The contentious nature of beer chicken

Epicurious.com:

BASIC BEER-CAN CHICKEN
3- to 4-pound whole chicken
12-ounce beer can
Apply your favorite spice rub, if desired, under and on skin of one 3- to 4-pound whole chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.
"Stand" the chicken onto an open beer can (filled halfway with beer or seasoned liquid from the article in the August issue) so that the can is inside the cavity. Stand upright on grill. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat (see specifics below) until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 175°F.
For charcoal grill: Rake hot coals to the sides and roast chicken over drip pan containing a half an inch of water for one hour. Add 12 more briquets; leave uncovered until smoking. Recover and continue cooking.
For gas grill: Leave one burner off and put chicken over unlit burner for cooking time.

A Cook on 07/26/05
This is a silly fad. There are plenty of other ways to introduce "flavored steam" into your grilling.

michaelius@tetontel.com from Alta, WY. on 07/28/05
I've done this w/ beer several times - so I decided to try something else due to non-alcohol drinkers - COKE. It worked wonderfully due to the sweetness/flavor of the soda, which gave the chicken a nice taste.
print review with recipe

A Cook on 07/30/05
I made this on the grill last night, but I omitted the beer and the can. This really is no more than a stupid party trick to entertain kids and rednecks.. And to the COKE enthusiasy . . . "grilling" beer removes the alcohol.

A Cook from Austin TX on 07/31/05
I've been making variations of this for past few years. Beer, lemonade, iced tea, and yes- even with Coke (Black Cherry soda is good too). The liquid not only keeps the bird moist, but also adds subtle flavor. I slowly smoke mine over mesquite and the chicken is always juicy. But I suppose that being the "stupid redneck" that I am perhaps I should just throw a plain chicken on the grill. :) I may be stupid, but at least I can spell "enthusiast"...


grammyjax from Canada on 08/01/05
I have used this recipe a few times and every time, I have had to more than double the cooking time. Am I doing something wrong? I should perhaps mention two caveats: a) my family will not eat chicken with any hint of pink around the bone and b) since we always make these at the lake we use my brother's farm-raised chickens which have substantially denser meat than store-bought chickens. Are either of these my problems? ... from yet another 'redneck' but certainly preferable to the culinary snobs such as I've had the displeasure of encountering on this forum...shame!

Vishnu from Calgary on 08/02/05
We had this on the weekend - delicious and easy, resulting in a very moist chicken. Yum. To the SNOB who thinks this is a fad, and had to make the comment about COKE - did it occur to you that whether or not alcohol dissipates in cooking, some non-drinking families simply would not have beer in the house?? Also, no rednecks or kids in our gang - urban professionals who love cooking in all its wacky and wonderful forms. Really, you need to get over yourself.

A Cook from Madison. WI on 08/03/05
To you know it all cooks, whatever to your "trendy" or fad comments, there are ALWAYS fads in cooking, get out of your traditional crap and step out into the real world of cooking, if you are a traditional cook excuse me for asking but why are you on Epicurious.com? forgive me but if you cannot handle the best cooks and recipes then stay away from the sight!! This recipe is FABULOUS and I have used it over and over again! Epicurious has never failed me... they are the best recipe sight on the net BAR NONE!

A Cook from Seattle on 08/05/05
For those of you looking for an actual review without the snipey name-calling, this is a perfectly good recipe. I've grilled some dry chickens in my day, but I've found this method to produce a really juicy, flavorful result every time. Experiment with the liquids and the rubs. Cooking is supposed to be fun and social regardless of the method. I don't know why a meal shared with friends, family and laughter would be any less enjoyable if it was prepared on a George Foreman grill or by a Cordon Bleu chef. If I had to choose, I'll take the "Tur-Duck-Hen eating, shooting at Jackalopes with potato guns" folks over those with disparaging attitudes that I've seen on this site recently. Be nice and eat well!

A Cook from Left Coast on 08/04/05
To the "trend-setter" from Madison. I don't think the people who make fun of this recipe are lacking anything in cooking ability, imagination, or willingness to try new recipes. I think that by referring to this as a fad, their intention is to liken this ridiculous cooking method to the George Foreman grill, Set-it-and-forget-it machine, or any other mainstay of the inhabitants of Wal-Mart nation. This thing has Tur-duck-en, Jackalopes, and guns that shoot potatoes written all over it.

thebrowns2 from Parker, CO on 08/05/05
Season the beer, plug the hole with onion, and it's delicious and tender. And gimmicky is kinda fun sometimes!

americana1 on 08/05/05
The critics of this recipe are like the person who sent me this link. They think that anything worth eating has to cost a lot, take up lots of time and have nothing to do with being an American. My grandparents were from a variety of cultures, but I am 100% American and proud of it.



A Cook from Seattle WA on 08/07/05
So I'm a stupid redneck in Seattle who votes democratic, has a Master's degree and loves to cook and eat good food! I've roasted and grilled hundreds of birds in my day but I've got to say nothing beats a beer butt chicken (our name for this recipe). We do brine the chcken for a day in 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup salt and water to cover. Then just stick the bird on it's perch and bbq. We use a gas grill and grill it on low heat for about 90 minutes. So simple and always moist. ALWAYS a hit !

Cook from Central Vermont on 10/23/05
OK! I'll trump the Leftist from Seattle(just kidding). I'm a 7th generation redneck from VT. I had to move my gun closet to get to the oven. There I found my Rhetoric degree, my Masters in Engineering degree and "W" bumper sticker. My Republican girlfriend and I just made this chicken the following way...give us your thoughts: -s+p, onion powder, chili, paprika, parsley, thyme, and hot spice dry rub -Tabasco under the skin and massaged -pam the pan -Skud-Light, open-drink a bit, many small holes in the top, foil wrap and hoisted up the chicken butt -foil the open parts of the pan(keep the oven clean) -450 degrees in the oven and keep track the temp. Consumed with a healthy portion of freshly made hard cider and a little baked potato, you have to love this life. Thanks all.

I guess they thought that the idea of Beer Chicken was something like this (Allrecipes.com):

"Harold will eat anything but only drinks Budweiser™. I discovered cooking with beer when he spent all our grocery money on it one week. Anyway, its quick and easy and you can substitute chicken with anything."

Original recipe yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds chicken drumsticks
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans Budweiser™ beer
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the chicken drumsticks in a 9x13 baking dish. Season with rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour the beers in with the chicken.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, until the chicken is browned and meat slides off the bone easily. Just you wait! You are going to love it!