Aug 4, 2002 By Tommy C. Simmons For Ap Weekly Features 9 min read

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)- Beer-can chicken is a novelty barbecue dish that is a favorite with backyard barbecuers not only for its conversation-starting appearance, but also for its moist flavor. No one knows the history of beer-can chicken or who thought up this outrageous cooking method. It’s been popular with Louisiana, Texas and Tennessee barbecue cooks for several years. The premise is simple. The beer provides a steaming effect to the inside of the chicken as it cooks. The steaming keeps the chicken moist and prevents the leaner breast meat from drying out.

There are additional benefits to cooking chicken on a beer can. The upright position helps drain off the fat and crisp the skin, two characteristics desired in a perfectly roasted or barbecued chicken.

If you aren’t a barbecue or grill cook, you can also prepare beer-can chicken in the oven. Remove the top rack in your oven before preheating to make certain you’ll have room for the chicken to stand upright.

The technique can be used with other canned liquids, such as colas and fruit juices, providing the steaming and interior moisture. Some cooks also like to add a tablespoon of crab boil to the liquid in the can to give a little extra kick to a spicy-flavored chicken.

It’s a fun dish to prepare and serve. Here are two recipes to get you started in beer-can cookery.

BEER-CAN CHICKEN

One 12-ounce can beer

One 31/2 to 4-pound chicken

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Cajun-style seasoning or your favorite commercial barbecue rub

Pop the tab off the beer can. Using a church key-style can opener, make a few more holes in the top of the can. Pour out half the beer into the soaking water of the wood chips. Add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce to the remaining beer in the can. Set the can of beer aside.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.

Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavity. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the rub inside the body and neck cavities of the chicken. Rub the bird all over on the outside with 2 teaspoons of the rub. If you have the patience, you can put some of the rub under the skin.

Spoon the remaining 2 teaspoons of rub through the holes into the beer in the can. Don’t worry if it foams up: This is normal. Insert the beer can into the body cavity of the chicken and spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod. Tuck the wing tips behind the chicken’s back.

When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all the wood chips on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thigh). This will take about 11/4 to 11/2 hours. If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour.

Using tongs, carefully transfer the chicken in its upright position on the beer can to a platter and present it to your guests. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes, then carefully remove the chicken from the beer can. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Quarter or carve the chicken and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

“How to Grill” by Steven Raichlen

Note: If you prefer to cook Beer-Can Chicken in the oven, prepare chicken as directed. Place on beer can put inside a foil-lined baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 11/2 hours or until done.

COLA-CAN CHICKEN

For the rub:

1 tablespoon mild chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or more to taste

One 12-ounce can cola or Dr. Pepper

One 31/2 to 4-pound chicken

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Cola Barbecue Sauce:

Make the rub: Put the chili powder, salt, brown sugar, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne in a small bowl and stir to mix.

Pop the tab off the soda can. Pour half of the cola (3/4 cup) into a measuring cup and set aside for the sauce. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in the top of the can.

Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rub inside the body cavity and 1/2 teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining rub through a hole in the top of the can. Don’t worry if the cola foams up; this is normal.

If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the can.

If cooking on a vertical roaster: Fill it with the flavored cola and add the remaining rub. Position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.

When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone) for about 11/4 to 11/2 hours. If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.

If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter. If cooking on a vertical roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s on the vertical roaster.

Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the support. Take care not to spill the hot cola or otherwise burn yourself. Carve the chicken and serve with the Cola Barbecue Sauce.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

COLA BARBECUE SAUCE

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup minced onion

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup cola (reserved from Cola-Can Chicken)

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoon steak sauce

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon. freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Coarse salt (kosher or sea) to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes.

Stir in cola, raise heat to high and bring sauce to a boil. Add the ketchup, lemon zest and juice, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, liquid smoke and pepper and bring back to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and more pepper as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week. Let sauce return to room temperature or warm over medium heat before serving.

Makes about 11/2 cups.

Tips on making Beer-Can Chicken:

– Wash and pat dry a whole fryer with paper towels before seasoning.

– Liberally season inside and outside of chicken.

– Be sure to open up the top of the beer-or soda-can in several places. Pour out half of the liquid in the can before adding additional seasoning to the remaining liquid in the can.

– Position chicken by pushing the can into the chicken’s body cavity with legs pointed down and wing tips tucked behind the chicken’s back.

– If cooking chicken in oven, line baking pan with aluminum foil and place chicken on can in the middle of the baking pan. Remove top oven rack so chicken can fit upright in the oven.

– Serve on can if you use a vertical roaster to stabilize the can. For fun, allow guests to slice off pieces they want to eat. Caution them to be careful to not spill the hot beer or cola from the can when they slice the chicken.

(Tommy C. Simmons is food editor of The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.)