2nd beer can chicken
- Thread starter Billy W
- Start date
JimS
TVWBB Member
Hey Billy,
Beer can chicken is one of the few things I have had great, consistent success with. I don't inject at all. I use Steve Reichlin's recipe from one of his cookbooks. He makes a rub and after washing and drying the bird, he rubs it all over the inside and the outside, and he also suggests rubbing some under the skin. Then he says to take a teaspoon or so (I think) of the rub and put it in the beer can before inserting into the bird. Comes out awesome every time. Also, I rarely use beer and instead use Cola (another one of his suggestions).
Jim
Beer can chicken is one of the few things I have had great, consistent success with. I don't inject at all. I use Steve Reichlin's recipe from one of his cookbooks. He makes a rub and after washing and drying the bird, he rubs it all over the inside and the outside, and he also suggests rubbing some under the skin. Then he says to take a teaspoon or so (I think) of the rub and put it in the beer can before inserting into the bird. Comes out awesome every time. Also, I rarely use beer and instead use Cola (another one of his suggestions).
Jim
This method will give you wonderfully flavored chicken all the way through.
For 1 Whole Chicken, as purchased (weight includes packet in cavity):
At least 6 hours and up to 24 hours before cooking, remove packet from cavity.
Use 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal (OR 3/4 teaspoon Morton’s) kosher salt per pound as purchased
Apply salt evenly inside cavity and under skin of breasts and legs and let rest in refrigerator on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. (Wrap with plastic if salting for longer than 12 hours.)
Apply a salt-free rub at the same time as the salt.
Just before cooking, dry the outside of the bird very well with paper towels. Rub with a light coating of oil (olive or canola) and apply a little more salt-free rub on the skin.
Rita
For 1 Whole Chicken, as purchased (weight includes packet in cavity):
At least 6 hours and up to 24 hours before cooking, remove packet from cavity.
Use 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal (OR 3/4 teaspoon Morton’s) kosher salt per pound as purchased
Apply salt evenly inside cavity and under skin of breasts and legs and let rest in refrigerator on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. (Wrap with plastic if salting for longer than 12 hours.)
Apply a salt-free rub at the same time as the salt.
Just before cooking, dry the outside of the bird very well with paper towels. Rub with a light coating of oil (olive or canola) and apply a little more salt-free rub on the skin.
Rita
Thanks for the help. I decided to inject some melted butter, garlic powder and onion powder and it came out absolutely fantastic. I used about 1/4 to 1/2 chimney full of Kblue and put the chicken on the charcoal grate indirect since it wouldn't on top. Aittle less then 90 mind later it came off and was perfect. The interior meat was literally dripping with juice. **** good!!
Thanks again everyone.
Thanks again everyone.
Billy, if injection works for you, do it! I did, was great; that time did 3--yeah--3? on Cajun stands, I think, small footprint on stand--in 22.5 kettle. Injected with a similar adding Tony Chacere's (sp) and they were wonderful!
THEN, I made life hard on myself in prep work but DANG they were killer:
On 18.5 WSM did 6 of 'em. So I had about 1 gallon + 1/2 of brine, with some pineapple juice. Brined a few hours. Rinsed well, separated skin from, a tad, and put them Cornell Marinade overnight. No water in pan--just foiled, Kblue, 2 fired chimneys on top on some unlit with a little apple wood and grape vine, dried--got WSM roaring but had chickens on as it was reaching 375 and cut back all vents to hold at 350.
Before that, popped birds on small footprint stand--wiped just a little of Cornell off, NOT all. Then some my pork rub + lemon pepper--sage, etc.--but used only pineapple juice in can with some pork rub. Stuffed upper cavity with fresh rosemary--I keep it, grow tons of it, freeze it for winter--and an orange chunk covering top "hole" of each chicken. Think I had "seal" one with lemon, but not any difference.
Recipe I use, modified Cornell, 3X for 6 whole chickens:
2 cups ACV
1 cup veg oil
1 egg
2 tablespoon iodized or 3 DK kosher (yep,after brine)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning--see above
1 teaspoon Tabasco chipotle--or ground cayenne--any ground hot pepper will do. (I grow/dry/grind my own; El Cheapo Brinkmann does have a purpose for drying peppers, but generally finish in food dehydrator.)
I didn't think WSM 18.5 would go that high but it DID. That many took about 2.5 hours. But holding temps steady at 350: BEST chicken I've ever eaten--aside from Mama's fried--now, that woman can fry some chicken!
Good to do a bunch because I like to freeze some cooked meat for stuff like Brunswick Stew, tacos, etc.
I am so sold on that Cornell for just marinating, after brine. Most use it as a baste but I absolutely love it as a marinade. But I do NOT wipe all of it off, as some suggest. Tried both, like it with it on. Did a lime/ butter glaze on chicken quarters last week, but rubbed most of Cornell off, and I thought it was just too dry. Sounds good. My opinion is: IF YOU LIKE IT, KEEP USING IT!
THEN, I made life hard on myself in prep work but DANG they were killer:
On 18.5 WSM did 6 of 'em. So I had about 1 gallon + 1/2 of brine, with some pineapple juice. Brined a few hours. Rinsed well, separated skin from, a tad, and put them Cornell Marinade overnight. No water in pan--just foiled, Kblue, 2 fired chimneys on top on some unlit with a little apple wood and grape vine, dried--got WSM roaring but had chickens on as it was reaching 375 and cut back all vents to hold at 350.
Before that, popped birds on small footprint stand--wiped just a little of Cornell off, NOT all. Then some my pork rub + lemon pepper--sage, etc.--but used only pineapple juice in can with some pork rub. Stuffed upper cavity with fresh rosemary--I keep it, grow tons of it, freeze it for winter--and an orange chunk covering top "hole" of each chicken. Think I had "seal" one with lemon, but not any difference.
Recipe I use, modified Cornell, 3X for 6 whole chickens:
2 cups ACV
1 cup veg oil
1 egg
2 tablespoon iodized or 3 DK kosher (yep,after brine)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning--see above
1 teaspoon Tabasco chipotle--or ground cayenne--any ground hot pepper will do. (I grow/dry/grind my own; El Cheapo Brinkmann does have a purpose for drying peppers, but generally finish in food dehydrator.)
I didn't think WSM 18.5 would go that high but it DID. That many took about 2.5 hours. But holding temps steady at 350: BEST chicken I've ever eaten--aside from Mama's fried--now, that woman can fry some chicken!
Good to do a bunch because I like to freeze some cooked meat for stuff like Brunswick Stew, tacos, etc.
I am so sold on that Cornell for just marinating, after brine. Most use it as a baste but I absolutely love it as a marinade. But I do NOT wipe all of it off, as some suggest. Tried both, like it with it on. Did a lime/ butter glaze on chicken quarters last week, but rubbed most of Cornell off, and I thought it was just too dry. Sounds good. My opinion is: IF YOU LIKE IT, KEEP USING IT!