This Recipe is part of the Get Your Grill On Serious Barbecue Menu
Beer-can chicken is a barbecue classic: You stand a whole bird upright on a beer can, pop it in the barbecue, and about an hour and a half later, you pull out a smoky, unbelievably juicy version of an often dried-out dinner staple. I’ve never found that the specific beer (or soda) you use affects the meat, so you can also use a vertical roasting rack or a chicken sitter (see Sources page 378), a device that lets the chicken sit upright in the cooker.
Ingredients
Two 3- to 3 1/2-pound chickens
Fleur de sel
Marinade
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
6 garlic cloves, peeled, halved, germ removed, and grated on a Microplane grater
1 medium sweet white onion, coarsely chopped
1 serrano, Thai bird, or other small, hot chile of choice, sliced, seeds removed
Glaze
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped chives
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped parsley
Two 12-ounce cans of beer
1/2 bunch thyme and 1/ bunch marjoram, tied in an Herb Bundle
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
Finishing Dressing
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
1. In the blender, or in a medium to large bowl using an immersion/stick blender, combine all of the marinade ingredients and blend until smooth. Place each of the chickens in a large to extra-large resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the top, squeeze out any excess air from the bags, and close. Roll the bags to evenly coat the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24.
2. Preheat an indirect barbecue with a drip pan and fruitwood (preferably apple), a ceramic cooker with deflector plate and fruitwood (preferably apple), or a charcoal or gas grill with a box or packet of fruitwood (preferably apple) to 3oo°F.
3. Place the glaze ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.
4. Remove the chickens from the bags, let ting any excess marinade remain in the bags, and lightly pat dry with paper towels. If using beer cans, open the cans, pour out (or drink) about an inch from each of the cans. Place the chickens on the cans or on a chicken sitter or other stand for beer-can chicken. Position a remote thermometer in the thickest part of one of the chickens’ thighs—or one in the thigh and one in the breast if you have two remote thermometers.
5. Place the chickens in the cooker, basting occasionally during the cooking with the herb bundle dipped in the butter. Cook until the internal temperature registers 1650F in the thigh and 155°F in the breast, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
6. Give the glaze a quick shake and, using the herb brush, brush the chickens completely with the glaze. Place back in the cooker and cook until the internal temperature of the thigh is 175°F and the breast is 165°F, about 15 to 20 more minutes.
7. Remove the chickens from the cooker and let rest upright on the can or on the stand for 30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, combine the parsley and chives in a small bowl. Using a Microplane grater, zest the lemon over the top, squeeze in all of the juice, and mix in the olive oil. Pour onto a cutting board or other work surface.
9. Place both chickens on top of the dressing and cut each chicken into quarters or individual serving pieces (thighs, drum-sticks, wings, and half-breasts), dredging the pieces in the dressing. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Serves 8
From Serious Barbecue by Adam Perry Lang. Photographs by David Loftus. Copyright © 2009. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
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