What sort of beer should I use? Canned beers tend to be among the mildest (some would say blandest) on the market. Even with the best of them, the actual beer flavor you get from beer canning is delicate. Thus, you can pretty much use any beer that comes in a can for beer canning. However, if you also plan to use the beer in a marinade, baste, or barbecue sauce, select a brew you wouldn’t mind drinking straight. The better beers from abroad and from microbreweries in the United States only come in bottles. If you want to use one of these premium beers, pour it through a funnel into a clean empty beer can that hasn’t already been used for cooking or into a chicken-roasting device (see page 24).
Is there any special type of can I should look for? All the beer and other beverages in cans called for in this book are available in seamless aluminum ones with pop-tops. This is what I recommend for my recipes. To eliminate even a remote risk of lead poisoning, avoid the old-fashioned soldered cans—the ones that have a seam visible at the bottom.
What size can should I use? The standard 12-ounce can is the perfect size for a 3½-pound chicken, and in a pinch you can use it to cook a game hen. The diminutive “mini” (8-ounce can) works well for game hens, while the oversize “tall boy” (16-ounce can) is ideal for large roasting chickens and ducks. Quail and squab can be cooked on 6-ounce fruit juice cans. Bring in the heavy artillery for a turkey—a jumbo 32-ounce can of Foster’s ale from Australia.
Can you really taste the difference in beverages used for roasting? A great deal of ink has been spilled over whether or not you can taste the beverage used for beer canning. I believe that beer imparts a delicate malty, hoppy flavor to chicken and that soft drinks and fruit juices add their own subtle essences as well. But remember: The advantages of beer canning lie not only in the beer flavor it imparts but also in its internal steaming and vertical roasting.
How can I boost the beer flavor? To reinforce the flavor, I often use more of the beer or other beverage as an ingredient in the marinade, glaze, or accompanying barbecue sauce. Thus, in the following pages, you’ll find recipes for barbecue sauce made with dark beer; and with root beer and black cherry soda, peach nectar, and even prune juice.
What if I or my guests don’t drink alcohol? You can use an almost endless number of soft drink and fruit juice cans for beer canning. In the following pages you’ll find recipes for everything from cola and iced-tea chicken to root-beer game hens, pear-nectar partridge, and pineapple-juice quail.
When should I set up the grill? In order to make the recipes as easy to follow as possible, I have suggested starting by preparing the rub or marinade, then the chicken, then the sauce or condiments, and finally by lighting the grill. If you’re a time-starved cook (and who isn’t these days?), you may want to start by lighting the charcoal and then prepare the rub and chicken while the grill is preheating. Put the chicken on and while it’s cooking, you can make the sauce and side dishes. This requires a little juggling, but that’s how most experienced grill masters cook.
Does it matter what sort of chicken I use? Conventional culinary wisdom holds that the final dish can be only as good as the raw materials. This may be true in haute cuisine, but beer canning is such a flavor-boosting cooking technique that even an ordinary chicken comes out superb when cooked on a can. So imagine the results you’ll get if you start with an organic, grain-fed, or kosher chicken. These birds may look anemic—they’re not fed marigold petals to make them turn yellow—but their texture is noticeably firmer, their flavor more robust.
How many people does one chicken serve? A standard-size chicken weighs 3½ to 4 pounds and will feed two hungry people or four people when there’s a lot of other food being served and if you’re not counting on any leftover drumsticks. (A whole duck will serve two.)
How do I prep the chicken? Hygiene and common sense dictate rinsing the chicken inside and out before seasoning and beer canning. Remove the bag of giblets and save them for another use. Blot the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels before using, then toss the towels directly into the garbage. When you’re finished prepping raw poultry, be sure to thoroughly wash the prep area, the utensils used to prep, and your hands with hot water and plenty of soap.
Why do I need to oil the chicken? Over the years, I’ve found that a light coat of oil on the outside of the bird helps to hold the spices and crisp the skin.
What about rubs? Tradition calls for the chicken to be seasoned with a rub before beer canning. The basic barbecue rub calls for salt, pepper, paprika, and brown sugar. Other flavorings might include onion, garlic, or chili powders; ground cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, or dry mustard; or just about any other spice or herb found in your spice rack or garden. You can also use a wet rub—also known as a spice paste—made by blending herbs, spices, and seasonings with a small amount of liquid, like vinegar, oil, fruit juice, or water. Sprinkle or spread your rub or seasoning in the front and main cavities of the bird, then all over the outside of the bird, rubbing it onto the meat and skin with your fingers (that’s why it’s called a rub). Lift the flap of skin over the neck and rub some seasoning on the breast. In fact, some grill jockeys worm their fingers under the skin so they can sandwich the seasoning between the skin and meat.
