The Beer Can Chicken Experiment Pt. 2

                Part II

Now on to part 2, since the first part I tried a couple of others. So I added one of them that I felt came out great. Now keep in mind as I have continually said in past posts, just because it cold out is no reason to put the grill away in storage. Use it all year, after all it is fire and last I checked fire beats snow and cold. Plus your neighbors will think you’re crazy, which is also fun. So here we go the next one. For this one I used 6 point Sweet Action which is a nice hearty cream ale that has some orange and honey notes with a mild bitterness. I thought that this would be a good spot to do one with a BBQ seasoning mix. It’s a really simple mix that you can use on just about anything from chicken to pork to beef.

 BBQ Seasoning Mix 

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. dark chili powder

1 Tbsp.  Paprika

1 tsp   smoked paprika

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp   onion powder

1 clove garlic minced

1 tsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp black pepper

Mix everything together in a food processor and rub it all over the chicken. A side note here in regards to the tomato paste. One great tool or short cut is to get one of the tubes of tomato paste (they are similar to a toothpaste tube that you can find generally with your Italian/international aisle in most if not every grocery store) instead of getting a can. It’s a little more expensive but you don’t have leftover tomato paste in your fridge that you end up throwing out anyway. With the tube you can use as much or as little as you need, put the cap back on and it lasts for a good long time. Just don’t mistake it for your toothpaste, because that could be weird and pretty unpleasant.

Cooking instructions are on the first installment of this 2 parter. On to the next one which I used Arcadia Wit Sun but any Belgian Wit or “wheat beer” (look for lighter wheat beer with coriander and/or orange peel in them) will work. I used this one because of its availability to me. Other ones that can work well with this one are Bell’s Oberon, Avery White Rascal, Revolution Bottom up, or one from your local area that you like. For this I did something similar to a Coastal French/Provencal rub. Fresh herbs, garlic-type rub.

Herb Rub

¼ c. olive oil (The type is up to you)

3 cloves garlic minced

1 shallot minced

1/4 c. fresh thyme, chopped

¼ c. fresh Rosemary, chopped

¼ c. fresh oregano, chopped

½ c. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Juice and zest of ½ lemon

Salt and pepper

The best way to do this one to get everything chopped fine is in a food processor, rub the mix on the outside of the bird and use the same cooking instructions as the others.

This one is a late addition to my experiments and an easy one to boot. Not that the others were hard but for this one I kind of cheated and it came out great. For the final one, in the now 5 types, of beer can chicken I did a Harissa rubbed chicken. Harissa is a Chili paste used mainly in the Mediterranean coastal countries of Africa (Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco mainly). You can make this spicy paste on your own or do as I did and purchase a pre-made one (the cheating part). You can find good Harissa at most Mediterranean or Middle Easter markets or in some better grocery stores. The beer I used for this was Oskar Blues Dale’s pale ale. The reason being that I wanted something with a decent hop presence for some nice flavor and aromas but not a high powered APA or IPA that could have over powered it. The procedure is for this is pretty simple, as are the others. Rub the outside with the Harissa and use my standard technique to cook it.

I hope everyone enjoyed this little bit of experimentation and craziness from me, you can expand upon my insanity by coming up with your own combos and such, just remember fails happen it’s not the end of the world, after all it’s just chicken and beer.

The Beer Can Chicken Experiment pt 1.

 In an earlier post I did I mentioned that I was toying around with beer can chicken. With the diversity and variety of canned beers now, especially in the craft beer world, I thought it would be fun to do a few different “experiments” with it. This will be split up into 2 parts for a couple of reasons, one being that it would be a horribly long post, and the second is I want to give you all of my thoughts on how and why I came up with what I did in enough detail so it’s easy for you, and with the start of football season and tailgating season these could be a welcomed addition to your pregame fare.

