Looking for new challenges a few years ago, I popped open a can of root beer and inserted it in a chicken. What came off the grill was a fork-tender bird exquisitely perfumed with sassafras, wintergreen, and cloves (you’ll find a version for game hens on page 153). Since then, I’ve experimented with ginger ale, cola, and even black cherry soda, not to mention poultry roasted over peach nectar, cranberry juice, lemonade, and even iced tea. The bottom line is that virtually any flavorful liquid can be used to barbecue chicken with finger-licking felicitous results. Who says you need beer to make great beer-can chicken?
Highbrow chefs operate under a major handicap: Coca-Cola—or any other cola, for that matter—is seldom an ingredient in restaurant kitchens. As any pit boss worth his salt knows, the complex interplay of sweet, tart, spicy, and aromatic flavors in Coke, Pepsi, and other colas makes them a valuable addition to marinades, bastes, and barbecue sauces. This truth is appreciated elsewhere in the Americas—in Venezuela, for example, where pot roast braised in Coke is something of a national treasure. I’ve taken the idea one step further by barbecuing a chicken on a cola can. This is a great way to make “beer”-can chicken for people who don’t drink alcohol.
FOR THE RUB:
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 can (12 ounces) cola
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Cola Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the rub: Put the chili powder, salt, brown sugar, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl and stir to mix.
2. Pop the tab off the soda can. Pour half of the cola (¾ cup) into a measuring cup and set aside for the sauce. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top.
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 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 rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining rub through a hole in the top of the can. Don’t worry if the cola foams up: This is normal.
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 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 can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the flavored cola and add the remaining rub. 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 cola or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with the barbecue sauce.
SERVES 2 to 4
What better way to spice up a barbecue sauce than with one of the most popular soft drinks in the United States? Obviously, cola barbecue sauce goes great with chicken, but you can also serve it with pork, brisket, ribs, and even salmon.
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup minced onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ cup cola (reserved from Cola-Can Chicken)
¾ cup ketchup
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons A.1. steak sauce
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) to taste
1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cola, raise the heat to high, and bring the sauce to a boil.
2. Add the ketchup, lemon zest and juice, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, liquid smoke, and pepper and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and more pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week. Let return to room temperature or warm over medium heat before serving.
MAKES about 1½ cups
Chicken has an affinity for ginger—a penchant appreciated by culinary cultures as diverse as Jamaican, Chinese, and Moroccan. That set me thinking about a beer-can chicken that could be cooked with ginger ale or ginger beer. The “rub” is an aromatic paste made from ginger, garlic, and spices. The ginger ale and ginger barbecue sauce up the flavor even more. Now that’s a bird with a kick!
FOR THE GINGER-GARLIC PASTE:
2 tablespoons peeled finely chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 scallions, both white and green parts trimmed and finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil or vegetable oil
1 can or bottle (12 ounces) ginger ale or ginger beer
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 slices peeled fresh ginger (each ¼ inch thick)
Ginger Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
1 clean empty 12-ounce beer or soda can with 2 additional holes made in its top (optional) or a vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the ginger-garlic paste: Combine the ginger, garlic, scallions, salt, pepper, and oil in a minichopper or blender and purée to a paste. Set aside 1 tablespoon of this paste for the sauce.
2. If the ginger ale is canned: Pop the tab off the can and pour half of the ginger ale (¾ cup) into a measuring cup and set aside for the sauce. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top.
If the ginger ale 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 or filled chicken roaster.
4. 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 half of the ginger-garlic paste in the body and neck cavities of the chicken and rub the remainder over the outside of the bird. Put a slice of ginger in the body cavity and in the neck cavity of the chicken.
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 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 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 the support. Take care not to spill the hot ginger ale or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with the Ginger Barbecue Sauce.