When should the rub be applied? There are two ways to use a rub: as a seasoning or as a cure. For the mildest flavor, apply the rub just prior to grilling. For a more complex flavor, rub the chicken 4 to 24 hours ahead of time and let cure, covered, in the refrigerator.
What about marinades? Marinades (wet seasoning mixtures that contain a lot of liquid) are another great way to flavor chicken before beer canning. Marinate the chicken in a deep bowl just large enough to hold it or in a large, resealable plastic bag. (If you use a plastic bag, placing it in a bowl or pot to hold it upright will make it easier to fill.) Put the bird in the refrigerator to marinate, and turn it two or three times so it absorbs the marinade evenly.
Are the liquids used for beer canning in this book interchangeable? Absolutely! I’ve always maintained that there’s no such thing as a mistake in the kitchen, just a new recipe waiting to be discovered. Feel free to mix and match the beverages, rubs, sauces, and condiments from the recipes in this book. Who knows, you may create a new masterpiece!
Are there any tricks to preparing a can? First, wash the can all over with soapy water, and rinse well. Next, pop the top. Never grill a bird on an unopened can of beer. Using a church key-style opener, make a couple of additional holes in the top of the can (this helps spread out the steam). Finally, pour out half the contents of the can. Frequently you’ll use this liquid as an ingredient in a marinade or barbecue sauce. In the case of beer, you can use it to soak the wood chips. Of course, you could always just drink it.
Why do you oil a fruit juice can when cooking quail? Quail contain a lot less fat than chickens or game hens. And they also fit much more tightly over the can. Oiling the can keeps the meat and skin from sticking to the metal.
Beer canning is darn near the perfect way to cook chicken—darn near. The only hitch is the less than rock-solid stability of a bird perched on a beer can—the chance it will tip over unless perfectly balanced. This has led a number of barbecue-loving entrepreneurs to invent vertical chicken roasters that eliminate the risk of a tipping beer can. They can either support the beer can itself or serve as a receptacle for beer or other flavorful liquids. (Cookware shops also sell vertical chicken roasters that aren’t specifically designed for beer canning. They’re great for vertical roasting, but in order to get the full effect of beer-can chicken, you need a roaster with a liquid holder or a space for a beer can for steaming.) Of course, no vertical chicken roaster has the cool, whimsy, or, dare I say, the understated elegance of a chicken roasting on a real beer can. But if it helps prevent you from spilling precious beer, hey, why not use one? (For information on where to find vertical chicken roasters, see Mail-Order Sources, page 311.)
BRAD’S ROASTIN’ POST: Developed by Brad Holland, creator of The Holland Grill, the Roastin’ Post consists of a vertical metal tube mounted on a flat circular base. The narrow width of the tube (it’s slender enough to fit up a quail and holds a third of a cup of liquid) allows for easy insertion in any fowl, while rows of holes on the side release the flavorful steam evenly. Available from the Holland Grill Company and from Uncle Joe’s True Value.
BUSTER’S DRUNK CHICKEN ROOST: Jesse “Buster” Burgin believes beer-can chicken is so good that you won’t want to make just one. So he created a device that allows you to roast four birds at a time. Shaped a little like a four-leaf clover, the Drunk Chicken Roost has four tubular supports that hold four beer or soda cans upright at once. The stainless steel device is dishwasher safe and is sturdy enough to withstand oven cleaner to remove any stubborn stains.
CAPTAIN STEVE’S BEER-CAN ROASTER: Believing that at least part of the thrill of making beer-can chicken is seeing the beer can, Floridian Steve Heide created a wire frame with a wide, stable base into which the beer can fits. Simply snap the beer can into the frame and insert it in the chicken. When not in use, the roaster folds flat to fit in a kitchen drawer.
PAPA JEABERT’S CHICKEN UP!: If you’ve ever fretted about the fat that drips off the chicken during roasting, this device is for you. Invented by Phil Gremillion of Lafayette, Louisiana, the Chicken Up! consists of an open, square or rectangular, polished aluminum metal box with an upright metal tube in the center. The top of the tube is cut on the diagonal to facilitate easy insertion. The box serves as a steady base and catches any drippings, eliminating flare-ups. Simply fill the tube with beer, wine, cola, or other flavored liquid and you’re ready to roast. It’s available in five different models, including one for a turkey.
WILLIE’S CHICKEN SITTER: This curious device looks like a large, inverted ceramic funnel with a sealed base. You pour the beer or other flavored liquid into it and place the chicken on top. Unlike the other roasting devices, the sitter is entirely ceramic, so metal never touches the chicken. There is also one for turkeys. Available from Nunez Enterprises or The Barbecue Store.
