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Brewmeister Chicken
(aka: Beer Can Chicken)
Serves 4

Qty Size Ingredient
1 med Roasting Chicken
 
For The Marinade:
1 Your Favorite Tall Boy Beer (16oz)
½ cup Dijon Mustard
¼ cup Soy Sauce
2 tbls Lemon Juice
1 med Sweet Onion
4 cloves Fresh Garlic
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Crystal Hot Sauce
½ tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
 
For The Rub:
2 tsp Sweet Paprika
2 tsp Dry Mustard
2 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
½ tsp Ground Cumin
½ tsp Celery Seeds
¼ tsp Fresh Shaved Nutmeg
2 tsp Olive or Vegetable Oil


Place all of the marinade ingredients into a one-gallon zip-lock freezer bag* and mix thoroughly.  Remove all 'stuff' from the inside of the chicken and cut off the extra fat flap at the neck.  Rinse bird under cold running water, drain and blot dry with paper towels.  Add chicken to the bag and refrigerate for at least four hours, overnight is best, turning several times to ensure a complete soak.

* If your chicken won't fit in this bag (congratulations), try a large oven bag.  Twist the top tight, fold over and wrap with a rubber band.

Remove the bird from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.  Discard marinade.  Using a whisk or fork, mix all of the rub ingredients together in a bowl.  Cover chicken thoroughly with oil.  Distribute one teaspoon of rub mixture inside the body cavity of the chicken, one-half teaspoon inside the neck of the bird and the rest is thoroughly rubbed all over the outside.  Any remaining rub can be dropped into the can (next).

Empty out half of the beer in the can (use it to soak the wood chips or to ply the cook).  If you are using bottled beer, fill a pop can, or any facsimile, about half full.  The can does not have to be filled with beer.  One can use cola, fruit juice or even vinegar mixed with herbs and spices.  Whatever floats your boat (or chicken).  Use a "church key" style can opener to open up the top of the can.  (fig. 1 & 2)  If sharp aluminum edges don't make you nervous, removing the entire top of the can would be best of all.

Shove the beer can up the birds butt, placing the legs in such a manner as to create a tripod to stabilize the bird.  Tuck the wings back to protect the tips and you are ready to 'Q.  (see main image above)

Set up your grill for indirect grilling.  If you are using a charcoal grill, dump or rake glowing coals in two piles on opposite side of the grill.  Place an aluminum foil drip pan in the center of the grill between the piles of coals.  Scatter the soaked wood chips or chunks over the coals.

If you are using a two-burner gas grill, turn on only one side to high.  And of course with more than two burners, light only the outside ones and leave the middle off.  If your gas grill does not have a smoker box, simply wrap you soaked wood chips in aluminum foil, poke a few holes in it and place it on a/the hot side.

Place the bird in the middle of the grill over the drip pan and cook covered for 1½ to 2 hours.  Maintain high heat throughout the cooking process by adding 12 briquettes to each side every hour.  Cook until a probe thermometer in the thigh reads about 180º.

If your chicken begins to brown too much before it's done cooking, tent it loosely with aluminum foil until done.

CAUTION:  When it comes time to remove the bird from the grill be careful of the beer can.  It will still have near boiling liquid inside of it.  Use a set of large tongs to grasp the bird and a gloved hand to keep the can inside the bird while you move it to a safe place to cool.  Rubber coated insulated BBQ gloves would be another good approach.  Or, in absence of the usual, you could place your throned bird on a small sheet pan so that you could lift it out more easily.  Good luck.

Enjoy.

 


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