Recipe of the Day - July 17 (beer-can chicken) - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

JadziaDax · 07-17-2003, 01:54 AM

Beer-Can Chicken

Ingredients
2 whole dried chiles, such as chipotle or New Mexico
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound whole chicken
1 12-ounce can of beer

Preparation
In a blender, food processor, or spice grinder, combine the chiles, sugar, salt, and spices.

Remove the neck and giblets from the chicken and discard. Rub the chicken inside and out with the spice rub. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Light a charcoal grill and allow the coals to burn until covered with gray ash or heat a gas grill to medium. Drink half the beer; leave the other half in the can. Slide the chicken over the can and place in the center of the cooking grate, balancing the chicken on its two legs and the can, like a tripod. Cover grill.

Grill about 1 1/4 hours or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170° F inserted in the breast and 180° F in the thigh, or until the juices run clear. Carefully remove the chicken and hot can from grill. Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before lifting it from the can.

Makes 4 servings

Daval · 07-17-2003, 01:03 PM

OK, I've done this recipe a few time and I suggest the following.

1. If you wanna be lazy, use seasoned salt to rub the outside of the chicken - leave for a couple of hours.

2. add a garlic clove and sprig of fresh rosemary to the beer.

3. instead of a beer can I bought a stainless steel salt shaker (the nice big fat ones) and use that instead of an aluminum can - I don't want paint flecks and whatnot contaminating my food. Plus its more sanitary.

4. Place the chicken in either a foil pan or a small baking pan - it will prevent flare ups.

rmx · 07-18-2003, 12:17 AM

hell yeah. i did this once. i did four chickens at once. 2 charcoal grills going at once. it was interesting to say the least. heres is what i did..... (as seen on another forum, where no one seemed to care)

Quote:

i shoved a beer in its arse... and it tasted like bacon!!!
i tried a new recipe (to me) called beer can chicken. mmmmmm mmmmmm good! i wish i would've taken pics, but the neighbors were all around and would of thought i was wierd if i explained how i was gonna post pics of my violated chicken.

anyway, very simple to do, for those that need simple recipes.

i make my own spice rub, but you can buy one if you want.

8 parts light brown sugar
3 parts kosher salt
1 part chili powder
all of the following combine to make one part:
ground black pepper
cayenne pepper
old bay
rubbed thyme
onion powder

put all in a jar and shake well. you have a spice rub that will last a while, so make lots of it!

now, take 4 lb whole chicken and discard the neck/liver/whatever else is in the body cavity. rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.

pour a fair amount of peanut oil (doesn't burn like vegetable oil) over the bird and massage into all areas, including a little in the cavity, flip and rub the other side.

now, shake a generous amount of spice rub onto the chicken and, once again, RUB!!! in the cavity, too!!! flip and repeat. now, set the chicken on a tray and and stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes (minimum).

now, you have a choice of cooking methods... oven or grill. i utilized both. the grill will taste better, the oven is faster.

start by soaking some hickory (or applewood if you can find it) chips in some water. then, i started the coals and gave them 20-30 minutes to gray over then i evenly divided them on each side of the grill, half on the left, half on the right. then, i put a disposable aluminum pan in between them. then, i put the grill on top.

now, for the fun part!!! grab your favorite beer in a can (i used coors light), pop the top, and drink about half of it. set it down on you prep surface and grab the chicken by the legs. stand him (actually, her) up and set him down on the beer can. you will be surprise how well they fit!

now, carefully place the chicken in the center of the grill. in my case, i was cooking four chickens at once, so i just made sure the chicken is not directly over the coals and not touching one another. drain your wood chips and sprinkle over the hot coals.... mmmm, smoke then, what juices there are in the tray, just pour in the drip pan. now, close the lid and go wash up. grab a beer on the way out the door.

just relax and enjoy your company for 20-30 minutes or so. then, quickly lift the lid to the grill and add some more soaked and drained hickory chips. you will garner oohs and ahhs at this point because the skin will have started browning. do the same in another thirty minutes. but KEEP THE GRILL CLOSED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. no peeking!!! go and preheat the oven to 425° F.

