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Beer Can Chicken This has got to be the best article! The guitar-playing patriarch of The Wilkinsons is inspecting the roasting hen he's brought for one of his favorite recipes, Beer Can Chicken. "Plump and juicy, that's how I like 'em," says Steve, as he warms up half the double grill in the yard of the band's manager in Leiper's Fork, Tenn., just outside Nashville. With Amanda putting the finishing touches on the potato salad in the kitchen, Tyler fetching the seasonings and wife Chris and youngest daughter Kiaya looking on, Steve recalls how he discovered this unusual recipe. "I was at a flea market in the Florida Keys and bought this gallon jug of Billy Mack's Lip Slatherin' BBQ Sauce that I had fallen in love with down there," he says. The sauce vendor gave Steve an added bonus. "He handed me a little piece of paper and said, 'Try this out next time you have chicken. You might like it.' It was called Beer Up The Butt Chicken on this piece of paper, so that's how I got it." And it's as unusual as it sounds. "You place a half-can of beer, still in the can, in the cavity of the chicken," Steve explains as he warms up the double grill. "That can of beer serves a couple of purposes. The heated beer steams up the chicken and keeps it moist. The beer also helps the chicken roast more evenly." Steve says the concealed can also causes the chicken to sit upright on the grill. "It's the funniest thing to look at while it's cooking," says Steve. "And when it's done, the little wings raise up to let you know. It's almost like the chicken is waving at you!" "Yeah!" Tyler agrees, placing various seasoning shakers on the grill tray. "The chicken looks like it's having such a good time, it should be wearing a little hat or something." "You won't believe how delicious it is," Amanda interrupts, placing a large bowl of potato salad and a raw vegetable plate on the nearby table. "It's so juicy and tender." Tyler begins dusting the bird inside and out with generous portions of black pepper, garlic salt, chili powder and onion powder. "I basically use seasonings I like," says Steve. "People can put what they want on it, things that they normally put on chicken. The thing I love about this recipe is that it's a no-brainer." Steve adds the finishing touch: He places the multi-spiced chicken over the beer can and places the fowl onto the unheated side of the grill. "Okay, smile for the photographers and say 'Cheese,' " jokes Tyler, adding an unexpected side of ham to the proceedings. "The first time I saw Dad do this I thought he was crazy," laughs Amanda, scooting off to the kitchen to start preparing a Caesar salad. "We told the chicken that he wasn't allowed to drive home afterwards because of the beer," joked Tyler. While the chicken begins to bake, Steve explains the difference between the Canadian and American definitions of "barbecue." "Down here in Nashville, they call it grilling," says Steve. "Back home, they call it barbecuing. When I came down here and was invited to somebody's house for a barbecue, I expected a grill. What I got was pulled pork on a bun with cole slaw." While most grilling is usually reserved for summer weather in Nashville, Steve reveals it's a year-round activity in Canada. "When I lived back home in Ontario, I had friends that would do it even when the weather wasn't the best," says Steve. "In cold weather, they would still grill, then bring it indoors afterwards." Tyler checks on the grill, and then decides to serenade the chicken. "You are the wind beneath my wings," he sings, before jumping into the chorus of the popular R. Kelly song "I Believe I Can Fly." The family erupts into fits of laughter. "C'mon baby, work with me," Tyler jokes, adopting the accent of a well-known fitness instructor. "Can you feel it, bird?" Are your thighs burning yet?" Sweat it out." Amanda appears from the kitchen with bowls of salad and corn chips. "Nobody told me Richard Simmons was coming over for dinner," she deadpans, rolling her eyes. A former carpenter, Steve not only writes most of the hit songs, sings harmony and lead occasionally and tours with his kids, but he cooks most of the family meals. "I hate to cook," says wife Chris. "Steve's done most of the cooking for the last 20 years. But I pitch in. We have a deal where I'll clean up any mess he makes in the kitchen." "I think that's why our marriage has worked," Steve laughs. "I like to cook, but I'm no good with messes." While Steve and the family relax and await their delicious chicken, he reveals the story behind the Wilkinsons' new single "Shame On Me." "I wrote it with Gary Burr," says Steve. "It's just a reminder to tell people you love how much they mean to you before you lose them." Eighty minutes later, the bird is ready to be basted with Billy Mack's Lip-Slatherin' BBQ Sauce. "I prefer to brush on the sauce with about ten minutes cooking time left," says Steve. "Good bird, you deserve a bath," says Tyler. "Oh Dad, you missed a spot." A few minutes later, generous portions of chicken, potato salad and Caesar salad are doled out to hungry family members. "Mmmm. That's good," says Amanda, enjoying a bite of tender dark meat. "Dad, this chicken was definitely worth more...," says jokester Tyler, winding up for a laugh line, "...than 26 cents." Recipe Ingredients 1 medium size roasting chicken Preparation Take one roasting chicken and dust well inside the cavity and outside with seasonings. Use seasonings to taste. When chicken is seasoned to your preference take half can of beer and place it in the cavity of the chicken. Make sure that chicken remains sitting upright, on the side of the grill that won't be directly over the flame. Now light and heat the other side of your gas grill to medium. Depending on the size of the chicken, cooking time should be one hour. As chicken cooks, the wings will raise up to indicate that it's done. The wingtip will look as though it's "waving" at you. Barbeque sauce can be poured over the chicken after it's cooked, but Steve prefers to brush it on during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
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