A fine chicken using the beer can method

[janniecooks]

I usually prepare chicken on the grill either using Steven Raichlen's Beer Can Chicken method (from one of his barbeque books), or cut up and marinated in lemon juice and olive oil before grilling. Both are terrific and easy ways to cook chicken. But yesterday I combined the two techniques to produce the greatest chicken I've ever made. In my opinion, it even beats the zuni chicken! Here's what I did:

Make a marinade of the juice from two lemons, about a teaspoon table salt, as much black pepper as you care to grind, and a couple glugs of olive oil (maybe 25% of the volume of lemon juice). Put a 3 1/2 pound chicken into a gallon ziploc bag and pour the marinade over, kneading it in/around the chicken. Marinate for at least 6 hours in the fridge, turning every hour or so.

Preheat the grill. Open a can of beer, drink about one-third of it (or, if you must, pour it down the drain), use a church key opener to make many more holes in the top of the can and then and add a teaspoon or two of Emeril's essence. Put the beer can on a small roasting pan (I use disposable aluminum), remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken firmly over the beer can, spreading its legs out to form a tripod. Shower the chicken with about one and a half teaspoons of kosher salt, then sprinkle with/pat on about two or three teaspoons of Emeril's essence. Push one of the squeezed lemon halves into the neck opening to block the steam, or use a small potato, small onion, or piece of apple.

Put the chicken on the grill over indirect heat and let it roast for one hour and a half at 350 degrees. I have a three-burner Weber Genesis grill so I turn off the middle burner and set the chicken in the middle, setting the front and back burners to about medium to maintain an even temperature of 350. For the last ten minutes turn the burners up to about medium-high to crisp the skin.

I gotta tell you this was the juiciest, most flavorful chicken I've had. And because it cooks completely unattended you can devote your time to making sides, or just sipping a lovely G&T and enjoying the delicious smells wafting from your grill.

By the way, I make my own Emeril's essence from a recipe from Epicurious.com for Emeril Legasse's Sticky Chicken. Having experimented with all manner of rubs, inclucding most of Raichlen's, I like Emeril's the best.

Hope you have a chance to try this method for your next chicken. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

[currymouth]

I love this method of cooking a bird. I use a tall boy bud, pour off half and soak applewood chips overnight, In the remaining beer I add any aromatics i have in the fridge, ginger, crushed cumin,star anise,and soy. Then place the can in the bird's cavity. Season the bird with salt, white pepper and 5 spice powder outside, and the same under the skin with a little sesame oil.Stand the bird up in a disposible baking pan in the middle of the grill{I use only charcoal and a 22 inch Weber grill} Place about 2 chimneys of natural charcoal around bird and close cover. The thermostat will peg at about 500 degrees. then decrease airflow to top out at about 350.At an internal temp of about 150{11/2 hours for a 5 lb bird} baste with drippings in pan, add DAMP wood chips and 1 more chimney of charcoal. cover an leave for another 30 min. You should have a crisp , smoky, aromatic skin and meat that falls off the bones.Yes, it is labor intensive , but I look forward to those quiet hours in the back yard, the grill, the dog, and me.

[weinstein5]

I concur it is the best way to do a chicken on the grill - I have also experimented with other beverages besides beer - Coke, Root Beer, Sprite - all have turned out well - do not forget to put your seasoning in the can as well -

[gordeaux]

We do this very similarly, although, I also stuff lemon balm, keffir lime leaf, basil, and parsley under the bird's skin, and also in the beer can can. It turns your chicken flesh into something you'd expect from a 5 star restaurant - permeated with citrus like you wouldn't believe. I generally serve this in a mole. At the end of fall, I do about 10 of these birds, and chop em in half and vacuum seal them for the winter months. It's like having summer in a bag in your freezer.

[rcspott]

Janniecooks,

Great sounding recipe, will have to try it next time. We did beer can chicken last night with just Cookshack chicken seasoning inside and out and it was great. That cooking method is a great one. I have the Bayou Classic model #0880 single chicken cooking rack. I have had some chickens that just don't seem to want to stand up straight and this simple little rack takes care of that issue. I hate to say it but I found it at Wally World for $3.92.

Rich

[janniecooks]

That's a great price, but I can beat that - I got a nice simple rack absolutely free from Perdue Farms! Back last summer I guess it was Perdue Farms chickens included a coupon inside the package for the free rack. The beer can fits nicely in the middle, the chicken fits snugly over the beer can apparatus, and the base provides the support so no more collapsed beer cans or collapsed flimsy aluminum roasters. Sweet deal!

[HillJ]

Bingo that's the one (rack)! Great little gadget.
rcs..nothing wrong w/shopping for deals at WW!
thanks again for the delicious suggestions.

[sarah galvin]

Mine came free (is anything really free?) with the chicken when I bought at Midtown Co-op in Calgary. Saved me looking for one. Love it.

[HillJ]

Wonderful recipe janniecooks & tyou for sharing it.
I use a vertical rack for grilling whole chickens and follow a similar marinate, using pineapple juice instead of lemon) in our Big Green Egg. Larger the bird the better!

Great leftovers for cold salads calling for grilled chicken, too!