there is about 1 - 1.5 hours cooking time on the grill, but the coals are dying. now, here is the only tricky part... removal from the grill. a pair of tongs and a spatula work pretty good, but i still tipped one of the chickens over. beer on hot coals does not smell good! grab the bird under the wings with the tongs and slip the spatula under the can then lift. take the chicken immediately to the kitchen, as it is most like not quite done yet. place on a baking sheet and cover with an aluminum foil tent (two pieces of wide aluminum foil crimped together and loosely placed over the tray but make sure a good seal is made with the baking sheet).

into the oven for 20 minutes more. it is hard to over cook chicken like this, as the beer is steaming it from the inside out, keeping it very moist. remove from the oven and let it rest 10-15 minutes. carve. and, voila, the best chicken i have EVER had!!! everyone agreed, it is a hit! and, although a little time consuming, VERY simple. and, for the under 21 crowd, you can do this with your favorite soda from what i understand. there is no real beer flavor to the chicken. as a matter of fact, the smoke combined with the sugar and salt in the rub makes the chicken taste remarkably like bacon! i wish i had made a fifth chicken now, as there were no leftovers.

i know it is a bit more than a grilled cheese, but if you want to impress the ladies... go through her stomach!!! i got some good lubbins last night!!!!

__________________

i am going to try this next month again. i have a much nicer grill now. it really did taste like bacon.

edit: that was posted on 10-05-02. it is definitely time to try that one again.

rmx · 07-18-2003, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Daval

3. instead of a beer can I bought a stainless steel salt shaker (the nice big fat ones) and use that instead of an aluminum can - I don't want paint flecks and whatnot contaminating my food. Plus its more sanitary.

that's a good idea. and you could make any liquid you want for that. plus it would more sturdy than a heated half-full beer can. i will have to try that.

did you put the lid on the shaker?

Daval · 07-18-2003, 05:33 AM

yup, since the shaker is full of holes anyways and steam can easily escape I left the lid on. i just found while i was carrying the chicken and whatnot it would prevent spillage.

07-17-2003, 01:54 AM	#1 (permalink)
JadziaDax Loser Location: who the fuck cares?	Recipe of the Day - July 17 (beer-can chicken) Beer-Can Chicken Ingredients 2 whole dried chiles, such as chipotle or New Mexico 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon oregano 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound whole chicken 1 12-ounce can of beer Preparation In a blender, food processor, or spice grinder, combine the chiles, sugar, salt, and spices. Remove the neck and giblets from the chicken and discard. Rub the chicken inside and out with the spice rub. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Light a charcoal grill and allow the coals to burn until covered with gray ash or heat a gas grill to medium. Drink half the beer; leave the other half in the can. Slide the chicken over the can and place in the center of the cooking grate, balancing the chicken on its two legs and the can, like a tripod. Cover grill. Grill about 1 1/4 hours or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170° F inserted in the breast and 180° F in the thigh, or until the juices run clear. Carefully remove the chicken and hot can from grill. Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before lifting it from the can. Makes 4 servings

07-17-2003, 01:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
Daval Junkie Location: The True North Strong and Free!	OK, I've done this recipe a few time and I suggest the following. 1. If you wanna be lazy, use seasoned salt to rub the outside of the chicken - leave for a couple of hours. 2. add a garlic clove and sprig of fresh rosemary to the beer. 3. instead of a beer can I bought a stainless steel salt shaker (the nice big fat ones) and use that instead of an aluminum can - I don't want paint flecks and whatnot contaminating my food. Plus its more sanitary. 4. Place the chicken in either a foil pan or a small baking pan - it will prevent flare ups. __________________ "It is impossible to obtain a conviction for sodomy from an English jury. Half of them don't believe that it can physically be done, and the other half are doing it." Winston Churchill

07-18-2003, 05:33 AM	#5 (permalink)
Daval Junkie Location: The True North Strong and Free!	yup, since the shaker is full of holes anyways and steam can easily escape I left the lid on. i just found while i was carrying the chicken and whatnot it would prevent spillage. __________________ "It is impossible to obtain a conviction for sodomy from an English jury. Half of them don't believe that it can physically be done, and the other half are doing it." Winston Churchill