A barbecue without beer is like, well, a pit without smoke or a grill without fire. And the beer’s not just for drinking. In this chapter, you’ll find the original beer-can chicken in all its glory, not to mention delectable variations inspired by my travels on the world’s barbecue trail. Chicken Carbonnade, for example, suggests what this barbecue classic would be had it been invented by a Belgian pit master, while Beer-Can Tandoori, Beijing Chicken, and Truffled Chicken reflect an Indian, Chinese, and Italian approach. You’ll even learn how to make a Japanese-style sake chicken on a beer can. So, pop open a cold one, fire up the grill, and let the good times roll.
Okay, here it is. The master recipe for the ur-beer-can chicken, the showstopper that will dazzle your family and friends. If you’ve never made beer-can chicken before, start here, and once you’ve mastered the basic procedure, there’s no limit to its variations.
1 can (12 ounces) beer
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Barbecue Rub (recipe follows) or your favorite commercial rub
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Pop the tab off the beer can. Pour half of the beer (¾ cup) over the soaking wood chips or chunks, or reserve for another use. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set the can of beer aside.
2. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rub inside the body cavity and ½ teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon of rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining 1½ teaspoons of rub into the beer through a hole in the top of the can. Don’t worry if the beer foams up: This is normal.
3. If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the beer mixture and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
5. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
6. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
7. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
8. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off its support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve.
SERVES 2 to 4
Variations on this rub have appeared in each of my barbecue books. There are four basic ingredients—salt, black pepper, paprika, and brown sugar—and by varying the proportions you can create an almost endless variety of flavors. For a spicier rub use hot paprika instead of sweet paprika. You could also substitute granulated sugar, light brown sugar, or Sucanat (powdered evaporated sugarcane juice) for the dark brown sugar. There isn’t a fish that swims, a bird that flies, or a beast that walks that wouldn’t benefit from a generous sprinkling of this multipurpose rub.
¼ cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix. (Your fingers actually work better for mixing the rub than a spoon or whisk does.)
2. Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat and light; it will keep for at least 6 months.
MAKES about ¾ cup
Beer is more than the perfect beverage to serve with barbecue—it’s the lifeblood of live-fire cooking. Of course, any chicken steamed over a beer can will pick up a mild flavor, but in this recipe the ante is upped by marinating the bird in a mixture of beer, mustard, and soy sauce. To gild the lily, as it were, serve the Brewmeister’s Chicken with Dark Beer BBQ Sauce.
ADVANCE PREPARATION:
4 to 12 hours for marinating the chicken
FOR THE CHICKEN AND MARINADE:
1 can or bottle (12 ounces) dark beer
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a cleaver
1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 can (12 ounces) beer, preferably dark, or ¾ cup bottled dark beer
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Dark Beer BBQ Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
1 clean empty 12-ounce beer can (optional) or a vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the marinade: Place the beer, mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice, onion, garlic, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a deep nonreactive bowl and whisk to mix.
2. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Place the chicken in the bowl with the marinade or place the chicken and marinade in a large resealable plastic bag. Let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, turning the bird several times so it marinates evenly.
3. Make the rub: Put the paprika, mustard, salt, pepper, cumin, celery seed, and nutmeg in a small bowl and stir to mix. Set aside.
4. If the beer is canned: Pop the tab off the beer can and pour half of the beer (¾ cup) over the soaking wood chips or chunks or reserve for another use.
If the beer is bottled: Fill an empty can halfway or fill a vertical chicken roaster, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Set aside the half-filled can of beer or filled chicken roaster.
6. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rub inside the body cavity and ½ teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the bird. Drizzle the oil over the outside and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon of the rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining rub into the beer through the hole in the top of the can or into the beer in the vertical chicken roaster. Don’t worry if the beer foams up: This is normal.
7. If cooking on a can: Using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in the top of the can. Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of a tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
9. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
10. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
11. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
12. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off its support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with the Dark Beer Barbecue Sauce.
SERVES 2 to 4
Use a dark beer with a lot of character for this recipe. Good candidates include Newcastle Brown Ale, Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, or Dragon Stout from Jamaica.
