beer butt chicken

I know, I know that does not sound like an appetizing entré! A chicken with a beer stuffed up it's butt? I don't even really like beer, but I swear it is moist, delicious and very worth the odd name (and process).

I know many people have recipe's for beer butt chicken (or whatever they want to call it), but I am really happy with this one. The flavours were not planned. At first I thought of a somewhat traditional spicy rub; I did that, but then as I was about to sit down once placing it on the BBQ, that I had this thought to make a glaze of fresh lemon juice and honey...the result was savoury, sweet with a mild heat behind it - mmm! I love surprising endings.

A few things:

• Pete won't share the secret recipe of the rub - it is something he makes and puts in the cupboard. BUT, I think it easily be replicated with a basic Cajun seasoning (though he swears it is nothing like it - but hey, I'm the one writing the blog entry). Also I am sure any basic spicy rub would be just as tasty.
  
• I rubbed the chicken down with butter as per a few other recipes I had seen around, but the skin, while good, could have been crispier, maybe a veggie oil of some sort would have been better?
  

I thought this picture was hilarious, kind of like the chicken was a puppet dancing on the grill of the BBQ.

Ingredients:
1 3-5 lb roasting chicken
2 teaspoons butter or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning or spicy dry rub
juice from half a lemon
3-4 tablespoons honey
1 can of beer
half a potato or onion

Directions:

1. Preheat BBQ to med-low heat (our thermometer read 300 F).
2. Remove giblets and neck from chicken, clean, and trim off extra fat.
3. Rub chicken down with butter or oil,
4. Rub in rub, both inside and outside of bird.
5. Open beer can with can opener, poor out (or drink ;) 1/2 the beer.
6. Oil the outside of the can to ensure it will be easily remove.
   
7. Place beer can on counter and put the chicken on top of it, butt first!
8. To ensure the moisture doesn't escape, plug neck cavity with potato or onion.
9. Place bird onto the grill, over indirect med-low heat. Close lid and let roast.
10. After the bird has roasted for 20 minutes baste with half the honey lemon mixture, repeat 10 minutes later.
11. Allow to roast until the bird gets to over 180F in the thickest part of the bird (the juice also runs clear). For our 4 lb bird it took about an hour and 15 minutes.
    
12. Remove the bird from the grill carefully with tongs.
    
13. Get a parter while one holds the bird, the other carefully removes the can. Cover chicken with foil, allow to rest for 5 minutes.
    
14. To serve quarter bird.

Serves 4.