SERVES 2 to 4
Hoisin sauce, a thick, sweet, purplish-brown, Chinese condiment made from fermented soy bean paste, garlic, and spices, is central to the flavor of this barbecue sauce, adding a musky sweetness. It is available in the ethnic foods section of most supermarkets (not to mention at Asian markets and gourmet shops). Good brands include Amoy, Koon Chun, and Pearl River Bridge.
¾ cup ginger ale or ginger beer (reserved from Ginger Ale Chicken)
¼ cup rice wine or dry sherry
¼ cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
2½ tablespoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste reserved from Ginger Ale Chicken
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Place the ginger ale and rice wine in a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, and let boil for 2 minutes.
2. Whisk in the hoisin sauce, ketchup, lime juice, brown sugar, and ginger paste. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer gently until thick and flavorful, 6 to 10 minutes, whisking from time to time. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week. Let return to room temperature before serving.
MAKES about 1 cup
Celery soda? One of the most curious beverages on the planet, Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray is soda pop flavored with celery seed. A staple at Jewish delicatessens, the drink has been sipped by untold generations of Americans to wash down corned beef and pastrami sandwiches. It’s virtually unknown outside of these circles, but if you haven’t already, there are at least three reasons you should try it. Cel-Ray is delectably different, it’s incredibly refreshing, and the celery mitigates the cloying sweetness associated with most soda pops. Give me a canned beverage and I’ll create a new version of beer-can chicken. This one is accompanied by a New Orleans-style celery and olive relish.
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon celery seed
1 can (12 ounces) Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Celery-Olive Relish (recipe follows)
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. Make the rub: Put the paprika, brown sugar, celery salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, hot red pepper flakes, and celery seed in a small bowl and stir to mix.
2. Pop the tab off the Cel-Ray can. Pour out half of the Cel-Ray (¾ cup), setting aside 2 table spoons for making the basting mixture and reserving the rest for another use. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top.
3. Make the basting mixture: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the 2 table spoons of Cel-Ray and stir to mix. Keep warm.
4. 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 rub into the Cel-Ray through a hole in the top of the can. Don’t worry if the Cel-Ray foams up: This is normal.
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 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 can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the flavored Cel-Ray 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 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. Baste the chicken with the Cel-Ray and butter mixture after it has grilled for 30 minutes and again 30 minutes later, taking care not to knock the bird over. 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 the Celery-Olive Relish.
SERVES 2 to 4
You can certainly serve this relish 15 minutes after you’ve made it. But, for a more authentic New Orleans flavor, prepare it a day or so ahead of time to let the flavors marry in the refrigerator.
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste
1 cup thinly sliced celery
½ cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives
½ cup sliced pitted black olives
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. Place the salt in the bottom of a nonreactive mixing bowl. Add the garlic and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Add the vinegar and stir until the salt dissolves.
2. Stir in the celery, green and black olives, onion, oregano, black pepper, hot red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Let the mixture stand for at least 15 minutes, or ideally for several hours or even overnight, before serving.
MAKES about 2 cups
Poultry and cherries seem made for each other—a relationship appreciated by anyone who has enjoyed Persian duck with sour cherries or French canard aux cerises (duck with cherries). These gave me the idea for a beer-can chicken made with black cherry soda.
The green tea rub I use was inspired by Ann Wilder, owner of Baltimore-based Vann’s Spices. Green tea and sumac may seem like odd ingredients to pair with cherries, but the earthy flavor of the tea and tartness of the sumac balance the sweetness of the soda beautifully. I’ve included my version of the tea rub, but you can also order it ready-made from Vann’s.
1 tablespoon dried green tea
1 tablespoon ground sumac, or 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 tablespoon dried onion or shallot flakes
1½ teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (if using sumac; omit if using lemon pepper)
1 can (12 ounces) black cherry soda
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Black Cherry Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the rub: Put the green tea, sumac, onion flakes, salt, and black pepper, if using, in a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind them to a fine powder.
2. Pop the tab off the black cherry soda can. Pour half of the soda (¾ cup) into a measuring cup and set aside for the sauce. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set the soda can aside.
