Episode 14 - Beer Can Chicken
admin | February 3, 2010 | 2:08 pm
For anyone who likes a truly unique way of grilling or cooking very moist and flavorful chicken, I give you this podcast.
The very first time I saw this take on grilling chicken was around 2001-02 and I had seen it on FoodTV. I was fascinated on the method and idea of both basting and cooking a chicken from the inside out using liquid, and in this case beer. It looked simple enough and guaranteed to be a talking point amongst friends who see you pull the bird of the grill.
You’ll be amazed, if done correctly, how moist the chicken actually is, especially after sitting on the grill for hours. And despite the fact it may look a bit complicated, it really isn’t at all. The most caution I can give though…and I learned this from my own experience is to be very careful removing the can from the bird without adequately letting it rest and cool down juts a tad. That can is hot, and the left over brew is basically boiling (it did just turn to steam after-all), and you can easily burn yourself. Oh, and make sure you leave the bird on long enough to cook thoroughly….no matter how good it may look on the outside, you don’t want to get sick from raw chicken (I’ve done that as well, and it isn’t pretty by any means).
Don’t be afraid to experiment with various rubs and spices, and of course if you have fresh herbs liek rosemary or thyme, don’t be shy to try them out either.
Like I say in the episode, best enjoyed in the company of friends and can be paired with lighter wines or like beer. Enjoy on a nice spring or summer day, get the tunes going, have some light side dishes and I promise you, if done semi-correctly, your friends will want to know how you made such a good main dish.
Show Notes:
- Intro music: “I am a man of constant sorrow” - Soggy Bottom Boys
- Recipe: Beer Can Chicken
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (18.4MB)
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Thanks for the podcast! I recently tried this cooking method, and had pretty good success. Wanted to add some thoughts.
1. A good rub is key to this, and if really want to expand the flavor, separate the skin from the meat (I even went down around the legs) and get that rub in there real good. If you are going for a higher temp/faster cook, make a “rub paste” by adding some olive oil on the meat/skin first. Got a meat marinade injector? Perfect for this type of cooking.
2. We added lemon to the beer, and thin slices fit in the can just fine.
3. Be aware of any can with a “freshness liner”, this is basically a plastic and you don’t want to steam your bird with that stuff! (Want to be completely safe, pour your bottle beer into a soda can!)
4. Let the bird sit for 10 minutes, and LEAVE THE CAN IN DURING THIS TIME! If you take the can out too quickly, you will release all the internal steam, and will dry out the cavity.
5. We used a big Weber gas grill, only thing I did was to put a metal pie pan under the grills, in the center of the grill to catch the drippings. The pan did get hot enough to vaporize the fat run off to baste the bird a bit. I ran the front and back burners at 1/4 and held a temp of 375 pretty easily. Indirect is the way to go, and our bird was done in about 1:15.
Thank you Paul for the suggestions. You make an excellent point about the ‘freshness’ liner I didn’t even think about. Interesting that by using two burners, you were able to cut the time down so much. How big was your bird? As with all “que’s”, you really have to experiment with your own to find the ’sweet’ spot and regulate cooking times. All grills cook slightly differently depending on their size, BTU output, height of kettle (or dome), how many times people open/close grill during cooking, and of course how ’sealed’ it is.
Myself, I prefer the slow and low method…it tends to retain moisture better and helps avoid burning, although the main draw back is indeed time.