stock, and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half.

Whisk in the soy sauce and peanut butter and cook over medium heat until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. This can be made up to 2 days in advance and efrigrerated. Reheat before serving.