Beer Can Chicken

So my friend Jeff is staying over for a couple of nights and he doesn't drink; I hope he didn't mind that we slipped him a beer infused chicken for dinner. In reality there was no alcohol left in the bird by the time it got to the table but it's amusing to think of it that way.

Although I'm sure I've seen it done before, what really inspired me to try this out was seeing it done by the Surreal Gourmet on the Food Network last night. It being a spur of the moment kind of thing, the only beer cans we had in the house were filled with Heineken. I'm sure I could have emptied out all the beer and put some other flavorful liquid in the can, but I was a bit rushed for time. Next time I'll either get some better beer or use something else in the can.

Beer Can Chicken:
1 (3-5 lb) chicken
1 beer can, half full with beer or aromatic liquid
2 tbs butter
spice rub (ours was garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper)

Preheat oven to 400°. Rinse and dry the chicken, making sure that the cavity is free of giblets. Rub a tablespoon of butter under the skin of each breast of the bird. Sprinle your spice rub all over the chicken and massage it into the skin. Toss a bit of the rub into the cavity for good measure. Impale the chicken on the beer can, legs down. Stand the chicken upright in a baking dish, speading the legs for support if necessary. Bake for about an hour or until the breast reaches 165° and the thigh is at 175°.