Beer Can Chicken

subtitled: 99 cans of beer on the wall, 99 cans of beer, take one down, shove it up a chicken, 98 cans of beer on the wall....

Sittin' Pretty

This is the easiest and best way to cook a whole chicken. Super simple and a guaranteed success. Plus it's just a fun to prepare and makes good conversation for your guests.

I like to use a plump roaster for this. Nice and meaty. Rinse the whole chicken and pat it dry. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the bird and rub it all over. I use a rub made of 1 part Old Bay seasoning, 1 part Tony Chachere's seasoning, and 1 part sugar. Coat the bird with the rub, inside and out.

Now comes the beer. Open a can of your favorite beer. I prefer a full bodied beer or a good stout. Guinness is my favorite for this recipe. Open the top of the can with a can opener. This only uses a half a can of beer so you'll have to find something to do with the extra beer. I'm sure you'll figure it out.

Now stuff your favorite fresh herbs in the can. Fresh sage, fresh basil and a few cloves of garlic is what I use. Imagine the steaming Guinness with these flavors infusing the chicken from the inside while it cooks!

OK... Here's the part you've been waiting for! Stand the chicken up and put it over the can. The chicken will stand on the can and it's legs. You can get a beer can holder from just about any home store in the grilling section. This makes the bird a bit more stable, but it's not necessary.

Prep the grill... This cooks over indirect heat. A pile of hot coals on each side of the grill, and in the center between the coals place a baking pan or pyrex pan to catch the drippings. The grill should stabilize around 350 degrees.

Place the chicken on the center of the grill, close the lid, and figure out what to do with the five beers remaining in the six pack you bought. (or four pack if you got Guinness). In about an hour check the temp of the bird in a few spots. The target temp is 165, and after an hour it's probably close to 145. After the first hour check it every 15 minutes until it's at 165.

Be careful with the bird when it's done. I use two pair of tongs - one to hold the bird and one to get the can out. I do this over the grill so the beer in the can spills out in the drip pan. You'll figure it out.

Let the bird sit for about 15 minutes, and then carve away. Mmm Mmm Good!

Now it's your turn.... make this and let me know how you do. (Or come over to our place with a chicken and a six pack of beer and we'll make it together!)