Beer Butt Chicken

Cooking a beer can chicken for your next get together is not only an entertaining experience for family and friends; it results in a tender and juicy bird as well. Before choosing a particular recipe suggesting herbs and spices, you first need to know the basics to bringing the bird to the correct temperature without undercooking or burning it.

There is a long standing debate in the inner circles of the beer can chicken enthusiasts over the type of beer that will produce the best results. Some speculate that the type of beer imparts the flavor into the bird while others claim that the sole purpose of the beer is to impart steam and deliver the herbs. The only way to tell for sure is to perform your own taste tests to decide to which group you belong - I happen to think Budweiser works great!

If you are using a charcoal grill or a wood fire, get the charcoal going. Make sure all of the charcoal or wood is to one side of the grill. By the time you get the chicken spiced up, the charcoal should be red-hot coals instead of fire. The same thing applies to wood. The important thing is that all hot coals are to one side of the grill.

If you have a gas grill, there is no need to turn it on until you are ready to put the beer can chicken on the grill.

Make sure you get a chicken that fits snugly on a beer can. A four to five pound chicken is usually a good choice.

Get all the spices together. Drink at least one third of the beer, but no more than half. Put at least one teaspoon of all the spices into the beer can. Popular spices are onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Rub at least a teaspoon of each spice inside the chicken cavity. The easiest and quickest way to do this is to make a mixture of the spices in a bowl. Make sure they are mixed well, and add half the mixture to the beer and pour the other half inside the chicken and rub throughout the cavity.

Put a layer of tinfoil over the cool half of the grill. Turn the sides up to form a shallow pan. Place the beer can in the center of the tinfoil pan. Push the chicken down onto the beer can. The beer can and the legs of the chicken will form a tripod, keeping the chicken steady. Liberally sprinkle the spices over the top of the chicken, making sure to cover all exposed areas.

Close the lid and wait. The beer can chicken will take approximately three hours to cook. If you have an open grill, it may take longer to cook. If you are unsure when it's done, just measure the temperature with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be no less than 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

When cooking with charcoal, add 12 to 15 pieces of charcoal every hour, or you may run out of heat and end up with raw beer can chicken.

When the beer can chicken is done, carefully lift it from the grill with two large forks. Have someone pull the can out, if it does not slide out. The liquid will be hot, so be careful not to spill it. Set the chicken on a serving platter and carve.

Serve with roasted corn on the cob and mustard potato salad-or whatever else serves your fancy.