Can Beer Can Chicken be Gourmet style ?

Chicken on a beer can is an old fashion idea, but I always loved it, because of
the funny looking birds and the interesting and moist barbequing method.
We had it so often and it always was great fun and a gourmet style dinner.
And – it is a great way to have this fun together with friends on a BBQ night.

If a special blend of rub or marinade is allowed to permeate the freshest chicken
available, and holes are punched all around the top and sides of a can of good beer
so the bird steams gently as it cooks, the result could be the finest.

Hey brother, having been in the sun too long ??

It will become a “gourmet beer-can chicken”, if not the very best chicken dish ever!
Try to get the freshest chickens delivered to our markets or butchers.
And try to get one of 1,5 to 2 kg ones, not the big (typical Uruguayan)
2,5 to 3kg ones. Better two smaller ones then 1 big one.

Just laughing – onion between my legs !

Just look at the golden brown, beautifully rich and shining color on my birds.
The even coating of my special herb mix brings out the glistening juiciness
and flavor of the meat. Sure you can blend you own mix to suit your taste.

Come on – don’t be shy dear.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cleaned of fat, especially neck and tail
4 tablespoons your own special poultry herb blend , see my blend below
4 big cloves of garlic, crushed
Salt to taste
1 can of your favorite beer, around 5% alc., a tasty „Patricia“ is fine.

How to do:

Clean, wash and dry the chicken, rub it inside and out with herb mixture
and place in a plastic bag to marinate in the refrigerator all day,
overnight even better.

Open a can of beer and drink about 1/4 of it. Punch 6 holes in the can
around the top sides. Drop the crushed garlic into the beer can.

Place the chicken, open end down, over the can, so that he sits up with his
feet set to make a tripod. Using a beer can chicken rack will help.
Set the chicken over medium heat on the top of a BBQ grill , or gas grill.
close the cover and cook for 1 hour, or until the bird turns golden brown.

If you do it in your oven, 165 degrees Celsius on an instant-read thermometer.
Using large tongs, lift the bird off the grill while using a turner to support
the beer from the bottom.
Rest 5 minutes. Carve and serve.

Great – just sitting on a COOL German Warsteiner.

Ingredients for my favorite herb mixture:

2 tablespoons sage
2 tablespoons thyme
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons oregano
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, hot
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Place these herbs (as many as you can get fresh, otherwise dry) in a mortar and mull
with a pestle until the mix is a fine consistency, which may take several minutes.
You also can use a food processor, but you’ll loose the fun of work .
Keep your mix, as you do with other herbs or spices too, in a dry and dark container.

Tips:

I served these birds with Anna’s juicy potato salad and some sweet corn, buttered and
sprinkled with Paprika, goat cheese crumbles and finely chopped coriander.

One variation is to cover the chuck with bacon. You will loose the crispy chicken skin,
but the crispy bacon and the flavor of the chicken is just great.

 
Can’t see anything – might need a haircut.                 Hey, I said cutting, not coloring.

Another tip is, a drizzle of „Alabama“ sauce over the chicken and you have a
„gourmets delight“. Something really special for your guests. Enjoy !!