BEER CAN CHICKEN

Let's take a peek inside 'Fire Hall Cooking with Jeff the Chef' and check out a few sample recipes. Here's a trendy technique that never fails to impress. Whether at the fire hall or with friends, I hear this recipe mentioned more often than not during the barbecue season. But when I ask how the grill monkey performed this delicate operation, I rarely hear the word 'marinade.' Well, a beer marinade is definitely the secret to a successful, succulent Beer Can Chicken. Give this version of 'Beer Can Chicken' a try with the 'Beer Chick Marinade' and you won't be disappointed.

(Desolate wilderness background with lone whistle out)

Announcer: “Today, Hinterland’s Who’s Who looks at the Beer Can Chicken. A migratory species, the Beer Can Chicken is best known for the wondrous flight it makes in anticipation of the best-before-date season, traveling from the cool, hostile environment of the butcher-shop window to the balmy confines of the smoke-filled barbecue. Perched high upon its aluminium nest, the Beer Can Chicken maintains incubation until its internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Instinctively sensing its doneness, the Beer Can Chicken completes its journey by arriving at the dinner table, bringing joy and sustenance to the food-chain-abiding carnivores. For more information on the Beer Can Chicken and other recipes, contact your local poultry producer.”

(Desolate wilderness background with lone whistle out)

NOW BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED RECIPE

Imagine roasting a chicken on your barbecue standing up! The secret is a beer can strategically placed in its (ahem) cavity! It looks hilarious, but it makes a great barbecued chicken! You can soak the chicken in the Beer Chick Marinade first, or if time is tight, just rub it up!

HERE ARE THE REQUIREMENTS

• 4–5-pound roasting chicken— a 3-pound fryer will also work

• 2 tablespoons Fired-Up Santa Fe Spice (recipe to follow)

• 1 can of good old beer—okay 2, one for you, one for the chicken

• Approximately 4 cups mesquite or hickory wood chips

• Beer Chick Marinade (the recipe's coming right up, be patient!)

HERE’S THE PLAN; LISTEN CAREFULLY

• Mix up those marinade ingredients with a whisk. Hey! Wait a second! Hang on to that empty beer can; you’re going to need it.

• Place the chicken and marinade in a plastic bag and refrigerate over­night, and even for as long as 48 hours. Flip it over every 8 hours or so to distribute the marinade fairly.

• Soak the wood chips in water for at least 1 hour for smoke-ability!

• Remove the bird from the mari­nade—don’t toss the marinade! Pat dry with paper towel and sprinkle with Fired-Up Santa Fe Spice.

• Remember that empty beer can I told you to hang on to? Well, take it down from the display case and pour the marinade filling in until it’s about ²D3 full. This will provide a little bird-steaming on the barbecue.

• With a can opener, make 3 more openings in the top.

• Place the beer can in the chicken’s cavity. Imagine a tripod, with the bird standing on 2 legs, the beer can acting as the 3rd leg. Now tuck his wings behind his back. Look, the bird’s dancing; this is going to work!

• Place the wood chips in 2 alu­minium foil pouches; fold them up, poke a few holes in them to vent and place them on one side of the barbecue.

• Fire up the barbecue! If you’re at the firehouse, don full SCBA (air mask). When the smoke gets heavy, turn off the pouch-less side.

• Place a disposable aluminium tray—those small lasagna dishes work well—on the unlit side of the barbecue, to catch the juices.

• Stand our little buddy up on the unlit side, with the breast away from the heat. This will promote even cooking, and will help elimi­nate the dreaded Dry White Meat Syndrome.

• Check it out. That chick has a beer gut!

• Close the lid, turn down to medium-high, and let it smoke! If a meat thermometer in the thigh says 170–180—or juices run clear—it’s ready. Another way to know that the chick’s done is by wiggling its legs. If the legs move easily, the thigh meat is cooked, and chances are the bird is in a state of culinary completion.

• Play it safe taking it off the barbecue; the hot liquid in the can will burn! Let stand 10 minutes and this Beer Chick is ready to party!

• So can I make this recipe with­out the marinade, Jeff? Well, sure you can, but then it won’t be this recipe, will it? Rest assured, you can make a Beer Chick happen by substituting a loving rubdown for the soaking-up-the-sauce routine. Here’s how:

• Mix up 2 tablespoons Fired-Up Santa Fe Spice with 4 tablespoons brown sugar. Toss a healthy help­ing of the fired-up sugary rub on the bird, drink about a third of the beer. I said a third! Slow down! You need the rest of that barley sand­wich for steaming! Punch a few extra holes in the lid of the beer, insert in the before-mentioned (ahem) cavity, and off to the barbecue you go!

FIRED-UP SANTA FE SPICE

• 2 tablespoons Spanish sweet paprika

• 2 tablespoons good-quality chili powder

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon roasted granulated garlic or regular granulated garlic

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander

• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons dried cumin

• 2 teaspoons fresh-ground or restaurant-style black pepper

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

Place the spices in a small bowl and use a whisk to combine them. Place the mix in a spice jar with a tight-fitting lid, and store in a cool, dark place. Spice generally keeps for about 6 months before losing its effectiveness, so label your next batch with a best-before date. If you’re like me, though, you’ll find that it never lasts that long anyway.

BEER CHICK MARINADE

This is a must for Beer Can Chicken, but it can also be used to marinate chicken pieces before you toss them on the barbecue.

HERE’S WHAT IT TAKES

• 1 bottle beer

• ¼ cup Dijon mustard

• ¼ cup canola oil

• 2 tablespoon each soy sauce and brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon coarse salt

Combine all ingredients. Place the marinade and chicken in a plastic bag for 2–4 hours for chicken pieces or overnight to 48 hours for a whole chicken.