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Barbecue Beer Can Chicken
By Les Brand, Fri Dec 9th
I cook lot of barbecue can chicken. It’s really easy tomake and it’s always popular with my barbecue guests. The recipe below is the easiest of all the can chickenrecipes that I know. You don’t need any special equipment or awhole list of ingredients. You will need a barbecue smoker, or a hooded grill to cook it onthough.
You can cook it in a conventional oven, but the recipes beloware for making it on your barbecue grill or smoker. As its name suggests, can chicken uses a in thecooking process. If you don’t like the idea of using beer, youcan use soft drinks, such as Dr Pepper or Coke instead.. Ingredients 1 12 ounce can of 1 chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds 2 teaspoonsof vegetable oil (Optional) 2 tablespoons of any barbecue rub(Optional) That’s it, I told you it was simple. If you’re using wood chipsor chunks to create smoke, you don’t even need to use the oil orthe rub. I’ll give you two methods for cooking the chicken. The first isbased on using a barbecue smoker. The second is based on using abarbecue grill and indirect heat. The preparation applies toeither method. Preparation Set-up your barbecue smoker. Or if using a barbecue grill, setit up for indirect heat. Remove giblets from chicken and trimoff any excess skin and fat. Rinse the chicken well under coldwater, inside and out. Then pat dry. 1. If using a dry rub Brush the oil all over the outside of thechicken. Then sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the rub. 2. Open the can. If using a water smoker, pour about athird of the can in the water pan. If using a grill, either pourit away, or better still, drink it. 3. Punch another three of four holes in the top of the can. Ifusing the rub, pour the remaining 1/2 teaspoon into the beer. 4. Hold the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavityat the bottom, and lower it onto the can. Effectivelystuffing the chicken with the can. 5. Pull the chicken legs forward so it stands upright. Using thechickens legs and the can to form a stable tripod. Cooking Method Using A Water Smoker The instructions below assume that you’re using a charcoal watersmoker. I’ve assumed that you have the charcoal at the correcttemperature, you have your wood chips or chunks on the charcoaland the water pan is in place, with water and some of the beerin it. If you’re using an electric water smoker, follow the userinstruction that came with the smoker to get it prepared forsmoking. 1. Carefully stand the chicken on a cooking grid in the smoker.Use the legs and the can to act as a tripod. 2. Put on the smoker
lid and let the can chicken smoke forabout 2 hours. Don’t worry if you let it go a bit longer. Solong as there’s water in the water pan it’s going to be OK. WhenI make can chicken I often leave them in my water smokerfor up to 5 hours. The result is succulent, fall apart chicken. 3. When cooked and ready to eat, carefully take the chicken outof the smoker. I find the best way is to use a large, clean,cloth or oven gloves. Take care as the can will still haveabout half the and drippings from the chicken in it, and itwill be very hot. 4. Put the chicken on a board and let it rest for 5 to 10minutes. 5. Carefully remove the can from the chicken. Discard thecan and carve the chicken. Cooking Method Using A Barbecue Grill And Indirect Heat I’ve assumed that you have the charcoal or gas at the correcttemperature. Your grill is set-up for indirect heat, and ifyou’re using wood chips or chunks, you have them on thecharcoal. 1. Carefully stand the chicken on a cooking grid over a drippan. Use the legs and the can to act as a tripod. 2. Cover the grill with the hood and let the can chickencook for about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Check the chicken at intervals,say every half hour to start with. The chicken will be cookedwhen the skin is crisp and is dark brown going on black. If theskin goes brown too quickly shut the vents on the grill toreduce the heat. 3. When cooked and ready to eat, carefully remove the chickenfrom the grill. I find the best way is to use a large, clean,cloth or oven gloves. Take care as the can will still haveabout half the and drippings from the chicken in it, and itwill be very hot. 4. Put the chicken on a board and let it restfor 5 to 10 minutes. 5. Carefully remove the can from the chicken. Discard thecan and carve the chicken. I like to carve the chicken and make sandwiches out of it usingrustic bread. But most often I find the meat gets plucked fromthe carcass before I’ve time to carve it! I usually cook two or three at a time on the lower grid of myBrinkmann smoker. I put ribs and the like on the top grid andlet the drippings drop onto the can chicken below. As I mentioned, this is the easiest recipe for can chickenthat I know. Many recipes state that you must use a rub theinside or outside of the chicken, or both. Others state that youshould baste the chicken. Personally, I’d try the easy recipeabove and then change one thing at a time. About the author:Les runs The Barbecue Hut website that provides usefulinformation about barbecue grills and smokers, and also includesa wide selection of free recipes. He is also author of The CharGrill Chat newsletter. Website: http://www.barbecuehut.com Newsletter: http://www.barbecuehut.com/chargrill_chat
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