1 tablespoon butter
1 slice bacon, minced
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
1 cup dark beer
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, or more to taste
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 to 3 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce, such as Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and onion and cook until both are a deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. If the onion starts to burn, reduce the heat.
2. Add the beer and boil until reduced by half. Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce, liquid smoke, and ½ cup water. Let the sauce simmer until mellow, thick, and richly flavored, about 10 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste; the sauce should be highly seasoned. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week. Let return to room temperature before serving.
MAKES about 2½ cups
North Americans don’t have a monopoly on cooking with beer. Just ask a Belgian or a Frenchman from the northeast of France. The local specialty in these parts is carbonnade, pot roast braised in a robust mixture of garlic, beer, and caramelized onions. That set me thinking about a carbonnade sauce you could serve with chicken instead of pot roast, and a new beer-can chicken was born.
ADVANCE PREPARATION:
1 hour for marinating the chicken
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
12 ounces Belgian beer, plus 1 can (12 ounces) beer, or ¾ cup bottled Belgian beer
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Carbonnade Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
1 clean empty 12-ounce beer can (optional) or a vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use about 1½ hours before you plan to grill. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Place the chicken in a deep bowl or in a large resealable plastic bag. Add 12 ounces of beer and the olive oil, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 hour, turning the bird several times so it marinates evenly.
2. If the beer is canned: Pop the tab off the beer can and pour half of the beer (¾ cup) over the soaking wood chips or chunks or reserve for another use.
If the beer is bottled: Fill an empty can halfway or fill a vertical chicken roaster following the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Set aside the half-filled can of beer or filled chicken roaster.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade. Generously season the body and neck cavities of the chicken with salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Season the outside of the bird with more salt and pepper.
5. If cooking on a can: Using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in the top of the can. Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
7. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
8. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
9. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
10. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off its support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with the Carbonnade Sauce on the side.
SERVES 2 to 4
Caramelized onion and beer give this sauce a distinctively Belgian flavor. I’ve suggested a range of quantities of beer—the more flavorful, the less you need. Too much beer will make your sauce bitter. If you use only a quarter cup of beer, add an extra quarter cup of chicken stock. For the best results, use homemade chicken stock.
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ to ½ cup beer
1½ to 1¾ cups homemade chicken stock (page 52) or low-sodium canned chicken broth
½ teaspoon honey
1 scallion, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes, reducing the heat to medium-low after a few minutes should the onions start to burn.
2. Add the tomato and bay leaf and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beer, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon as the sauce thickens. Stir in the chicken stock, mustard, honey, scallion, and 2 table spoons of the parsley and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, 5 minutes longer, stirring as needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and salt and pepper to taste; the sauce should be highly seasoned. Keep the sauce warm in a pot on the edge of the grill or on the stove until ready to serve.
MAKES about 2 cups
A roaster is a big bird, but if you’ve ever had complaints that your barbecued chicken is tough or dry, this is the one for you. Despite the bird’s size (6 to 7 pounds), the meat will be squirting moist and fork-tender. The secret is to brine the roaster, that is, marinate it overnight in a salt water solution prior to barbecuing it on a beer can. By the miracle of osmosis, the brine adds moistness and flavor to the meat, resulting in a bird that is almost lascivious in its succulence.
ADVANCE PREPARATION: 12 hours for brining the roaster
FOR THE BRINE:
1 large can (16 ounces) beer
¾ cup coarse salt (kosher or sea), plus salt for seasoning the chicken skin
1 quart hot water
2 quarts cold water
2 bay leaves
1 small onion, quartered
4 cloves
2 strips lemon zest (½ by 2½ inches, removed with a vegetable peeler)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and gently crushed with the side of a cleaver
3 slices peeled fresh ginger (¼ inch thick), gently crushed with the side of a cleaver
8 peppercorns
1 roasting chicken (6 to 7 pounds)
2 tablespoons melted butter
Coarse salt (kosher or sea), freshly ground black pepper, and sweet paprika
Your choice of barbecue sauce, for serving
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or oak), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Pop the tab off the beer can. Pour half of the beer (1 cup) into a large deep pot (one just deep and wide enough to hold the chicken). If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in the top. Cover the half-filled beer can with aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to cook.
