This Goth Can Cook - Ep. 4: Happy BirthNight!!!

This Goth Can Cook - Ep.3: Don't Be A Grasshole!

This Goth Can Cook - Ep.2: Lychee Eyeballs

This Goth Can Cook -- PREMIERE EPISODE!!!!

This Goth Can Cook: Cajun Beer Butt Chikun

Greetings my dear Gothlings!

[WARNING!!! Vegetarians and Vegans look away NOW!!!]

I do enjoy to cook, but my absolute favorite method of cooking is grilling on the barbecue! There is something primal about cooking something over an open flame...something instinctual that hearkens back to basic survival skills. But I  also like to step it up from basically throwing slabs of raw meat onto a sizzling grill...I like to challenge myself to Gourmet BBQ!

With the unofficial start to Summer looming this Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to introduce to you all to one of my all-time favorite chicken recipes that is fun and easy to make, especially for a summertime moonlit backyard Zombie BBQ party (*hint*hint). This super easy recipe requires only 3, count 'em, THREE basic ingredients!!! They are:

• One whole chicken
• One can of beer
• Cajun spice blend

That's it!!! These three simple ingredients is going to result in the most tender and juiciest barbecued chicken you have ever tasted in your entire undead life! Here is how it all comes together...pay attention, class...

First, the BEER. You will need one standard sized can of ordinary beer (per bird if you are making more than just one). Go with something relatively simple on your first attempt of this recipe -- Budweiser, PBR, Heineken, etc. -- you can then experiment with other more flavorful beers once you've mastered the technique.

Next, the BIRD. Take your whole chicken, remove and discard the giblet package from inside the bird, rinse the whole carcass and pat it dry with some paper towels. With a knife you will need to cut off those two nubs of fat that are found at the edge of the cavity hole at the lower end of the bird. 

Grab your CAJUN SPICE BLEND by the handfuls (you can wear latex gloves for this process to help with some of the messiness) and completely rub the chicken's skin with it. Generously cover every square inch with the spice rub. Then take another handful and coat the inside of the bird's inner body cavity. It might seem a bit gross...but not as bad as how you are going to soon "violate" this headless poultry corpse!!!

Now, go back to your can of beer, crack it open, remove the tab from the can, and drink half of its contents! That's what I said...drink half of the beer...a very important step!!! Then take a sturdy and sharp knife or one of those old-timey can openers to carefully create a second smaller hole on top of the can, directly above the "drink hole." Next, take about a tablespoon of remaining Cajun spices and dump it into the beer can. Set aside.

Now it's time to prep your grill. For this recipe you will need to use the an "indirect grilling" method...this means that, whether you are using a gas or charcoal grill, you will be positioning your bird(s) NOT above a direct flame. For example, if you have a gas grill that has 2 or 3 heat zones, use medium to high heat and turn off one of those flame source and place your chicken there...likewise, if you have a charcoal grill, shuffle all of your hot coals to one side and place your chicken over the opposite side, and place twelve fresh coals after one hour of cooking. Clear? If not, click here for an expanded explanation by The Grill Master himself, Steven Raichlen. 

Ok...this is where the magic happens!!! Take your Cajun spice rubbed whole chicken in one hand and take your can of beer in the other hand...then...IMPALE THE CAN OF BEER STRAIGHT UP THE CHICKEN'S ASSHOLE CAVITY!!! 

If you haven't been too traumatized or haven't been put on some sort of a neighborhood watch list by now, it's time to carefully place your violated chicken on the grill balancing in a tripod formation, using the beer can and the two drumsticks as the base. Also, be sure that the neck hole is open and unobstructed. If done right, it should look as though your chicken is squatting on a beer can toilet (lovely!). Here is a picture of a two chickens I made last summer:

Now, hopefully your barbecue grill has a cover large/tall enough to fit the upright bird...if it does, place on the lid and let it steadily cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and a half. But beware!!! You should have your trusty, handy-dandy instant-read meat thermometer to periodically check the internal temperature, poking it at the thickest part of the thigh but without touching the bone, or in the breast meat area. The ideal temperature you are aiming for is between 160° F and 180° F. Also, if you notice that the skin is becoming overly cooked, you can simply cover the outside of the bird with aluminum foil. You want the skin to have a wonderfully golden brown color. 

Ok...now comes the tricky part! You are going to need some very heat resistant oven mitts, gloves, or matts, and maybe a pair of tongs, if need be. You are then going to remove the whole bird & beer can off of the grill and place it in a casserole dish or something similar to reduce any messiness. Once in place, carefully tilt the bird and gingerly twist and remove the beer can from its butt. BE VERY CAREFUL...the can is super hot and half filled with boiling liquid!!! Set the can aside while trying to preserve as much of the remaining beer as possible. And now you are ready to carve your chicken and serve.

So, if this entire process is done accurately, you will find that the beer inside of the can boiled within the bird's corpse cavity and escaped out of its neck hole, thus somewhat boiling the chicken from the inside and grilling the chicken on the outside, resulting in super moist and tender meat that is filled with Cajun flavor and ready to fall off the bone. To add more flavor, you can liberally douse the carved chicken with the leftover beer & spice soup from the can before serving!

This recipe is truly extraordinary and a big crowd pleaser. I do hope that you get to try it and see just how simple and fun it can be! Let me know of your results with this recipes in the comments below, and enjoy your CAJUN BEER BUTT CHIKUN!!!

See you in the Dark!

Sir William Welles