Beer Can Chicken

[Innkeeper]

Welcomed Mother home last night with a beer can chicken. You may have seen the segment on it on the Today Show Saturday. Got this one from Good Morning American several years ago. The rub is mine. Matched it with a 2000 Chateau Lastours Gaillac. Wonderful!

BEER CAN CHICKEN: From: Good Morning America

1 4 to 5 lb Chicken
3 tbl Barbeque Seasoning/Dry Rub (below)
1 12 oz can Beer (Any brand you want avoiding "light")
Olive oil

Remove package of giblets and body fat just inside cavity. Wash and dry chicken inside and out. Put one tablespoon of rub inside cavity. Rub olive oil and another tablespoon into skin. Divide a large charcoal fire in half, place drip pan in center, add soaked wood chips. If using gas, put it on high, add chips, lower to medium when smoking. Pull tab on beer can, and punch in several more holes with church key. Remove top inch of beer from can (anyway you want), and add last tablespoon of rub to can. Hold the chicken upright and place it over the can of beer. Set over drip pan in center of the grill. Spread chicken legs to form sort of a tripod to support the bird. Cover grill and cook the chicken for two hours. After one hour (if using charcoal) add twelve or so more charcoal briquettes. Using tongs, remove bird to hot platter. Do not spill or handle the beer can when hot. Let chicken stand five minutes; cut up and serve.

BARBEQUE SEASONING (GENERAL BARBEQUE RUB):
1 tbl Sweet paprika
1 tbl Salt
1 tsp Allspice
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Granulated garlic (garlic powder)
1/2 tsp Red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground thyme

All spices should be ground. Whisk all together, and store in a dry, opaque container and place.

[Wine-Oh]

Innkeeper: I cannot wait to try your "Beer Can Chicken" (though we refer to it as "Dead Drunk Chicken" in our neck of the woods!) The barbecue rub sounds wonderful. I'll let you know! Hope you are enjoying the Memorial Day weekend.

[Drew]

I'm trying to picture this balancing bird act but am having trouble. What part of the chicken rests on the beer can? I know I'm opening myself up to rapid fire insults.

Drew

[winoweenie]

It's the part that youse use most often.....
WW

[Innkeeper]

At the risk of loosing WW's humor, which I've now recoverd from, I'll be more specific. Setting the bird "upright" means where the head or where the head used to be is up. "Spreading the legs as a tripod" means to shove the beer can up where the bottom used to be and then spreading the legs to make a tripod.

[Kcwhippet]

What a visual that brings up.

[hotwine]

It doesn't bear contemplating....

[Drew]

It's everything I'd hoped for....Thanks. BTW, are these special Maine chickens? I don't think the ones we grow here could accomplish such a feat.

Drew

[This message has been edited by Drew (edited 05-27-2002).]

[wondersofwine]

I saw the segment on "Today" show and was impressed. The cook also fixes chicken or
game birds with orange juice or other liquids as well as the beer cans. Will have to try it sometime.

[Innkeeper]

I was impressed by the turkey on the 32 oz can of Fosters. My grill isn't high enough for that for that one. The chicken barely fit. Am contemplating how to move this whole operation to the water smoker.

[hotwine]

What a foul fowl.....

eatmorebeef

[wondersofwine]

Just returned from a high school reunion in Lincoln, Nebraska (go Knights!) An article in the Omaha paper says that MacDonald's is seeking grass-fed beef from New Zealand and Australia for leaner beef. hotwine, did you say your beef are grass-fed or range-fed (on grains)? Nebraska cattlemen are meeting with a MacDonald's representative to say that they can supply lean beef and to talk about underused parts of the beef carcass. Worries me a little--maybe they are underused for a reason!

[hotwine]

Wow, we use the terms "grass-fed" and "range-fed" interchangeably. They both mean that the cattle are free-range (within pastures) and eat natural and cultivated grasses, as opposed to being confined cheek-by-jowl in feedlots and stuffed with grains for fattening. Our animals get plenty of exercise by moving from water to pasture to shelter and back to pasture and water several times each day, so they're naturally lean. Poor feedlot critters seem like they're lucky to move 20 feet all day. But when we sell ours at auction, guess where they go? They're usually bought by feedlot operators.

[hotwine]

OK, now, back to the chickens for a minute. What I want to know is (and everybody else has got to be wonderin', too)...... Jes' how do you git dem lil' birdies to stand still, while you shove an ice cold beer can up where de sun don't shine? I don't care if the ARE daid. Looks like such an indignity would wake 'em up!
There, now, see? I asked the question that nobody else would....

[Innkeeper]

Admittedly it's a little tricky. Especially when the critter is covered with OO and rub on the outside, more rub on the inside, and more rub in the can. You've got hot coals on both sides of you, etc, etc. I get the whole thing set up on a sideboard, balance, et al. Then I rake the coals to both sides, set the drip pan (an aluminum pie pan), and rake the coals back around it. Then I center a grilling grate over the drip pan, and toss the soaked chips on the coals. Then I transfer the already standing chicken to the grill, close the top, and go away for an hour. This is a good time to sip oaky chard. Come back, open hatch, toss in more brickettes and chips, close the hatch carefully, and go away another hour. Finish oaky chard, come back, and fetch in dinner.

[pharmgal]

Out here in the Pacific Northwest the chicken creation you are referring to is known as "Beer In The Rear Chicken" Once you stop laughing at the name and concept of this and you sit down to eat it you realize it's pretty darn good!:-)

~Sally

[winedope1]

hi all ! Food network just profiled this dish on a special Food Nation program. They showed the birds atop the beer cans on the grill, for all who were confused about the logistics. Gotta try this.