2. Make the brine: Add ¾ cup salt and 1 quart hot water to the pot with the beer and whisk until the salt dissolves. Whisk in the cold water. Pin the bay leaves to 2 of the onion quarters with cloves and add to the pot. Pin the strips of lemon zest to the other 2 onion quarters with cloves and add to the pot. Add the garlic, ginger, and peppercorns. Let the brine cool to room temperature.
3. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Add the chicken to the cooled brine. Place a saucepan or a plate on top to keep the bird submerged. Let the chicken brine in the refrigerator, covered, for 12 hours.
4. Remove the chicken from the brine and discard the brine. Blot the chicken dry with paper towels. Brush the outside of the chicken all over with the melted butter. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with salt, pepper, and paprika (go easy on the salt—the chicken will already be quite salty from the brine).
5. If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the body cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the remaining 1 cup of beer and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
7. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
8. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken upright in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), about 2 hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
9. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
10. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with your favorite barbecue sauce (there are quite a few in this book to choose from).
SERVES 6 to 8
Chicken broth is one of the cornerstones of great cooking. Just ask a French, Italian, or Chinese chef. A number of the recipes in this book call for chicken stock, and while you could use canned stock, self-respecting pit masters will want to make their own. Why? Because canned stock tends to be unnaturally salty. And when you make your own, you can start with a home-smoked chicken. This produces a stock of such flavor, depth, and substance that it would make a French chef green with envy. You can smoke the chicken on a beer can or directly on the grate, and you don’t have to fire up your grill specially just to make stock. Simply smoke the chicken at the same time you make another recipe in this book and use the bird to make stock later.
1 chicken (about 3½ pounds) or 2 pounds chicken parts (such as backs, necks, or wings)
5 sprigs fresh parsley
5 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 clove
1 medium onion, quartered
1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, cut in half
10 to 12 cups cold water, or more as needed
2 cups wood chips or chunks (optional; preferably hickory or oak), soaked in water to cover for 1 hour, then drained
6-inch square piece of cheesecloth and butcher’s string (optional)
1. REMOVE THE PACKET of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard any fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels.
2. SET UP THE GRILL for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
3. WHEN READY TO COOK, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Place the chicken in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. (If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.) If cooking chicken pieces, it will take about 45 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool. The recipe can be prepared to this stage up to 3 days ahead.
4. MAKE THE STOCK: Tie the parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, and clove in a piece of cheesecloth or wrap in aluminum foil and poke holes in the bundle with a fork. Place the herb bundle, smoked chicken, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a large pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches.
5. BRING TO A BOIL over high heat. Skim off any fat or foam that rises to the surface. Immediately lower the heat to medium and let simmer gently until the stock is richly flavored, about 1 hour, adding cold water as needed to keep the chicken covered. Skim the stock often with a ladle to remove any fat or impurities that rise to the surface (the best time to skim is after an addition of cold water; the water will bring the fat to the surface). If making stock with a raw chicken or chicken parts, simmer until cooked through, about 1 hour.
6. LINE A STRAINER with paper towels and place it over a large bowl. Transfer the chicken to a plate (see Note). Ladle the stock through the strainer, changing the paper towels as needed. Let the strained stock cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Skim off any congealed fat that rises to the surface. I like to freeze chicken stock in 1- or 2-cup containers so I always have a premeasured amount on hand; it will keep for up to 3 months.
MAKES ABOUT 2 quarts
NOTE: Since the chicken has been grilled and boiled, it will have given up just about all its flavor to the stock. If it still feels wasteful to discard it, allow the chicken to cool, pull the meat off the bones, and use it in salad.