 The traditional beer can chicken is basically a can of shit beer shoved into the cavity of a whole chicken with minimal seasonings with maybe the exception of BBQ sauce or some salt and pepper. There are slight variations here and there, but nothing to die for. I looked at this like a challenge to make it better, like Steve Austin (The Six Million Dollar Man, not the wrestler. You’ll get the reference if you are 35 or older if not then Google it kiddies, then it will make sense.). I decided that I wanted to a few versions to see what I liked best and I narrowed it down to 4 for our purposes here.  What I did first was find beer that I could work with to make something out of the norm as far as cooking with beer first. I do also realize I can dump any beer into an empty soda or beer can but where’s the challenge or fun in that? Then I got the gears turning on how I was going to do to the chicken. Based on the beer that I purchased. These days’ singles are easy to find at any wine/beer/liquor store. With the base of the meals being chicken I wanted to keep the beers relatively chicken friendly. So these are the 4 beers that I used and before you go into beer snobbery and/or judge me (that’s my job right?) for what I used listen and learn, remember here I am the Jedi and you are but a Padawan in the beer can chicken arts.  I used River Towne Hala Kahiki Pineapple Ale, Old Speckled Hen, 6 Point Sweet Action, and Acardia Wit Sun. Not my normal choices for beer, I know. I went in with a different angle when I came up with these, and that was “what can I use to cook with that can be different and be a good vehicle for chicken.” not the normal “what can I buy to pair up with chicken.”  

Now to the what and why portion. I tried and I feel I succeeded in making something different and tasty with these, (which won’t be the only ones I try out either) so here are the recipes and reasoning behind them. First I want to give my cooking techniques for beer can chicken. First and foremost don’t be afraid to get a little dirty. Just be clean and sanitary, it is chicken, and I am not a walking PSA for kitchen sanitation but wash your hands and keep your prep area clean. First you need a chicken somewhere in the 2 ½ to 3 ½ lb. area. Next you are going to want to open the beer and drink/dump (I prefer the first option) and stand up the can and place the chicken wings up and put the chicken over the can like the picture below. 

Now for the grilling part. What I do is an indirect method of sorts, I put the side where the chicken is on a low and the opposite setting on medium high. This helps prevent burning and it helps create a convection like air flow. You also want it on low so the beer in the can gets hot, steaming the inside and imparting flavor but not boiling over and creating a huge mess. Since all gas grills are different with their burner set up (front to back or left to right 2 or 4 burners) you have to plan ahead. If you are using charcoal pile the coals on the opposite side of where you place the chicken. Timing on this is usually in the 45 min. to 1 hour depending on the chicken, grill type etc. you want an internal temp of at least 165 degrees to be sure the chicken is cooked. I highly suggest purchasing a kitchen thermometer they sell them pretty much everywhere now and they can range from 5 pucks to 100 or so if you get certain digital ones. OK now that we got the tech portion done, here are the first 2 of the 4 recipes that I Did.

1.       Rivertowne Hala Kahiki Jerk Beer Can Chicken

This is probably the head scratcher for most of you. I am not a big fruit flavored beer guy at all. The first time I saw this beer from Rivertowne Brewing from Pittsburgh I have to admit it that I was intrigued more from a cooking standpoint than a drinking one. For what it is its not half bad sweet and Pineapple flavors abound, so this is our starting point. Jerk Chicken is traditionally spicy with some fruity/sweet notes, which is where the Pineapple beer fits in nicely. This is the only one of the 4 that I marinated, just because it’s the more traditional way to do Jerk chicken.This recipe is altered from the one on my Facebook page, but is pretty close to it.

Jerk Chicken Marinade

½             Spanish onion rough chop

4              cloves garlic rough chop

3              green onions rough chop

1-2          Habanero or Scotch Bonnet peppers or Jalapeno

1 bunch   fresh thyme and cilantro

1 Tbsp.    Ancho Chili powder       

5 tsp     allspice

½ tsp     cinnamon

¼ tsp     nutmeg

1/2 Cup.  olive oil

1 Tbsp.  brown sugar

¼ Cup    soy sauce

1 Tbsp.  salt

½ Tbsp. black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lime and 1/2 orange

½ of a Rivertowne Hala Kahiki beer

Mix all of the ingredients all together and marinate the whole chicken overnight. Reserve the remaining marinade bring it to a boil (food safety folks it had chicken sitting in it, this will ensure it to be safe) and use it to baste the chicken while it’s grilling.

2.       Romesco  Old Speckled Hen Beer Can Chicken

This was my favorite so far. This uses a Spanish style Romesco sauce, which is a sauce that is made of roasted piquillo peppers, as a wet rub with a traditional malty, nutty English ale as a balance to the tangy rub. The beer also brings out the flavor of the almonds in the sauce. Side note on this one. Old Speckled Hen is a nitro can and has a plastic widget in it, it used to be a floating one but now it’s fixed to the inside bottom of the can (which I didn’t realize at the time) so I had to go against my initial idea and bust out another widget free one.

