The Almighty Beer-Can Chicken
A popular method of cooking chicken in recent years both in Barbeque contest as well as backyard barbeques is the beer-can chicken. Cooking a beer-can chicken couldn't be any easier but the results are worthwhile. This is a technique that delivers a moist, succulent chicken and flavorful chicken. It's also a bit of a showstopper and makes a lively conversation starter as well. Is it chicken in a beer can? Close but try beer can in a chicken. The beer is used to both keep the bird flavorful and moist, and the cook happy. By the time the bird is ready to eat, the chef will not be the only one with a beer belly! Is it safe to eat chicken that has been in contact with the ink from a beer can? When the FDA was asked this question they were not sure because they have only tested the cans as a container and not as a cooking utensil. However the ink on the cans is applied at a temperature in excess of 500 degrees while the can never get hotter then 215 degrees during the cooking process. The conclusion by most is that there is nothing harmful in using the cans. For those cooks who still worry about possible contamination, vertical stainless steel chicken roasters are available. These roasters have their own reservoir for beer, water or your choice of liquid. 1 whole chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub
1 can beer Preparing the chicken
Remove and discard neck and giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub or brush the chicken lightly with oil then season inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub. Open a can of beer and drink half. Wait 5 minutes then drink the other half and open a second can for the chicken. Drink half of the second beer and reserve remainder of beer for the bird. Using a "church key"-style can opener, pop a few more holes in the top of the can so that the moisture will be able to escape. With the can on a steady surface, lower the chicken onto the can. It should stand on it's own using the legs and can as a tri-pod. Refrigerate the bird while you get your grill or smoker setup. Preparing the grill
Whether you intend to grill or smoke the bird, the goal is indirect heat. No coals or burner directly under the chicken. Place a drip pan under where you intend the bird to sit. If you are grilling, turn the burners to medium-high on one side of your grill and place the bird on the other side. Cooking the chicken
Continue to cook the chicken over medium-high with the grill cover on for approximately 1 1/4 ? 1 1/2 hours. The chicken will be done when the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh. Remove from grill with tongs and move to cutting board. Be careful not to spill the beer when removing the can. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Toss the beer can out along with the carcass. Scott Schirkofsky is the chef and owner of At Home Gourmet. You can find more recipes, cooking tips, food and beverage articles on his highly recommended website: http://www.athomegourmet.com and http://www.foodandbeveragenetwork.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Troubleshooting Machine Bread
Bread machines-wonderful inventions that they are-don't think very well. You and I, when we have a loaf of bread percolating on the counter, can look and say, "My bread is rising a little slowly today. I think I will let it be for another fifteen minutes." Our bread machines go ahead and start the bake cycle anyway. The result is a dense loaf of bread that didn't rise enough.
Make-up or Mixing Methods for Muffins
When muffins aren't perfect, the first reaction is to change the ingredients in the recipe. Rather than changing the recipe, try a different mixing method.
Understanding Baking: How Yeast Works
Did you ever wonder why flour tastes like sawdust but a French or Italian bread made with that same flour and little else has a pleasant, sweet taste?
Wok this Way! (Part 3 of 5) Seasoning Your New Wok
Seasoning is the most important thing you can do to your wok. Only carbon steel and iron woks need to be seasoned. The purpose of seasoning is to remove the manufacturer's protective coating and coat it with a thin layer of oil. This creates a smooth cooking surface which enables food to shift and glide easily, thus preventing your food from sticking, discoloring, and picking up a metallic taste.
Emergency Bread: Can you Bake Bread Without an Oven?
What would you eat if you were stranded without power? It could happen; it does happen. A natural disaster, a breakdown in the delivery system as the Northeast experienced recently, or a terrorist strike against the infrastructure could leave you without power. Don't despair. You probably have a source of heat-a camp stove, a barbeque grill, a fireplace, or a place to build a fire to cook with. (Never use a grill or camp stove in an enclosed room.) In most cases, you can find a way to eat your daily bread--even without an oven.