Introducing my cousin Rob Raichlen, sports publicist, accomplished griller, and supernice guy. Rob learned to make beer-can chicken from a college roommate from Louisiana (hence the Cajun seasoning here). As for using Old Bay seasoning, well, our family comes from Baltimore—the place where the spice mix was born. Put them together and you get a beer-can chicken that explodes with the flavors of Louisiana and the Chesapeake Bay.
ADVANCE PREPARATION: 45 minutes for marinating the chicken
FOR THE RUB:
1½ tablespoons Cajun Seasoning (recipe follows)
1½ tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
FOR THE CHICKEN:
1 can (12 ounces) beer
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the rub: Put the Cajun and Old Bay seasonings in a small bowl and stir to mix.
2. Pop the tab off the beer can and pour half of the beer (¾ cup) over the soaking wood chips or chunks or reserve for another use. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Pour the liquid smoke into the beer can. Don’t worry if the beer foams up: This is normal. Insert a chopstick or skewer into the beer can and gently stir to mix the liquid smoke and beer.
3. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Place the chicken in a large bowl on its side or in a resealable plastic bag and pour half the smoke-flavored beer over it. Let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 45 minutes, turning the chicken twice. Make sure each breast side and the back have each marinated for 15 minutes. Set aside the can with the remaining smoke-flavored beer.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the rub inside the body cavity and 1 teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon of the rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining rub into the beer through a hole in the top of the can.
5. If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the beer mixture and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
7. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
8. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken upright in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
9. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
10. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve.
SERVES 2 to 4
This pungent mixture of spices first appeared in The Barbecue! Bible. It’s one I keep coming back to again and again. Apply it to almost any seafood or meat at least 30 minutes before grilling for delicious results.
¼ cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
1 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper, to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a jar, twist the lid on airtight, and shake to mix. Store away from heat and light for up to 6 months.
MAKES about 1 cup
Blessings can come disguised as bad luck sometimes. When Meena Patel lost her job of eight years as a buyer of fine jewelry for a department store, she turned to a dream she had nurtured since childhood: to open a restaurant. And, thank goodness for me, she happened to open Anokha near where I live in Miami, Florida. Born in Indore, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Meena is one of those instinctive cooks whose taste buds lead her to utterly transform everyday dishes by the simple addition of an unexpected ingredient. Consider her tandoori chicken—a pit-roasted bird marinated in an explosive mixture of yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, and spices. Those are the ingredients found in every tandoori recipe, of course, but Meena adds a fillip of fiery mustard oil. You’ve simply never tasted tandoori until you’ve sampled Meena’s. Indians would roast the chicken in a tandoor—a super hot, vertical barbecue pit—but the preparation works great for beer canning, which, after all, is another form of vertical roasting.
ADVANCE PREPARATION: 4 to 12 hours for marinating the chicken
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
FOR THE MARINADE:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
2/3 cup whole milk yogurt
1/3 cup mustard oil or vegetable oil (see Note)
2 teaspoons prepared Chinese mustard (if using vegetable oil; optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red food coloring (optional; Indians like their chicken very red)
FOR COOKING AND SERVING:
1 can (12 ounces) beer, or ¾ cup bottled Indian beer
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup rough-chopped cilantro
1 lemon, cut into wedges and seeds removed
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
1 clean empty 12-ounce beer can (optional) or a vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the “wash”: Combine the lemon juice and salt in a deep nonreactive bowl or in a large resealable plastic bag and stir to mix.
2. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Remove the chicken skin if desired, pulling it off the meat and cutting it off at the joints as needed. Using a sharp knife, make two deep slashes in each leg (one in each drumstick and one in each thigh) and two in each breast. This helps the absorption of the marinade.
3. Place the chicken on its side in the bowl with the lemon juice. Let marinate in the “wash” in the refrigerator, covered, for 15 minutes, turning twice. Make sure each breast side and the back have each marinated for 5 minutes.
4. Prepare the marinade: Place the garlic, ginger, and salt in the bottom of a large mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Add the yogurt, oil, Chinese mustard, if using, lemon juice, cumin, mace, nutmeg, cardamom, turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and food coloring, if using, and whisk to mix. Spoon the mixture over the “washed” chicken. Cover the bowl or reseal the bag and let the chicken continue marinating in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, turning the bird several times so it marinates evenly.
