Pollo a la Brasa Peruana

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1. 1Step 1: For the marinade, whisk together the ají panca paste, garlic, rosemary, cumin, and pepper in a medium bowl, then add the soy sauce, vinegar, and olive oil. Use right away, or cover and refrigerate the marinade for up to 5 days.
2. 2Step 2: Remove the giblets and neck from the chickens and trim any excess fat around the neck cavity. Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut each chicken in half alongside both sides of the backbone (save the backbone and neck for stock), flip the chicken over, and cut down the center of the breast to separate the chicken halves.
3. 3Step 3: Put the chickens in a large bowl and rub the marinade all over them, and place each chicken half in the middle of a large sheet of plastic wrap (a good foot long). Drizzle any marinade still in the bowl over the chicken halves, and wrap each up securely in the plastic wrap so the marinade doesn’t leak out.
4. 4Step 4: Place two chicken halves in a large, resealable food storage bag (a good-quality bag is key, or it will break when simmered). Press as much air out of the bag as possible, seal, and do the same with the remaining two chicken halves. Refrigerate both bags for 12 hours or overnight.
5. 5Step 5: When ready to cook, open each bagged chicken, press out any air, and seal the bags again securely. In each bag, arrange the two chicken halves so they lay flat next to each other.
6. 6Step 6: Build a 1-inch-tall pedestal for the chickens along the bottom of a large Dutch oven or stockpot with 3 or 4 round or other-shaped metal cookie cutters. (If you have two large Dutch ovens or wide-bottomed pots, make a stand in each so you can cook both bags of chicken at once; otherwise cook one bag at a time.)
7. 7Step 7: Place one bag on top of the cutters so the chickens lay as flat as possible and fill the pot with enough water to cover the bag. Place a smaller, heavy saucepan on top of the chicken to weigh it down and top the saucepan with a can of food, if needed, to submerge the chicken fully. (The water may be very close to the top of the pot, which is fine.)
8. 8Step 8: Bring the water to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low, and very slowly poach the chicken over low heat until the flesh is no longer pink between the legs and thighs, about 1 hour and 15 minutes for 3½-pound chickens, or 1 hour and 30 to 40 minutes if they are more than 4 pounds. The heat should be as low as possible so the chickens cook very slowly. If the water ever begins to simmer again, turn off the heat for 5 minutes.
9. 9Step 9: With tongs, transfer the bagged chicken to a large bowl, let cool for 15 minutes, then open the bag to release the steam (be careful—it is very hot). It’s fine if some of the marinade leaked out into the bags. Transfer the chicken to a bowl, pour the marinade over the top, and discard the bags and plastic wrap.
10. 10Step 10: If making the chicken ahead, let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate in the marinade overnight. Let the chickens rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature before grilling.
11. 11Step 11: Prepare a regular or hibachi grill for direct, high-heat cooking and lightly oil the grate with vegetable oil. When the grill is very hot, place the chicken halves on the grill, breast side down (reserve the marinade in the bowl).
12. 12Step 12: Sear each chicken half until the skin is blackened all over, usually a solid 5 minutes. Cook the chicken a little longer, if necessary; you want a nice dark color.
13. 13Step 13: Brush the chicken with the marinade, flip, and brush the skin (now facing up) with marinade. If the juices do not run clear when the thigh is pierced, grill the chicken several minutes longer, flipping and basting regularly, until they do.
14. 14Step 14: Transfer the chickens to a serving plate and serve them right away, or let cool to room temperature before serving.