Beer Can Chicken - The Feast at The Farm

Almost everyone who calls us for a reservation asks for the Beer Can Chicken. The first timers to The Farm are fascinated by it and ask for it during their next visit or while making reservations. With the dish so frequently requested (its shares the number one spot with our Pizzas, but more about that in another blog), we have decided to make it a permanent part of the Weekend Feast at The Farm.

The Beer Can Chicken is probably the juiciest grilled/barbecued chicken you will ever eat. We don't use any tenderizer to soften the meat. The meat drips juices and cooked evenly through and just slides off the bones. All this with a very crusty outer layer. Squeeze some lemon onto it and have it with raw onions or our grilled salad and you have another favorite dish added to your list.

The recipe and method is simple and no secret. Google 'Beer Can Chicken' and the search will retrieve thousands of results. Here is what we do:

Take a cleaned whole chicken (about 800-900 gms) with skin. Use your preferred flavour or masalas as a dry rub. Take some time to rub the masala well into the skin (be careful not to tear the skin) and keep aside for 30 minutes. You can stuff the inside of the chicken with minced ginger, garlic and coriander (or any other herbs for the flavours you like). Now comes the most interesting part - pop open a can of beer, take a swig, and insert the can into the chicken. It will fit snug in the chest cavity. Using the chicken legs and the beer as a tripod, stand the chicken on a grill over medium to low heat and cook covered for 1-2 two hours depending on the heat. A half an hour after the chicken is put to cook, baste it will a little oil or butter. On an average it takes and hour and a half to cook - or putting it another way - keep the heat to a temperature at which it will take 90 minutes to cook the chicken over indirect heat. After a couple of attempts, you will get the hang of it.

Since canned beer is not available in Chennai, we fill up a soft drink can with bottled beer. So don't be surprised if you see our Beer Can Chicken on a Coke or Pepsi can.

Since the chicken is covered, the residual heat will cook the skin to a crispy crust full of flavour of your dry rub. The basting with oil helps in the crisping of the skin. Meanwhile the beer keeps spewing inside the chicken and keeps is moist and the herb stuffing adds a nice flavour to the juicy meat.

So if you have a grill, I say go for it today. Pop open two cans of beer - one for the chicken and one for yourself and invite a few pals over. A simple easy way to feed your friends some delightful chicken to go with the beer at the next party and claim bragging rights. Or, bring them to The Farm and leave the "hard work" to us. You still earn bragging rights!