5. If the beer is canned: Pop the tab off the can and pour out half of the beer (¾ cup) and reserve it for another use. Using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in the top of the can.
If the beer is bottled: Fill an empty can halfway or fill a vertical chicken roaster, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Set aside the half-filled can of beer or filled chicken roaster.
7. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
8. If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
9. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
10. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium-high. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center.
11. When ready to cook, stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until nicely browned on the outside and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1 to 1¼ hours for skinless chicken, 1¼ to 1½ hours for a bird with skin (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
12. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
13. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken. Place the sliced onion and chopped cilantro each in a small serving bowl. Serve the chicken with lemon wedges for squeezing and the onion and cilantro for sprinkling over the meat.
SERVES 2 to 4
NOTE: In order to be strictly authentic, you’d make this chicken with mustard oil, available at Indian grocery stores (or see Mail-Order Sources, page 311). If you can’t find mustard oil, prepare the recipe with vegetable oil, if possible adding 2 teaspoons prepared Chinese mustard (available in plastic packages from a Chinese carryout).
Why should Americans have all the fun? There are some terrific beers in the Far East (I’m partial to the Chinese beer Tsingtao) and Asians love roast chicken. Put them together and you get a bird the likes of which has never been seen on the barbecue circuit in the United States.
FOR THE FLAVORED BEER:
1 can (12 ounces) beer, preferably Asian, or ½ cup bottled Asian beer
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
2 scallions, trimmed, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces, green parts finely chopped
1 slice peeled fresh ginger (1¼ inches thick), flattened with the side of a cleaver
1 clove garlic, flattened with the side of a cleaver
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably oak, maple, or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
1 clean empty 12-ounce beer can (optional) or a vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Pour ½ cup beer into a nonreactive mixing bowl. Pour the remaining beer, if any, over the soaking wood chips or chunks or reserve for another use. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, honey, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to the beer in the mixing bowl. Gently stir the ingredients to mix.
2. If cooking on a can: Use a church key-style can opener to make 2 additional holes in the top of the can. Using a funnel, pour the flavored beer back into the can.
3. Add the star anise ( you may need to break it into pieces), cinnamon stick, scallion pieces, ginger slice, and garlic to the beer can, if using, or to the ingredients in the bowl. Set aside the flavored beer.
4. Make the rub: Put the salt, sugar, five-spice powder, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix.
5. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rub inside the body cavity and ½ teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil on the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon of the rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining rub into the beer through a hole in the top of the can.
6. If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the flavored beer mixture and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
7. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
8. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
9. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken upright in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
10. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
11. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve.
SERVES 2 to 4
Scandinavia and barbecue? It’s not the first place that comes to mind when you think of grilling. But a classic Scandinavian dish—gravlax—was the inspiration for this singular version of beer-can chicken. Gravlax (cured salmon) owes its vibrancy to a cure made of salt, sugar, and dill. This sounded an awful lot like a barbecue rub to me and it turns out to be a great flavoring for chicken. To complete the motif, I add a splash of aquavit—a Scandinavian liquor. What results is a chicken bursting with Nordic flavors. Skoal!
1 can (12 ounces) beer
2 tablespoons aquavit or vodka
2 sprigs fresh dill (optional)
2 tablespoons dried dill
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons olive oil
Creamy Mustard-Dill Sauce (recipe follows)
2 cups wood chips or chunks (optional; preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Pop the tab off the beer can. Pour half of the beer over the soaking wood chips or chunks, if using, or reserve for another use. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Using a funnel, add the aquavit to the beer can and insert the dill sprigs, if using, through one of the holes in the can’s top. Set the can of beer aside.
2. Make the rub: Put the dried dill, salt, brown sugar, dry mustard, garlic powder, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix.
3. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle half of the rub inside the body and neck cavities of the chicken. Drizzle the olive oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with the remaining rub and rub it all over the skin.
