January 16, 2012

Beer Butt Chook



Well, I did make this chicken in Australia, and therefore it must be a chook...?

27 days of eating, drinking, and being merry. I've just come out of an amazing holiday season that I spent with Nathan and my parents. It has been a hard adjustment to say goodbye to them knowing that, because I live on the other side of the world, it could be another long haul until I see them again. Either way, holidays are never really over because they live on in our memories. And boy do I have some good memories. 

Of those 27 days, 12 were spent at our home in Adelaide. We went on a lot of adventures while here, had some great lunches, but every single night but one was spent at my house. That's 11 dinners in a row - with not a lot of time for prep in a given day. If you know me, you'd know I didn't take this task lightly.

Brilliantly, I sat down with Nathan ahead of the holidays and made a meal plan for the nights in Adelaide. That, I must admit, was genius on my part. The other thing that made my life SO much easier was having my beautiful Mom as my "sous chef." I'll halt there and pick that up in another blog entry. Let's get on with the main takeaway for you - the juiciest, easiest, yummiest chicken I have ever made. Enjoy!


1 whole chicken
1 can of beer at room temperature

Rub - you can use any rub you like, I've played around a lot and loved this one:
2 tsp chile powder 
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika (can used smoked for added va va voom)
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
a few grinds of sea salt and pepper 

1. Wash chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towel. My chickens don't have any of the insides in them - but if yours does, remove and discard.
2. Cover chicken with rub, using all the rub. If you have some left over when the chicken is covered, I suggest pouring it in the cavity for extra flavour. 
3. Pour out half the beer. Using a small knife, carefully put two more holes in the top of the can. Slide the chicken over the beer can.
4. Carefully place on the BBQ, placing the legs forward so the can and the two legs make a tripod. BBQ over indirect medium heat for about an hour - the time will depend entirely on your BBQ, but the chicken's internal temperature taken at the thickest part of the thigh, with out hitting the bone, should be 170F. 
5. Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before carving. 

Serve and prepare to take your praise!