Those of you that have known me for awhile are well aware of my passion for cooking on the grill. I have always loved cooking outdoors and sharing that experience with friends and family. Fire, smoke, and meat is primal; it is universal and shared by all cultures.
Beer Can Chicken or Drunken Bird is a favorite of mine. It is very easy to prepare and it is sure to generate a certain “WOW” factor that will impress any one lucky enough to be around when you show this bad bird off on your grill.
Lets start with the basic set up for cooking a bird standing up…
This is a great little rig you can get from any well equipped grill shop. Wal-Mart has been known to sell them, for about five bucks. If you don’t use a rig like this then you probably will need to get a tall beer, 16 or 24 oz can.
First thing you need to do is remove the top of the can. Believe it or not a hand held can opener works perfectly for this. The kind of beer you choose is entirely up to to your own personal preference. Whether it be an import or a domestic beer, the idea is to have the liquid infuse into the bird from the inside out during cooking. I prefer to use a deep red amber ale that I brew myself. If for some reason you don’t know me personally yet and cant get your hands on a bottle of my fine brew, a great beer to use is Sam Adams Boston Lager. Drink the beer out of what ever can you are using and pour your favorite brew in. Of course you can use any domestic or import can of your choice as well. I like to add a few cloves of garlic to the beer and also a good heaping table spoon of rub.
Next on the list is the spice rub that we will lather that beautiful naked bird in…
I will be the first person to tell you this about rubs….DON’T buy one from some hack BBQ guru wannabe… Make your own!
So here is the deal… pick out some spices you like, garlic, season salt, dill, brown sugar, what ever you use as your daily spices. Then throw a bunch into a bowl. Use sugar for no more than 50% of your rub as it tends to burn and caramelize too much.
Garlic…know it…live it…love it!
I use brown sugar, garlic salt, Hungarian paprika, dill, basil, oregano, and pretty much what ever else I have on hand. Don’t over think this, just use some common sense and you will be fine.
Rub the bird with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil, EVOO, and then sprinkle the rub on your oiled up poultry and let her sit a bit.
EVOO, this is a must have in any kitchen
A well rubbed bird……
Next simply place the bird over the can or can rig an place in a foil pan.
So these two drunk birds walk into a grill…..
Ready for some heat. Get your grill hot to about 300 degrees and place the pan of chicken on the grill. Reduce heat to 250 degrees and cook til internal temp is 180 degrees in the thigh.
On a pan in the gas grill
Oh my, how pretty!
Shes a done bird
Perfect!
Standing up…
Enjoy your meal!
grooveheat 