Fire-Spiced Abyssal Chicken Kebabs

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 1.5 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8), trimmed and cut into {=amount3/v}-inch pieces
• 3 large poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1.5-inch squares
• 2 red onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 8 equal chunks
• 1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 slices thick-cut bacon, each cut crosswise into 3 pieces
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh mint for garnish

Instructions

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them in a bowl of water for 20 minutes prior to grilling.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the molasses, lime juice, and hot pepper sauce. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the chili powder, brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper to blend. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
4. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on high for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently toss the poblanos and onions (breaking up the onion chunks into pieces of two or three layers) with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Stand two skewers side-by-side, ½ inch apart, with pointed sides facing up. Thread the set of double skewers with alternating pieces of chicken, onion, bacon, and poblano, making sure that the pieces are not too tight against each other; repeat with the remaining chicken, vegetables, and bacon. You should be able to make eight kabobs.
6. Grill the kebabs, turning every 3 minutes, until the onions and poblanos are tender and grill-marked, and the chicken is well-browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Brush the kebabs all over with the molasses mixture and grill for about 1 minute on each side (do not let them burn.) Remove the kebabs from the grill and let rest for about 3 minutes. Garnish with fresh mint and serve hot.