Thursday, July 2, 2009

Beer Can Chicken


Beer can chicken is one of those quintessential grilling recipes. It's certainly easy and flavorful. Just season a chicken, open up a can of beer and reduce by one third(oral consumption is recommended), jam the 1/3 empty can into the chickens nether regions and grill over indirect heat for about one hour. The grill gets the skin crispy and delicious, while the beer keep the meat moist. What's not to love?

Removing the can filled with scalding hot liquid from a scalding hot chicken is what is not to love. All the recipes fail to mention that the can welds itself to the inside of the chicken. It takes some doing to extract the can from the chicken's can and not put yourself in a burn ward.

You can gauge for yourself how popular this recipe is by the number of gadgets created to cook beer can chicken without giving yourself second degree burns. Most consist of some type of cylinder to fill with your liquid of choice. This cylinder is surrounded by a drip pan in many cases. The cylinder itself my even be coated with a non-stick surface. Memories of being locked in mortal combat with a red hot can had me opt for a non-stick model.

Last night I gave my new beer can chicken contraption a test run. I gave the chicken a good rub down with Bone Suckin' Sauce Seasoning and Rub. Yes, I know I could easily whip this up myself, but even I need a short cut every now and then. I cracked open a beer and filled up the container in the beer can chicken rig. Covered the container and plopped the chicken down on it. I must say the chicken looked kind of regal sitting on its beer filled throne as it grilled away on the Weber.

After about an hour, the chicken was done cooking and the moment of truth has come. Will this chicken freely rise from its container or did I just spend $20 for more frustration. I grabbed the chicken with a pair of tongs and gave a tug. The bird came freely away from the contraption, a chorus of angels began to sing and all was right in the world. OK, so I exaggerate. The chicken did come free without any hitch what so ever. Free from the nightmare of being sprayed with lava hot beer, the old beer can chicken will be making more appearances on the grill.