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 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 the rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining rub into the soda through a hole in the top of the can. Don’t worry if the soda foams up: This is normal.
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 can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the flavored soda 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 (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 soda or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with the Black Cherry Barbecue Sauce.
SERVES 2 to 4
A triple blast of fruit flavor here comes from black cherry soda, cherry preserves, and canned Bing cherries. The purist would start with fresh cherries. (You’d need to pit about a pound.) For the sake of simplicity, use the canned.
¾ cup black cherry soda (reserved from Black Cherry Soda Chicken)
1 can Bing cherries (17 ounces), drained
3 tablespoons cherry preserves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the cherry soda, cherries, cherry pre serves, lemon juice, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons of the wine in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer gently for 5 minutes.
2. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon wine and the cornstarch in a small bowl and stir to form a slurry (thick paste). Whisk this paste into the cherry sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat to thicken, about 1 minute.
3. Taste for seasoning, adding more sugar or lemon juice to adjust the sweetness and salt and pepper to taste; the sauce should be highly seasoned. Serve warm or at room temperature. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week. Let return to room temperature or warm over medium heat before serving.
MAKES about 2 cups
If you have savored barbecue in Georgia, you know that the brassy flavor of peach makes a great combo with the smoky tang of barbecued chicken. This peach nectar chicken, with its peach barbecue sauce, will delight everyone who loves a ripe peach—and who doesn’t?
FOR THE RUB:
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 can (12 ounces) peach nectar
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Peach Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably peach or apple), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the rub: Put the brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl and stir to mix.
2. Pop the tab off the can of peach nectar. Pour half of the peach nectar (¾ cup) into a measuring cup and set aside for the sauce. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top, then place the cinnamon stick in the nectar can and set aside. If using a vertical chicken roaster, fill with the ¾ cup peach nectar remaining in the can, add the cinnamon stick, and set aside.
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 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 the rub and rub it all over the skin.
4. If cooking on a can: Spoon the remaining rub into the can of peach nectar through a hole in its top. Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the 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 can.
If cooking on a roaster: Spoon the remaining rub into the peach nectar in the vertical roaster. 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 nectar or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with the Peach Barbecue Sauce.
SERVES 2 to 4
Barbecue sauce made with peaches is a great accompaniment for regular beer-can chicken, as well as Peach Nectar Chicken, and it’s equally outrageous with pork or ribs.
¾ cup peach nectar (reserved from Peach Nectar Chicken)
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons peach or apricot preserves
1 tablespoon honey, or more to taste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon peach schnapps or dark rum
½ teaspoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Combine the peach nectar, ketchup, peach preserves, honey, Worcestershire sauce, schnapps, soy sauce, and liquid smoke with ¼ cup water in a heavy saucepan and slowly bring to a boil, over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer gently until thick and richly flavored, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and additional honey to taste.
3. Serve the sauce warm or at room temperature. In the unlikely event you have any left over, store it in the refrigerator, covered, where it will keep for up to a week.
MAKES about 2 cups
I’m not sure what the first European settlers in New England would have made of beer-can chicken, but they did drink lots of beer, and they did discover cranberries at their first settlement, Plimoth, in southeastern Massachusetts. The refreshing astringency of cranberry juice inspired this variation on beer-can chicken. The bird gets a triple blast of cranberry flavor: first from the juice in the can, then from a cranberry butter glaze, and finally from a fresh cranberry salsa served on the side.
FOR THE RUB:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (12 ounces) cranberry juice
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
Cranberry Salsa (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably oak, apple, or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the rub: Put the brown sugar, salt, pepper, coriander, and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir to mix.
2. Pop the tab off the cranberry juice can. Pour half of the cranberry juice (¾ cup) into a small heavy saucepan. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set the juice can aside.
3. Boil the cranberry juice in the saucepan over high heat until only ¼ cup remains, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and 1 teaspoon of the rub and simmer until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Set the glaze aside.