Grill Your Corn for Maximum Flavor
There's two basic theories on grilling corn. Some people prefer wrapping the corn in aluminum foil or its own husk, maybe with a little butter and seasonings, then cooking it on the grill until done. This is essentially roasting the corn, and while its an option it's not really grilling in my book. Corn wrapped in aluminum foil doesn't get any smoke, or char, or magic grilling vapors, or any of the other things that contribute to the unique taste of grilled food.
Little-known Tips for Easy Holiday Baking
Are you wondering if you have the time to bake homemade Christmas cookies this year? Every year at about this time we all start to get a little panicked that the holidays are coming up fast and we're not really ready yet. Here are a few little-known tips and tricks, for almost every type of cookie, to help you get the most out of the time you spend baking.
Substitutions for Commonly Called for Ingredients
What should you do if you are in the middle of a recipe and realize you are out of an ingredient? You could send your child to the local convenience store for cream cheese and end up having to serve your caviar with Velveeta because to a 13 year old they are both soft cheeses. This really happened when my Mother sent me for cream cheese.
The Joys of Refrigerator Cookies
Baking cookies seem to fill the house with a sense of well being and peace. Perhaps it is the smell of butter, vanilla, and spices emanating from the hot oven. Maybe it is the love and caring attention that is evident in cookies. Home, love, and cookies seem to go together.
Two for One Dinners: Ham
If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then here are some ideas to put the "zing" back into mealtime. With a little creativity your home-cooked meal can easily become a delicious meal another night. There are a six articles in this series, today we are going to look at what you can do with ham.
Two for One Dinners: Pork
If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then here are some ideas to put the "zing" back into mealtime. With a little creativity your home-cooked meal can easily become a delicious meal another night. There are a six articles in this series, today we are going to look at what you can do with pork.
The Art of the Marinade
It's a sad fact that these days it has become almost essential to marinade most cuts of meat, unless you intend to casserole them.
Cake Baking Tip Guide
Successful cake decorating is all
about preparation. Baking and preparing your cake for decorating is a critical part of the total process. In this article, I'll share some expert tips for basic cake preparation to get your cake creation off to a fabulous start! These
easy tips will ensure your cake decorating success.
Wok this Way! (Part 4 of 5) Cleaning and Caring for Your Wok
Non-stick woks do not require seasoning, and come with simple cleaning instructions from the manufacturers, while steel carbon and iron woks require seasoning. Cleaning a seasoned wok is a lot different than a non-stick wok, and this is what we will cover here.
Do a Dry Rub First
The debate on ribs has ended in my home. After years of toil I have finally capitulated and agreed to make ribs the fool proof way every time. Consequently the neighbors, the kids, and family from out of town all place special requests for ribs.
Making Homemade Pasta for Dinner Tonight
Homemade pasta cooked al dente (to the teeth), is a chewy and light treat. Here are the simple steps to making fresh pasta for dinner tonight.
The Perfect Omelet(te), How to Cook It
Omelet(te)s
Eating Healthy with a Meat Grinder
While it may be surprising, owning your own meat grinder can help you in your pursuit to live a healthier life. According to the USDA, the average American in 2000 consumed 300 more calories than the average American in 1985, a 12% increase, including a 24% increase of fat calories. The average daily fat intake was 81.4 grams and saturated fat intake was 27.9 grams in 2000 (ers.usda.gov/briefing/consumption). Americans are consuming too much fat, especially saturated fat.
Secret of Light and Fluffy Biscuits and Pancakes
Would you like to lose some weight -- in your baking, that is? This one secret ingredient (that you likely already have in your kitchen) is not only inexpensive and healthy, it'll also add a bit of "cloud" to your biscuits and pancakes!
How to Cook a Lobster
French chefs plunge them into boiling water; English ones, in an attempt to appear more humane, drive kitchen knives through their skulls before doing the same thing.
|
