Planning a party this weekend? Well, it's summer and as far as I'm concerned, that is reason enough to have a party. You don't have to go all out--- just invite a couple of friends over and fire up the grill. There are lots of easy grilling recipes that look as good as they taste. Your friends will start calling you Grillmaster when you bust out my Beer Can Chicken! Beer Can Chicken is juicy, tender and full of smoky flavor---plus it looks festive and fun. The bird stays moist from the steam created from sitting perched atop an open beer can. You want the bird to sit squarely on the can so smaller birds tend to fit better. Since whole chickens are a pretty good buy at the store these days, you can stretch your party dollar and feed a big crowd with ease and originality. I use the actual beer cans for grilling my chickens but you can find a vertical chicken roaster that is more stable than trying to keep the birds balanced on a can. If you don't want to use beer-- you can use a can of lemonade--- the fizzy kind of lemonade works best.
Here's the recipe:
Big Bud Beer Can Chicken
Start with your favorite BBQ rub or make one. Here's my recipe:
2 T. Brown sugar
1/4 c. Paprika
2 t. Cayenne pepper
1 t. Granulated sugar
2 t. Kosher salt
1 1/2 t. Dry mustard
1 t. Black pepper
1 t. Garlic powder
1 t. Onion powder
1 t. Celery salt
1/4 t. Chipotle pepper (optional but gives a nice smoky flavor)
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or plastic Zip loc bag.
Other ingredients:
1 large can Budweiser beer per chicken
1 T. Vegetable oil per bird
Trim excess skin or fat from each bird. Remove and do whatever the heck you want with any "giblets" or disgusting packages you sometimes get with a whole bird. Wash and rinse the chickens under cold water and pat dry. Do I have to tell you to wash your hands after handling raw poultry? Didn't think so.
Rub each bird with one tablespoon vegetable oil. This helps the skin crisp and holds the rub.
Spoon a tablespoon of the rub mixture into the cavity of the bird and rub it in well. Rub another tablespoon of the rub mixture into the flesh of the bird by gently lifting the skin. Rub another tablespoon of the rub mixture onto the skin of the bird. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before grilling. Remove the birds as you get ready to light the grill to take the chill off before you put them on the grill. Open the beer and drink about half. If you have several birds, you may need some friends to help you with this step so you won't get a G.U.I. (grilling under the influence) or blow yourself up lighting the grill. Now, grab a bird and push it down onto the beer can so it looks like it is dancing. Put some music on because it is more fun to dance (and grill) with music.
LOW & SLOW GRILLING ON INDIRECT HEAT
Light the grill. Once coals are about medium heat, push the coals around the edges of the grill leaving the center open. I always put a grill pan in the middle. Since we're cooking LOW & SLOW, you may need to have extra coals available if you are using charcoal. I keep mine in a chimney style charcoal starter.
Place the dancing beer can birds on the grill. Push the birds down onto the can so the legs help prop it up sort of like a camera tripod. Close the lid.
The birds will take about 1 1/2 -2 hours to cook depending on size and heat. The bird is done when it reaches about 165 degrees in the breast. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before carving the bird.
Need some cold beverages for this party? Try my new fav, Spiked Sweet Tea or lemonade that is best spiked with a little bourbon and Grand Marnier. Check out the Farmstand BBQ article and slideshow for more grilling ideas!
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