4. 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. Brush the outside of the bird with the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter. 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 cranberry juice through the holes 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 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 can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill the can with the cranberry juice 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. Baste the chicken with the cranberry glaze 15 minutes before taking it off the grill, taking care not to knock it over. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil. Baste the bird one last time before it comes off the grill.
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 cranberry juice or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with Cranberry Salsa on the side.
SERVES 2 to 4
You’ll find that this recipe makes more salsa than you need for one chicken. Well, maybe. Actually, my wife and I have been known to eat a whole batch at a single sitting. In the event that you have any left over, it’ll keep for several days in the refrigerator.
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
1 clove garlic, minced
1 to 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (for a hotter salsa, leave the seeds in)
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped
1/3 cup sugar, or more to taste
¼ cup fresh lime juice, or more to taste
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the cranberries and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the cranberries in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well.
2. Place the cooled cranberries in a nonreactive mixing bowl and gently stir in the garlic, jalapeño(s), cilantro, scallions, sugar, and lime juice. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and more sugar or lime juice as necessary; the salsa should be sweet, tart, and spicy.
MAKES about 2 cups
A cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day—is there anything quite as refreshing? This is the inspiration for another twist on beer-can chicken: a bird roasted upright over an open can of lemonade. The rub is made with powdered lemonade mix (the “secret” ingredient in a lot of Kansas City rubs), while the barbecue sauce combines lemonade, brown sugar, and mustard.
FOR THE LEMONADE RUB:
1 tablespoon lemonade powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons hickory-smoked salt
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon celery seed
1 can (12 ounces) lemonade
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Lemonade-Mustard Sauce (recipe follows)
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. Make the lemonade rub: Put the lemonade powder, brown sugar, paprika, hickory salt, lemon pepper, garlic and onion powders, and celery seed in a small bowl and stir to mix.
2. Pop the tab off the lemonade can. Pour half of the lemonade (¾ cup) into a measuring cup and set aside for the sauce. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set the can aside.
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 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 rub and rub it all over the skin. Set aside 2 teaspoons of rub for the sauce. Spoon the remaining rub into the lemonade through a hole in the top of the can.
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 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 can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the lemonade mixture 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 lemonade or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with Lemonade-Mustard Sauce.
SERVES 2 to 4
What started as a mustard sauce in the finest South Carolina tradition gets an uncommon piquancy with the addition of lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemonade. It goes great with any sort of poultry, with pork, and even with rich, grilled fish, such as swordfish or salmon.
1 tablespoon butter
2 to 3 shallots, or 1 small onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
¾ cup lemonade (reserved from Lemonade Chicken)
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
½ teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the lemonade, raise the heat to high, and let boil until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Lower the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer until thick and richly flavored, about 5 minutes, whisking from time to time. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste.
MAKES about 1¼ cups
I’m certainly not alone in declaring coconut milk one of my favorite ingredients for barbecue. Throughout Southeast Asia, this “cream” of the tropics is used for marinades, bastes, and barbecue sauces. I love its tropical fragrance and the way its high fat content keeps foods moist during grilling. Here coconut milk comes into play in three stages: as a steaming agent in the beer can, as a baste for the chicken, and to enrich the peanut barbecue sauce. And since Thais don’t go in much for smoked foods, I’ve made the wood chips optional.
ADVANCE PREPARATION: 1 hour for marinating the chicken
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced fresh lemongrass, or 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can coconut milk (about 13 ½ ounces)
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed (see Note), or 2 strips lemon zest (each 2 by ½ inches)
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
Coconut-Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (optional; preferably oak or apple), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
1 clean empty 12-ounce beer or soda can with 2 additional holes made in its top or a vertical chicken roaster
1. Make the rub paste: Put the coriander, salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro, minced lemongrass, and ginger in a blender and purée, adding enough oil to make a paste.
