I did two beer can chickens yesterday and were they ever fabulous!!! I did not brine the chickens this time, as my wife conveniently forgot to tell me that we were having company until the last possible minute, and oh by the way would I mind whipping up something wonderful and tasty for supper! It was then 10:00am and our guests were due to arrive around 2:30pm.
So, in a pinch, I grabbed a couple fresh birds from the local market and rubbed them down with a store bought spice called "Citrus Grill" made by Durkee. I also added some of the spice mix into the beer, and once they were placed over the can, I shoved a sweet onion wedge in the neck cavity to seal in the beer steam. Into the box they went along with two coils of fresh Italian sausage (one sweet and one hot).
I cooked the sausages for approx, two and a half hours, then sliced and served with sliced colby-jack and pepper-jack cheeses, for an appetizer.
The birds took a a little more than four hours to reach temp before they came out to rest for 20-25 minutes prior to carving. I must tell you, the skin was crispy golden and the meat was very succulent and juicy! The leftovers are going to make awsome chicken salad!
I wish I had a better handle on digital photography so I could add pictures. I'm certain that even the most veteran pitmasters in this group would be beeming with pride at the newly acquired talents that I've learned since joining this forum!
Cheers,
Brian
P.S. Jeff P., I intentionally waited until after lunch to write this post...I didn't want to upset your Monday... :P