Beer in the Butt Chicken
Basics: The basic process is to take a half full can of beer with the top cut off. Place it where you are going to be doing the cooking and then place the chicken over it so that the beer can is inside the chicken. Since it's advent, people have begun adding all kinds of spices and extras to the beer to make it more flavorful. Generally, you will see garlic, cayenne, diced onions, or cumin added but almost any spice or herb can be used.
Why Beer?: So why does this work so well? First of all, you are adding a source of moisture to the chicken that keeps it from drying out. Second, you are adding beer. Now, more than the fact that beer is good, the yeast and malt found in beer reacts with the chicken, particularly the skin, making it thin and crispy while the meat remains juicy. For information on what kind of beer to use check out my friends Bryce's great article on The Beer in Beer Can Chicken. But you don't have to use beer. You can make this with wine or Garland Rome has suggested using crab boil, which works really well.
Grilling vs Smoking: Like I said, you can do this regardless of how you plan to cook the chicken. Of course, it will turn out differently if you put it on the grill versus in the smoker, but the basic principles still apply. Cook the chicken as you would normally. Always put something under the chicken like foil or a baking dish to catch the drippings.
Accessories: The biggest problem you might run into is the chicken tipping over. The weight of a half full can of beer just isn't enough to keep the chicken standing, especially if you are doing a large bird. But never fear, your fellow outdoor cooks have recognized the need and a host of products have appeared on the market to help you out. If you look in the "Elsewhere on the Web" section you will find a few variations to choose from.
Follow the step by step and try: "Making Beer Can Chicken".
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings
Place the chicken wings in a large zippered plastic bag. Pour in the dry rub and shake to coat the wings well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (at room temperature) or as long as 24 hours (in the refrigerator).
Prepare coals using 3 pounds of charcoal. Make sure the coals are in a pile to one side of your grill or smoker. After the coals have turned white, place 2 cups of soaked and drained apple wood chips on the pile of coals. Set the wings on the grate so they will cook by indirect heat -- in other words, not over the coals -- and smoke for 25 minutes. Turn the wings and smoke for another 20 to 25 minutes.
Mix the honey, barbecue sauce, and apple juice together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until warmed through.
Place the wings in a disposable foil pan and pour the warm sauce over the wings. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and smoke for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the glaze is finished the way you like it. If you're using a grill, you can move the aluminum pan directly over the coals while you're glazing the wings.
Chicken Wings
Cutting: To start out with, buy some chicken wings. You'll want a lot, so it's best to buy them in "family packs" or large bulk packs. You can buy chicken wings already cut up or whole wings and do the cutting yourself. If you don't mind the time and the cutting it can be cheaper to buy them whole. Cutting chicken wings is easy once you get the feel for it. Start by holding the wing at the base upright. Spread it out a bit and with a knife slice gently in between the bones. If you softly move the knife around you'll find the easiest way through. This way you don't splinter the bones. A little practice and you'll fly right through them.
Grilling: As difficult as it might sound, grilling is about the best way to cook chicken wings. Grilling allows the fat to drain away and gives you a nice, crispy wing without a lot of excess fat. Of course the real challenge in grilling chicken wings (beside them falling into the fire) is flare-ups and burning. To resolve this keep a medium flame. You don't want too high of a temperature. You will also need to turn the wings frequently to avoid burning. It will mean standing by the grill, but you can cook a lot of chicken wings in about 15 to 20 minutes.
Sauces and Marinades: Since you will need to pay some extra attention to you wings while they grill you can afford to use sauces that could normally cause burning. When it comes to chicken wings it's best to apply the sauce before or early in the cooking time. Marinades don't add a lot to wings. When grilling chicken wings you will want to turn the wings every 3 to 4 minutes. It is also a good idea to keep a portion of the grill clear in case of a flare-up that requires you evacuate your chicken wings to another location.
Finishing Up: A large batch of wings should be on the grill for about 15 to 20 minutes. As always with poultry overcook, don't undercook. Test your chicken wings when they are getting close by removing one and cutting it open. There should be no pink inside and any juices should run clear. Wings are best served hot from the grill so plan everything ahead to get it done on time.
Peruvian Roasted Chicken
Tried this for the first time today and it came out very well and the chicken was very tasty I had the grill set for 300 for the 1.5 hrs and it was not done. Cooked it for another 45 minutes and still not all of the way done. Took a total of 2.5 hrs. I dont think that 300 is the correct temp. to cook this dish, it probably should be 400. Will try it anyway and see how it goes.
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Smoking Chicken - Real Barb...
Smoked ChickensRegarding BBQ Inc.So what's so great about smoked whole chicken? If you ask this then you've never tried it. Imagine a roasted chicken bathed in flavorful smoke and slow cooked to the point where it melts in your mouth. Got that? Then you're about half way there. I really think that smoking chicken is the way it was meant to be cooked. But then I think smoking anything is the way to go. While grilling can do wonders for chicken, the smoker adds so much more. The first step in smoking a barbecue chicken is to find a good chicken. Don't pick up a shriveled, frozen bird at the supermarket. Pick out a fresh, plump bird, and avoid any chicken that is packed with "solution". Many chickens these days are mixed with a chemical brine to make it look good and plump. This makes them look good, but doesn't make them taste good. You want a good size because it's going to go fast. If you're cooking for more than about five people consider getting two. I usually try to find a 4 to 5 pound bird. Yes you can find them. If you can't find a fresh one, then follow the instructions for thawing.
Smoking one 4 pound chicken will take about 4 hours. Before you put the chicken in the smoker give it a good wash and trim off any lose fat and skin. Smoke at about 220 degrees F until the temperature at the center of the chicken breast reaches about 185 degrees F. Watch this temperature closely because you don't want to get to far above 185 degrees F.
If you do nothing with the chicken at this point but put it in the smoker you'll get a marvelous bird. However there are several things you can do to add additional flavor to this chicken. The low and slow method of barbecue produces a vastly superior chicken to grilling. Smoked chicken is easy whether you use a large offset smoker or a charcoal grill. This is a great recipe to start with if you are just learning about barbecue.
My favorite barbecue mop recipe is a good stout. I usually get a really big bottle of stout; use about 1/4 for the chicken and the rest for me. Pour some beer in a bowl; add some garlic and onion, maybe some sage, thyme and bay leaves, or cayenne, chili powder and paprika. Of course there are lots of great smoked chicken recipes out there.
For poultry a good barbecue rub usually has sage, thyme and bay leaves. These flavors go along way with chicken. You want to work the spice rub all over the chicken. Get it into every nook and cranny, including under the skin where possible. Try to harmonize your flavors by using the same combination in your rub or mop.
So how do you know when the smoked chicken is done? Use a thermometer. It is the best way to know that your bird is safe to eat. Chicken is cooked at 165 degrees F but when smoking you want to over cook it. Look for a temperature around 185 degrees F. Test the temperature in the thickest part of the chicken breast. A good smoked chicken will be very tender, have a late summer tan, pink meat and the juices will run clear. Make sure your bird has all these elements.