4. If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the beer mixture, add the dill sprigs, if using, and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
6. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks, if using, in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium (smoking is optional, but the chicken will definitely taste richer if you use wood).
7. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks, if using, on the coals. Stand the chicken upright in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
8. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
9. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with Creamy Mustard-Dill Sauce. Ice-cold aquavit served in equally ice-cold shot glasses would make a terrific accompaniment.
SERVES 2 to 4
Quick and piquant, this mustard sauce makes a great accompaniment to roast chicken, and, as you might suspect, it’s also good with smoked or grilled seafood.
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
¾ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
¼ cup grainy mustard, such as Meaux
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon light brown sugar or granulated sugar
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the dry mustard and lemon juice in a nonreactive mixing bowl and stir with a fork to form a smooth paste. Let sit for 3 minutes.
2. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, grainy mustard, dill, and sugar to the mustard mixture and whisk. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if necessary. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to a day. Let it return to room temperature before serving.
MAKES about 1½ cups
Mention poulet laque (“lacquered” chicken) to a Vietnamese and his eyes will light and mouth water. When properly prepared, the bird will have crackling crisp, mahogany-colored skin that shines like Asian lacquer. The effect is achieved by marinating the bird overnight in a fragrant mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and wine, then roasting it vertically in a hot oven. In short, it’s just the sort of preparation that’s ideal for grilling on a beer can. The only even remotely challenging thing about this recipe is remembering to marinate the chicken ahead of time.
ADVANCE PREPARATION: 12 to 24 hours for marinating the chicken
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine or dry white wine
1 tablespoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
1 clove garlic, lightly smashed with the side of a cleaver
1 slice peeled fresh ginger (¼ inch thick), gently crushed with the side of a cleaver
1 can (12 ounces) beer
Spicy Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (optional; preferably apple or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the marinade: Place the soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, garlic, coriander, five-spice powder, and cinnamon in a large nonreactive bowl and whisk to mix.
2. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Place the garlic and ginger in the main cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken in the bowl with the marinade or place the chicken and marinade in a large resealable plastic bag. Let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 12 to 24 hours, turning the bird several times so it marinates evenly.
3. Pop the tab off the beer can. Pour half of the beer over the soaking wood chips or chunks, if using, or reserve for another use. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set the can of beer aside.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
5. If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the beer and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
7. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks, if using, in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
8. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks, if using, on the coals. Stand the chicken upright in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
9. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
10. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with Spicy Peanut Sauce.
SERVES 2 to 4
Throughout Southeast Asia, pea-nut sauces are enjoyed. Indeed, you’ll find two in this book. But this one is the simplest, containing few ingredients—all of which come from jars or bottles. Hoisin sauce is a salty-sweet, purplish sauce made from soybeans, sugar, and spices. The Thai sweet chile sauce, nuoe cham ga, is syrupy and only mildly spicy. For extra spice, you could add a spoonful of fiery tuong ot tuoi,a Vietnamese chile paste, or Indonesian sambal oelek (also a chile paste). These ingredients are readily available at Asian markets, natural foods stores, and in the ethnic foods section of most supermarkets. The peanut sauce will keep for several months in a covered container in the refrigerator, but, trust me, it’s so good you won’t have it around for more than a week.
1/3 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chile sauce (nuoe cham ga)
1 tablespoon Vietnamese or Indonesian hot chile paste (tuong ot tuoi or sambal oelek; optional)
Combine the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, sweet chile sauce, hot chile paste, if using, and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Add up to 3 tablespoons more water if needed to thin the sauce to a pourable consistency.
