Beer-Can Chicken

If you haven't tried making beer-can chicken, here's a step by step tutorial

First, take a whole chicken, remove the innards and clean it thoroughly

Then, take your favorite BBQ rub and stuff it into the skin of the bird

Rub it into the pockets of skin around the breast and legs

Then work the BBQ rub onto the skin of the bird

Put this into the fridge to marinate from 15 mins to an hour

Prepair the grill with hot coals and wood chips (or chunks) that have been soaking in a mixture of water and beer for two hours

Place an aluminum 'drip pan' to catch the excess fat/beer in the center of the grill

Take a half empty can of beer, add a good mount of the BBQ rub to it, and poke a fewsmall (or one large hole) in the top

You guessed it, insert the beer into the chicken, thus violating the bird!!

The bird should sit on the can like Dad on the 'Thrown'

Feel free to point and laugh at the bird at this step

Use the legs to prop the bird on the grill over the drip pan

The beer can will baste the bird from the inside

Close the lid and let the bird smoke...

...and smoke...

...and smoke...

...and smoke for one & 1/2 to two hours

This is the part that makes your neighbors jealous

The skin should blacken

and will taste like crispy bacon

Use a meat thermometer to test the bird, making sure not to touch the bone

The meat should be 180 degrees when done

Bring the bird inside on a metal tray

Let the bird cool for 5 minutes with the beer can still inside

Waiting is the toughest part

Using oven mits, carefully remove the can from the bird

Let the bird drain and prepair to carve

Do not drink the beer at this time

Carefully carve the bird over a cutting board

Do not violently shake the bird against the knife

but instead hold the bird firmly and cut with smooth strokes

At this point, siblings should be called in the set the table...

...get drink orders...

...and wash their hands

MMMmmmmmmm...

Yummmmy...

Drooool....

Risotto makes a good side dish

CHEERS!!!