Beer Can Chicken Smoked with Apple Wood.

There's something special about barbecuing in the snow. The food tastes even better, like it does after a long walk, which creates anticipation and appetite.

This beer can chicken recipe is simple and is delicious.

Its a good idea to site you barbecue out of the cold wind to help maintain temperatures.

Shopping List

One 3 to 4lb Chicken

Mexican Adobo spice rub or other

Can of beer and a beer can chicken roaster.

Soya source, Tomatoes ketchup and Honey for the basting.

To Prepare the Chicken.

Purchase a 3 to 4lb chicken depending on your requirements. Make sure you remove the giblets, wash the chicken and pat dry with kitchen towel. Rub the skin with a little olive oil and then rub in the Mexican Adobo Spice

Half fill your beer can with beer or herb and spice flavoured water, carefully place the chicken over the can. Its now ready for the barbecue.

This latest recipe was barbecued in the recent  February 2009 snow fall. 

Your Barbecue

Light 3Kg of charcoal and wait 20 to 25 minutes until the charcoal is nearly covered in white ash. Place the woodchips in your smoking tin or wrap it sliver foil and pierce with two holes to allow the smoke to dissipate.

Drip Tray

Utilise a drip tray or make one from foil as above. This will stop the fat dripping onto the coals from the chicken and causing flare ups.

Smoking

Using tongs carefully place the woodchips in the coals. Wait for around 10 minutes or until the woodchips start to smoke. Place the beer can chicken on the grill and close the lid. leave for about an hour.

Vertical Smokers

The best type of barbecues for winter smoking are the vertical or bullet shaped ones. They maintain an even temperature a lot easer and with less charcoal than the horizontal models.

Smoked

After 1 hour the chicken is now smoked but requires more cooking. To stop the extremities of the chicken drying out during long cooking periods, basting is an excellent idea and it adds the most delicious finger licking flavour. After basting replace the lid and leave for a further 2 to 3 hours. Baste again if necessary.

2 tables spoons of tomatoe sauce, 1 table spoon of Soya light sauce and 1 table spoon of honey. Just stir the ingredients and apply to the chicken with a basting brush

Fabulous Results

After a slow cooking time of 4 hours the most moist juicy finger licking smoked chick was devoured by the family in minutes.

Top marks was received from all ages, our only wish was that, we should have barbecued 2 chickens.

Be warned! this recipe will get you hooked on barbecue smoking all the year round.

Only place the chicken in the smoker when the woodchips begin to smoke, this will smoke seal your chicken and allow the smoky flavour to penetrate.

Don't be tempted to overdo the smoke by adding more woodchips.

If you can only achieve low temperatures you will have to lengthen the cooking times. So in winter start barbecuing around lunchtime.

Be careful when removing the chicken from the beer can the liquid will be hot.

Don't check the chicken more than once an hour, you will lose heat and increase cooking times.