Rosemary Lemon Beer Can Chicken

The rub:

2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp course ground black pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp rosemary
3/4 tsp sage

Thoroughly combine rub ingredients.  I apply the rub inside the cavity as well as between the skin and breast meat both top and bottom.  Don’t forget to rub the outer skin as well.

The left over rub to the right will be used to make the lemon glaze

Lemon Glaze Baste

3 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
The left over rub

The baste is thin not thick

When cooking beer can chicken, I use lager beer.  What I found, is that the hops infuse way better than pale ales.  I also discard no more than 1/2 can of beer.  The discard allows for maximum steaming.

Cook in a preheated grill for 2 hours covered.  If you gas gill, cook on low.  With coal grills, make sure your bricks are glowing and that the grill rack is away from the bricks to prevent flare ups.  In a nut shell, you’re steam grilling the bird from the inside out while sealing the rub to the exterior.

See how the rub has sealed the chicken

After 2 hours of grilling, apply the first baste of lemon glaze.  Recover, and continue to grill for another 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes has passed,  baste a second coat of lemon glaze.  Recover, and cook 5 minutes more.  Remove whole chicken from grill with the beer can still inside.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing beer can.

While cooling, the chicken is still steaming.  See how juicy it is.

 I'm enjoying it with leek stew along with a buttery Chardonnay.   Enjoy, and happy grilling!