MAKES about 1 cup
Unless Bubba hails from Alba, this isn’t like any beer-can chicken he has ever made. Alba, in the Piedmont in northern Italy, is the world capital of the tartufo bianco, the white truffle, a perfumed (some might say malodorous), tannish-gray fungus that grows underground. Its powerful aroma and distinctive flavor have made the fresh white truffle one of the most prized and costly foods in the world. (Last year, white truffles sold for $3,200 a pound.) That’s the bad news. The good news is that a little of the incredibly aromatic tuber goes a long way. A quarter of an ounce will be plenty to make one of the most heavenly beer-can chickens on earth. In the best of all possible worlds, you’d buy a small but fragrant white truffle. The way to maximize the truffle’s flavor is to slice it paper-thin, and I mean paper-thin. This recipe may seem a little extravagant (even a lot extravagant), but beer canning is the perfect way to cook a truffled chicken. The penetrating truffle aroma perfumes the bird from the inside out. I’m sure Signore Bubba would agree.
¼ ounce fresh truffle, or 2 teaspoons truffle oil
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground white pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil or truffle oil
Garlic-Truffle Cream Gravy (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
A truffle shaver (optional) Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Pop the tab off the beer can, pour out half of the beer from the can, and reserve for another use. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Using a truffle shaver or a very sharp paring knife, cut 3 paper-thin slices of truffle. Place 1 in the beer can and set the can aside. (If using truffle oil, add 1 teaspoon to the beer can.)
2. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Generously, and I mean generously, season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place 1 truffle slice in the neck cavity and 1 in the body cavity. (If using truffle oil, rub ½ teaspoon in the body cavity and ½ teaspoon inside the neck cavity.) Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Generously season the outside of the bird with more salt and pepper.
3. If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the beer and add the remaining truffle slice. (If using truffle oil, add the remaining teaspoon to the vertical roaster.) Position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
5. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center.
6. When ready to cook, stand the chicken upright in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
7. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
8. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with Garlic-Truffle Cream Gravy.
SERVES 2 to 4
NOTE: The chicken is roasted, not smoked, in this recipe since you’ll want to keep all the focus on the flavor of the truffle.
Designed to enrich and moisten the chicken, this simple sauce enhances the flavor of the truffle. To get the full effect, I recommend using homemade chicken stock or broth. If you must use canned chicken broth, choose a low-sodium brand.
3 cups unsalted homemade chicken stock (page 52) or low-sodium canned chicken broth
1 clove garlic, peeled but not crushed
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream, or more as needed
2 or 3 paper-thin slices fresh white truffle, or ½ teaspoon truffle oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground white pepper
1. Place the chicken stock and garlic in a wide heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and boil until the stock is reduced to 1 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of the cream and the truffle slices, if using, and continue boiling, whisking occasionally, until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. (Keep your eye on the gravy; if beads of oil appear, the sauce is about to separate.) Remove the pan from the heat and whisk until slightly cooled.
2. Remove and discard the garlic clove. If using truffle oil, whisk it in now. Season the gravy, adding salt and pepper to taste. Keep the gravy in a shallow pan of warm water until ready to serve. Or to reheat, whisk the gravy over medium heat. Whisking should prevent the gravy from separating, but if it does, whisk in a couple more tablespoons of cream.
MAKES 1 cup
Long before vintners stored wine in bottles, or even barrels, they used amphorae sealed with pine resin. Resin may also have been added as a preservative. In any case, the flavor the resin imparted survives today in a curious Greek wine called retsina. To make retsina, a simple red, white, or rosé is flavored with resin, exactly as it would have been done in the age of Homer. The resin gives the wine a fresh woodsy pungency that makes it highly refreshing on a hot summer day. Retsina goes great with chicken, which gave me the idea to grill a bird on a beer can filled with it. To complete the Greek theme, I marinate the chicken in retsina and oregano and serve it with a Greek “salsa.” Homer never knew what he was missing!
ADVANCE PREPARATION: 1 to 3 hours for marinating the chicken
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2½ teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Greek
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for rubbing the chicken
1 bottle retsina
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1½ teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Greek “Salsa” (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably oak), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
1 clean empty 12-ounce beer can or a vertical chicken roaster
1. Remove the package of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels.
2. Place the onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon of oregano, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep nonreactive bowl or large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken. Pour out ¾ cup of the retsina and set aside. Pour enough of the remaining retsina in the bowl or bag to cover the chicken. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 1 hour, preferably 3 hours, turning the bird several times so it marinates evenly.
