Great Barbecue Recipe - Beer Can Chicken
Posted by: rodwsmith on 07 June 2010
I mentioned this famed Caribbean cooking "method" on another forum, and having spent ages typing it up, I thought I might post it here too - it tastes great and will make your barbecue the talk of your friends...
Beer-Can Chicken
As using whole chicken(s) you need to make the marinade very strong/hot to get it to permeate at all. The further in advance the better obviously.
After all the cooking this does not end up as hot as it sounds, but you can tone down the heat if there are wimpy people and or children...
Jerk Marinade (1 chicken's worth, say 4 people)
4 - 6 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
125ml Dark Rum
Juice and zest of 4 limes
75ml white vinegar
125ml Corn (or olive) oil
This is a basic jerk flavour, add (to taste):
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
4 teaspoons chopped garlic (or paste)
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
about 8 - 10 spring onions, finely chopped
50g muscovado (preferably) or dark brown sugar
Mix and blend all this, and then get it onto and into the chicken. Rubbing it in by hand is best (wear gloves!) or alternatively you can stick it, and the chicken, in a plastic bag, seal and give it a good shake. Either way, let the marinade and the chicken mingle romantically in the fridge, under plastic or cling-film for as long as you can, preferably overnight.
Get the barbecue well hot.
Open a can of beer (per chicken). Presidente might be best, but Red Stripe or Carib, or obviously any bland, slightly-too-sweetish lager will do.
I can only express the next part as 'impale' the chicken onto the beer can, as far as it will go. If you can cook it upright, then great, if not then you will need to coordinate the position of the ringpull hole and the angle of the chicken. Cooking two at once helps positioning-wise.
Onto a tray, on the barbecue, cover.
The beer boils and evaporates and the moisture has nowhere to go but into the meat.
Subject to the usual juices running clear etc, about an hour should do the trick, and it does not need supervision, although a baste with the juice and/or a bit more oil will help make the skin even crispier.
Serve with salad, and maybe rice'n'peas (black-eyed). A lot more work than sausages and burgers but worth it, and a talking point.
Before
After
Cheers
Rod
Beer-Can Chicken
As using whole chicken(s) you need to make the marinade very strong/hot to get it to permeate at all. The further in advance the better obviously.
After all the cooking this does not end up as hot as it sounds, but you can tone down the heat if there are wimpy people and or children...
Jerk Marinade (1 chicken's worth, say 4 people)
4 - 6 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
125ml Dark Rum
Juice and zest of 4 limes
75ml white vinegar
125ml Corn (or olive) oil
This is a basic jerk flavour, add (to taste):
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
4 teaspoons chopped garlic (or paste)
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
about 8 - 10 spring onions, finely chopped
50g muscovado (preferably) or dark brown sugar
Mix and blend all this, and then get it onto and into the chicken. Rubbing it in by hand is best (wear gloves!) or alternatively you can stick it, and the chicken, in a plastic bag, seal and give it a good shake. Either way, let the marinade and the chicken mingle romantically in the fridge, under plastic or cling-film for as long as you can, preferably overnight.
Get the barbecue well hot.
Open a can of beer (per chicken). Presidente might be best, but Red Stripe or Carib, or obviously any bland, slightly-too-sweetish lager will do.
I can only express the next part as 'impale' the chicken onto the beer can, as far as it will go. If you can cook it upright, then great, if not then you will need to coordinate the position of the ringpull hole and the angle of the chicken. Cooking two at once helps positioning-wise.
Onto a tray, on the barbecue, cover.
The beer boils and evaporates and the moisture has nowhere to go but into the meat.
Subject to the usual juices running clear etc, about an hour should do the trick, and it does not need supervision, although a baste with the juice and/or a bit more oil will help make the skin even crispier.
Serve with salad, and maybe rice'n'peas (black-eyed). A lot more work than sausages and burgers but worth it, and a talking point.
Before
After
Cheers
Rod
Rod:
If you are making this for the next Naim summer BBQ, I will be seriously tempted to fly to the UK for what looks like a totally scrumptious bird!
If you are making this for the next Naim summer BBQ, I will be seriously tempted to fly to the UK for what looks like a totally scrumptious bird!