Have you ever had trouble with salad dressing? You pour the dressing on the salad; some leaves are completely coated with dressing, but others have almost none. It can actually ruin the taste, because some bites of salad will have an overpowering dressing flavor, while others have almost no flavor at all. There is a simple, two-step trick to remedying this problem, though.
These yeast rolls are based on a recipe I found that was promoted as an imitation of Texas Roadhouse’s yeast rolls. I don’t believe that this recipe and theirs are really the same, but these yeast rolls are definitely delicious and only take about an hour to make.
Think you know everything there is to grilled cheese? Yeah, you probably do.
If you know everything I’m about to tell you, that is.
Grilled cheese is a great sandwich. However, I think it gets mistreated most of the time. At best, it seems grilled cheese is just a pre-packaged, single slice of American cheese sandwiched between two slices of bread and fried on a skillet. It never realizes its full potential. But that’s okay, because I’m going to show you how to make a decent grilled cheese sandwich that your whole family will enjoy.
I can almost guarantee that this is going to be the tastiest, juiciest chicken you’ve ever eaten–and it’s so easy to make that it’s practically foolproof. Beer can chicken is something you can make without beer. It’s just that beer is typically what a lot of folks use.
It’s an awesome barbecue chicken recipe where the chicken is barbecued whole on the grill, with an open can of beer or some other soft drink inside the chicken, providing moisture and flavor to the chicken as it cooks.
Here’s how to barbecue up some beer can chicken before summer ends.
First, you’ll need a whole chicken. Whole chicken is actually pretty cheap, when you consider how much meat you’re getting.
Next, toss it in a brine to soak over night. Brine, as we’ve said before, tenderizes the meat and brings out more delicious flavor in each bite.
For me, I use a mixture of water, vinegar, salt, and brown sugar (or Dr. Pepper, in this case). You don’t have to measure these ingredients very precisely; you need enough water to cover the chicken, and maybe a 3 or 4 Tablespoons of vinegar. I would suggest another 2 or 3 Tablespoons of salt, for this much chicken, and a quarter-cup of packed brown sugar or a can of Dr. Pepper (or whatever your soft drink of preference is).
Put an ice pack in the the cooler full of brine to keep it all cool, and let it soak overnight.
We’re going to barbecue this chicken over a good old fashioned bed of charcoal in a Weber kettle grill. So when you’re ready to cook the chicken, be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to get your coals started.
I use a charcoal chimney to speed up the process. Just fill the chimney with charcoal, stuff some newspaper underneath, and light it up! The charcoal is usually ready in about 20-30 minutes, but I don’t use lighter fluid; if you do use lighter fluid, be sure the briquettes are all completely white before you use them for cooking; otherwise, the lighter fluid will taint the flavor of your chicken.
Next, pull the chicken out of the brine, and rinse it under running water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Be sure to remove the neck or package of giblets from the inside of the chicken, if your chicken includes these items (mine did not).
We’re going to apply a dry rub to the chicken. I use a Memphis style rub. A “rub” is basically a mixture of spices (salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, etc.) that is hand-rubbed onto whatever meat is being barbecued. A good rub locks moisture into the meat while imparting flavor and giving the meat a good, smoky crust.
I would suggest mixing together 2 Tablespoons of paprika with 1 Tablespoon of salt, 1 Tablespoon of onion powder, and 2 teaspoons of black pepper in a saucer or small bowl. This is the rub we’re going to apply to our beer can chicken.
Your chicken should look red with spices when you’re done applying the rub to it. Be generous with the seasonings, and be sure you get every inch of the chicken covered.
Now for the fun part! Open up a can of Dr. Pepper (or beer, if you’re using actual beer for your beer can chicken), and drink about 1/4 – 1/2 of it. Punch a couple more holes in the top of the can with a sharp knife, and carefully wedge it into the cavity of the chicken.
Put a drip pan in the bottom of the grill, and fill it with water (I added Dr. Pepper to mine); the drip pan will catch drippings from the chicken while providing a lot of moisture inside the grill, ensuring our chicken will not dry out.
The chicken has a can of Dr. Pepper inside it. Using the chicken’s legs and the can, create a little “tripod” that will hold the body of the chicken upright.
The chicken is cooked using a barbecuing method known as indirect cooking. Indirect cooking means the meat is not directly over the heat source; the heat source is situated to the sides. This allows the chicken to cook more evenly.
Throw a few hickory chips on the charcoal, if you want a smoky flavor (I did), and cover the grill.
The chicken will take about a little over an hour to cook–about 75 – 90 minutes. Cook the chicken until it has an internal temperature of about 180 degrees Fahrenheit (use an instant-read meat thermometer).
You’ll probably have to add some more coals to the grill after about 45 minutes to an hour of cooking, so be prepared to do that.
When the chicken is done cooking, pull it off the grill; carefully remove the drink can from the inside of the chicken (keep in mind it’s full of extremely hot liquid), and let the chicken rest, covered in aluminum foil, for about 15-30-minutes.
Carve the chicken by removing the thighs from the rest of the body; sever the thighs from the legs at the joint on the chicken leg.
Next, remove the wings.
Now we’re going to carve the chicken breasts. Drive your knife directly into the center of the chicken breast until you hit the breastbone. Slide the knife to the side, along the breastbone, removing one half of the breast from the carcass. Remove the other half of the breast the same way.
Finally, slice each chicken breast into four or five pieces–whatever size you’re comfortable serving–and pile all the meat on a platter.
One chicken barbecued this way ought to yield about 6-8 servings. Serve it up with your favorite cole slaw and barbecue sauce on the side, and enjoy!
This recipe is a great way for barbecue novices to cut their teeth making some serious barbecue, and it’s guaranteed to get a good reaction from your friends. If you’re looking for one last summertime bash with your friends or family, be sure to make this chicken your main course.