3. Make the rub: Put the salt, mint, pepper, and remaining 1½ teaspoons of oregano in a small bowl and stir to mix. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rub inside the body cavity and ½ teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with the remaining rub, and rub it all over the skin.
4. If cooking on a can: Using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in the top of the empty beer can. Using a funnel, pour the reserved ¾ cup of retsina into the beer can. Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the reserved ¾ cup of retsina and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
6. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 12) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
7. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
8. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
9. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot retsina or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with Greek “Salsa” and well-chilled retsina.
SERVES 2 to 4
Nothing more than the ingredients for a Greek salad cut small, this “salsa” is delicious with grilled chicken. For that matter, it’s pretty terrific eaten all by itself. The recipe makes a little more “salsa” than you need for one chicken. Serve any leftovers on grilled bread slices as an hors d’oeuvre or as a salad.
½ teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or more to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Greek
1 cucumber
1 large or 2 medium luscious, ripe red tomatoes
½ medium red onion, finely diced
½ green bell pepper, finely diced
¼ cup kalamata olives
2 ounces feta cheese, drained and crumbled
1. Place the garlic, salt, and black pepper in the bottom of a nonreactive mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the vinegar and stir until the salt crystals are dissolved. Stir in the olive oil.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, partially peel the cucumber (remove the peel in lengthwise strips, leaving a little green showing for color). Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a melon baller or spoon, and cut the flesh into ¼-inch dice. Cut the tomato(es) in half crosswise and gently squeeze each half over the sink, cut side down, to wring out the seeds. Cut the tomato halves into ¼-inch dice.
3. Add the diced cucumber and tomato(es), onion, bell pepper, olives, and feta to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or vinegar as necessary.
MAKES 3 cups
Nowadays, you can hardly pick up a magazine without reading about sake, Japan’s smooth, dry rice wine, which can be sipped either hot or cold. Although commonly described as wine, sake is technically a sort of beer. I needed no more invitation than that to try it for beer-can chicken. In fact, in Japan you can buy sake in cans. In the United States, it comes in bottles, so to grill this you’ll have to use a clean, empty beer can or a vertical chicken roaster.
FOR THE RUB:
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
¾ cup sake 2 strips lemon zest
Lime “Teriyaki” Glaze (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
1 clean empty 12-ounce beer can or a vertical chicken roaster
1. Make the rub: Put the sesame seeds, wasabi, salt, and pepper in a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder.
2. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle half of the rub inside the body and neck cavities of the chicken. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with the remaining rub and rub it all over the skin.
3. If cooking on a can: Using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in the top of the empty beer can. Using a funnel, pour the sake into the beer can. Add the lemon zest to the beer can through one of the holes in the top. Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the sake, add the lemon zest, and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
5. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 9 for both charcoal and gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center.
6. When ready to cook, stand the chicken upright in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1¼ to 1½ hours (see page 27 for other tests for doneness). If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. Baste the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil once or twice during the last 30 minutes of cooking, taking care not to knock the bird over. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
7. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.
If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.
8. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with Lime “Teriyaki” Glaze and well-chilled sake.
SERVES 2 to 4
A creation of my chef son, Jake, this edgy takeoff on teriyaki sauce is simplicity itself, containing only four ingredients. It’s an irresistible condiment, the fresh lime juice adding a whole new dimension to familiar ingredients. Take care not to let the sauce boil too rapidly or you’ll scorch the soy sauce. The glaze will seem a bit thin when it comes off the stove, but it thickens on cooling. Stored, covered, in the refrigerator, it will keep for several months. Bring to room temperature before serving or reheat over low heat just to warm it up.
½ cup soy sauce, such as Kikkoman
1 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and flattened with the side of a cleaver
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1. Combine the soy sauce, sugar, and garlic in a heavy saucepan and stir to mix. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick, like molasses, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Stir in the lime juice and briskly simmer until the glaze thickens slightly, 5 minutes. (It will thicken more as it cools.) Discard the garlic cloves and serve the glaze warm or at room temperature.
MAKES about 1 cup