Romesco Sauce

1 can      roasted piquillo or roasted red peppers drained

½ cup    toasted Almonds or hazelnuts

¼ cup    red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp.  smoked paprika

1 tsp      cayenne pepper

4 cloves                garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

In your food processor put your almonds in first and pulse them until they are almost paste like. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it’s almost totally smooth. Set up your chicken then slather the bird with the sauce and cook to the above instructions.

So there you have the first Two in my series, I hope you like them as much as I had coming up with them and testing them out. 

Spring, Chili Beers, and the Grill

 I decided to take a little time away from writing the last month or so. First, I was in a funk from my Broncos getting absolutely annihilated in the Super Bowl. That coupled with the never ending winter here in Ohio left me a little bare on the inspiration front. I am now refreshed, over THAT game, and looking forward to posting a bunch more now that spring is more or less here. That means for me, more grilling time, and it’s time to get the garden up and running. I am not as enthralled with the beers of summer as some folks are, and they are just starting to slowly be released so we’ll save that for a post in the next month or so, but I have been paying some attention to the pulse of the beer world, and I have been playing around with food in my away time which should't shock anyone at all.So let's dive in.

Right now, there are some trends with beer that have been taking shape over the last year (or a little longer) that seem to have gained popularity among brewers and those of us who drink beers are taking a liking to. Much like a few years ago when the rage “trend” was the bourbon barrel aged blah-blah fill in the blank beer style; we now have a couple right now that I tend to prefer over that. After all beer was originally barrel aged, not necessarily in a craft whiskey cask or a wine barrel but you get the picture. It still is fairly popular and I do enjoy some, but I think that it’s almost a solely marketing tool and it’s been played out to the fullest. Christ, Miller has a bourbon flavored beer.  The trend that I am most interested in, that has got legs currently is the addition of chilies to beer. Sure it’s been around, we have all seen that shit lager with the chili pepper in it, but we are talking about something that has had a little more thought put into it. Contrary to what some may think I like this one. For the record I am not a don’t-put-things- in-my-beer-jerk-ass. The jerk-asses mentioned often pledge their allegiance to The Reinheitsgebot it is the German beer purity law (which has changed a little over time). Look it up for the full details on it but it basically has only a handful of ingredients that are allowed by law to make beer: water, hops, malted barley. You get the picture. I get some of the sentiment for this, putting corn or rice as the main grain on the bill to cheapen it, but other things can be done to beer that can be experimental and interesting. So up hold the “law” and miss out. Your ignorance and unwillingness to try new stuff means more for the rest of the sane people on the planet. Rant is over, let’s continue.

It seems that Ancho Chilies are the popular choice as far as what chilies are being used, which makes sense. They are ripened and dried poblano chilies that have a smoky, spicy, fruity flavor. They hit 3 distinct flavor notes which add 3 elements to a beer. I am assuming this is why it’s a great addition to a beer. 3 distinctive notes as opposed to one. This brings me to the next part, as a chef what can I do with this? What can I pair it up with? There are quite a few ways to go beyond the obvious Latin cuisines that the chili is used in. That brings us to the grill. These go great with grilled meats and poultry, I wouldn’t go the seafood route as they may be a little heavy for that; unless you want to experiment with some in a ceviche, or you could use it with a heavy oily fish like salmon or mackerel but I don’t think they are the best flavor combos for that but it could be worth a try. I am going to go out on a limb and say that pork would be the best vehicle to use one of these beers for part of a marinade. The other thing to look at will be what the original beer style is, Ommegang’s Fire and Blood is a Belgian style so it’s going to have different flavors than say the Rogue Farms Chipotle which is an amber with Chipotle. Most will work but weird things happen. As I said earlier my gears get turning when I see or try a beer about pairings and cooking, so I will be experimenting in the coming weeks with this and I will post any and all victories or failures on my Facebook page along with a recipe when we get one that is good. There will be a bunch more content upcoming including some  things I have wanted to try, and have been working on for a while that just aren't quite ready, and as always I'll be trying and seeking out beers and letting you know my feelings.  Also I will be doing something that I have wanted to test out for a while and that is a series of beer can chicken experiments, that will be this summer and it should be pretty cool if you like to grill and experiment, we'll do them together and at worst have chicken and beers!