2. Shake the can of coconut milk well. Place ¼ cup coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of the rub paste in a small bowl and set aside. You’ll use this mixture for basting the chicken. Using a funnel, pour ¾ cup coco nut milk into a clean empty beer can or vertical chicken roaster. Add the lemongrass stalk and set aside.
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. Smear the remaining rub paste over the chicken inside and out. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag or covered bowl and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
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 coconut milk-filled beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the chicken stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the can.
If cooking on a roaster: 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.
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 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). Start basting the chicken with the coconut milk mixture after 45 minutes and baste it every 15 minutes, taking care not to knock the bird over. Do not baste the chicken immediately before you remove it from the grill. 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 coconut milk or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with Coconut-Peanut Sauce.
SERVES 2 to 4
NOTE: To trim lemongrass, cut off the root end and green leafy tops, leaving a core section that’s 3 to 5 inches long. Strip off the outer leaves. The core should be pale green or cream colored.
Order grilled chicken in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand and this is what you’ll get as a barbecue sauce. Peanut butter makes it nutty and rich, while fried shallots, garlic, ginger, and chiles provide pungency. Don’t be put off by the large number of ingredients: The sauce can be prepared in less than 15 minutes.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 to 3 shallots, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 to 2 Thai chile(s) or serrano or jalapeño pepper(s), seeded and minced (for a hotter sauce, leave the seeds in)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¾ cup coconut milk (reserved from Thai Coconut Chicken)
¾ cup chunky peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce or Asian fish sauce, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or more to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1. Heat the oil in a wok or deep saucepan over high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, chile(s), and coriander and stir-fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
2. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Stir in the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and black pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and let simmer until thick and richly flavored, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and cook for 1 minute. Taste for seasoning, adding soy sauce and/or lime juice as necessary. Serve at room temperature. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days. Let return to room temperature and stir to recombine before serving.
MAKES about 2 cups
Think out of the box—this cutting-edge business philosophy is also good for barbecue. Sweet tea (heavily sweetened iced tea) is so popular at barbecue joints in Texas and the South, I thought, why not use iced tea mix in a barbecue rub and grill the chicken on a can of iced tea? It sounds outrageous. It is outrageous. But being outrageous should be one of the goals of a grill master. And, besides, you’ll be surprised how well the tea flavor marries with smoke and spice in this chicken.
FOR THE RUB:
1 tablespoon powdered iced tea mix
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon celery seed
1 can (12 ounces) iced tea
1 chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Iced Tea Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)
1. Make the rub: Put the iced tea mix, paprika, coriander, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and celery seed in a small bowl and stir to mix.
2. Pop the tab off the iced tea can. Pour half the tea (¾ cup) into a measuring cup and set aside for the sauce. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set the can aside.
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 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 the rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining rub into the iced tea through a hole in the top of the can.
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 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 can.
If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the iced tea mixture 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 iced tea or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve with Iced Tea Barbecue Sauce.
SERVES 2 to 4
The annals of barbecue have seen some pretty strange sauces. This one may seem over-the-top, and yet, canned iced tea has a lot in common with the flavor profile of a good barbecue sauce. It’s sweet. It’s tart. It’s earthy and aromatic. What more could you ask for? Think of the bragging you’ll get to do the next time someone admires this sauce and asks you what’s in it.
¾ cup canned iced tea (reserved from Iced Tea Chicken)
¾ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons A.1. steak sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Combine the iced tea, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, liquid smoke, onion and garlic powders, and pepper in a heavy saucepan with ¼ cup of water and gradually bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to medium to obtain a gentle simmer. Let the sauce simmer gently until slightly reduced, thick, and richly flavored, 6 to 8 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding brown sugar or lemon juice as necessary; the sauce should be highly seasoned. If sauce is too thick or intense, thin with a little more water.
3. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or clean jar and let cool to room temperature before serving. Any leftover sauce (in the unlikely event that you have it) will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for several weeks. Let return to room temperature before serving.
MAKES about 2 cups