Beer Can Chicken 1 (4-pound) whole chicken 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub 1 can beer Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub. Set aside. Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod. Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (i.e. no coals or burners on directly under the bird), with the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. beer can chicken This odd recipe makes some of the most moist, succulent, flavorful barbecued chicken I've ever tasted. The secret: an open can of beer is inserted into the cavity of the bird, which is cooked upright on the grill. Besides being incredibly tender, the bird makes a great conversation piece. The recipe was inspired by the Bryce Boar Blazers, a barbecue team from Texas I met at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. The proper beverage? Beer, of course. 1 large whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds) 3 tablespoons Memphis Rub* or your favorite dry barbecue rub 1 can (12 ounces) beer Preparation 1. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities of the chicken. Remove the package of giblets, and set aside for another use. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the rub inside the body and neck cavities, the rub another 1 tablespoon all over the skin of the bird. If you wish, rub another 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture between the flesh and the skin. Cover and refrigerate the chicken while you preheat the grill. 2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling** placing a drip pan in the center. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; then, when smoke appears, lower the heat to medium. 3. Pop the tab on the beer can. Using a "church key" –style can opener, make 6 or 7 holes in the top of the can. Pour out the top inch of beer, then spoon the remaining dry rub through the holes into the beer. Holding the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity down, insert the beer can into the cavity. 4. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss half the wood chips on the coals. Oil the grill grate. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan. Spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod, to support the bird. 5. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until fall-off-the-bone tender, 2 hours. If using charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals per side and the remaining wood chips after 1 hour. 6. Using tongs, lift the bird to a cutting board or platter, holding the metal spatula underneath the beer can for support. (Have the board or platter right next to the bird to make the move shorter. Be careful not to spill hot beer on yourself.) Let stand for 5 minutes before carving the meat off the upright carcass. (Toss the beer can out along with the carcass.) *Memphis Rub 1/4 cup paprika 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons accent (MSG; optional) 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder Combine all the ingredients in a jar, twist the lid on airtight, and shake to mix. Store away from heat or light for up to six months. Makes about 1/2 cup. Enough for 4 to 6 racks of ribs. ** Indirect grilling on a Charcoal Grill: To set up you grill for indirect grilling, light the coals. When they are blazing red, use tongs to transfer them to opposite sides of the grill, arranging them in two piles. Some grills have special half-moon-shaped baskets to hold the coals at the sides; others have wire fences that hook onto the bottom gate. Let the coals burn until they are covered with a thin layer of gray ash. Set the drip pan in the center of the grill, between the mounds of coals. Place the food on the grate over the drip pan, and cover the grill. You’ll need to add about 10 to 12 fresh briquettes to each side after an hour of cooking. If you want to add a smoke flavor, add 1 to 2 cups of presoaked wood chips, or 2 to 4 chunks, to the coals just before you start to cook, and again whenever you replenish the coals. --------- Cola-Can Chicken 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds) 2 quarts cold water 1/2 cup kosher salt 1/2 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons light brown sugar 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste 1 can (12 ounces) cola 2 teaspoons melted butter 1 to 2 chunks of light smoking wood (preferably cherry or apple) optional Procedure 1. Mix the salt and white sugar in the cold water until completely dissolved to make the brine. Wash the chicken inside and out and place it in the brine breast side down, placing a weight on top of the chicken to keep it submerged. Brine the chicken in the refrigerator for 1 hour, then remove from the brine, wash again, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on a plate and put it back in the fridge to air dry overnight (optional). 2. Combine the chili powder salt, light brown sugar, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl. Pop open your cola and drink 1/2 of the soda. Make two additional holes at the top of the can with a church key-style can opener, and toss in about 1 teaspoon of the rub. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the rub inside the body cavity. Hold the bird upright, with body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the legs forward to form a sort of tripod, and then tuck the wing tips behind the chicken's back. Brush the chicken all over with the melted butter, and then apply the remaining rub to the chicken liberally. 3. Light 1 chimney of charcoal, and when lit and covered in gray ash, dump out onto the charcoal grate. Arrange half of the coals on each side of the grate and place a drip pan in the middle between the two piles of charcoal. Place the wood chunks on top of the charcoal if using. Bring the grill to between 325-350 degrees. Place the chicken in the middle of the cooking grate, over the drip pan, then cover and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 180 degrees in thickest part of the thigh. You may need to add more charcoal about 1 hour through cooking. 4. Use tongs to carefully transfer the bird on the can to a cutting board, use caution since the can and the liquid inside will be extremely hot. Let the bird rest for 10-15 mins, then remove the can, carve, and serve. -------------