Do I need a vertical chicken roaster? No. However, if you’re nervous about the can tipping or if you want to use a liquid other than one that comes in a can, like wine, a vertical chicken roaster may be appropriate (see pages 24 to 25 for descriptions of some of the vertical roasters available).
What’s the easiest way to insert the beer can? There are two ways. You can place the beer can upright in the center of a roasting pan and, holding the chicken upright with one hand and spreading the legs and opening the cavity with the other, gently lower the bird onto the can. The other way is to hold the chicken almost upright with one hand and the beer can at a slight angle with the other. Insert the beer can into the chicken, taking care not to spill the liquid. Twist as needed to get a tight fit.
How can I keep the chicken from tipping? By forming a tripod. Pull the chicken legs forward and apart. They will form the front legs of the tripod. The can itself serves as the third leg.
What happens if the bird tips anyway? Simply stand it up and continue cooking. A little spilled beer never hurt anyone. While it’s most unlikely, if you suspect you’ve lost all the beer, wearing grill mitts, replace the can with a fresh open one that has been half emptied. Remember to make extra holes in the lid.
What’s the ideal temperature for beer canning chicken? I like to cook my chicken at 350°F. That’s hot enough to melt out the fat and crisp the skin without burning it. A gas grill comes equipped with a burner thermostat. To learn how to gauge the temperature of a charcoal grill, see page 14.
Can I baste the chicken as it cooks? Grill masters baste meats to keep them moist during grilling. This isn’t usually a problem with beer-can chicken, as the internal steaming and vertical roasting do a fine job of basting by themselves. The one reason to baste a beer-can chicken is to add an extra layer of flavor. If you do baste, do so carefully, dabbing the brush lightly so you don’t knock the bird over. I often do my basting with a spray bottle or mister, spraying a light mist of beer, soda pop, fruit juice, vinegar, or soy sauce over the bird. Using a spray bottle has two advantages over using the traditional brush: it applies a thin, even coat all over the bird and eliminates the risk of knocking it over with the brush.
What if my chicken browns too fast? Lower the heat and/or loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning.
How do I know when the chicken is cooked? There are three basic tests for doneness. The most accurate is to use an instant-read meat thermometer. Steady the chicken with one hand using clean, well-insulated rubber gloves or a pair of tongs. Insert the metal probe of the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, but away from the bone. The temperature should be about 180°F. Alternatively, insert a slender metal skewer in the thigh and leave it there for 10 seconds. It should come out very hot to the touch and the juices that run from the hole should be clear. Another test is to wiggle one of the legs, again steadying the chicken with your other hand. The leg should move loosely and freely in the joint.
Does a trace of pink or red mean the chicken isn’t done? Pit masters look for a tinge of pink or red just below the skin of the chicken—a so-called smoke ring that’s a natural part of the smoking process and a signature of master grillsmanship. However, the meat next to the bones (especially at the leg joints) should not be red. If your chicken isn’t cooked through, simply put it back on the grill.
What’s the best way to take a beer-can chicken off the grill? Carefully! I use heavy-duty tongs to grasp it by the can just under the bird’s bottom. Wearing a clean well-insulated rubber glove, I use my other hand to steady the bird. Alternatively, remove the bird from the heat with your hands, which again you’ve protected with those insulated rubber gloves.
What’s the best way to remove the beer can? Again, carefully. Wearing insulated rubber gloves, hold the chicken slightly on an angle with one hand. Carefully pull out the can with the other (you may need to twist or wiggle it back and forth a few times to loosen it). Or, you can hold the chicken upright with one set of tongs and remove the can with another set. Note: When removing the can, I always work over the sink or a roasting pan just in case the liquid spills. Remember, there’s hot liquid here. Be careful not to burn yourself.
Can I reuse the beer? No. Throw away any beer that’s left when you’ve finished grilling.
Can I reuse the can? No. The can gets pretty beaten up during the grilling process. Always start with a fresh can.
What if I don’t have a grill (or my condo association won’t let me use one)? Excellent beer-can chicken can be cooked in the oven. The only thing you’ll be missing is the smoke flavor (see pages 6 to 7 for instructions).
Can I cook beer-can chicken on an electric grill? With difficulty. To set up a grill for indirect grilling, you need at least two heat zones. Most electric grills have only one. However, if you want to try beer-can chicken on an electric grill, place the chicken on a metal pie pan (open side down) that’s set inside an old metal cake pan (open side up). This creates a buffer under the chicken so the bottom won’t burn, in effect enabling you to grill indirectly.
Can I reach you if I have a question? Visit my Web site, barbecuebible.com, and click on the Ask the Grilling Guru section. It may take me a week or so to get back to you, but I will. By the way, I’d love to hear not only about your problems, but about your successes and new creations.