Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 large whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons Memphis Rub* or your favorite dry barbecue rub
• 1 can (12 ounces) beer
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons accent (MSG; optional)
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Steps

1. Put all the rub ingredients in a jar, screw the lid on airtight and shake to combine. Keep away from heat or light for up to six months. It makes about 1/2 cup, enough for 4 to 6 racks of ribs.
2. Take out and discard the fat just inside the chicken's body cavities. Remove the giblet package and save it for another use. Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold running water, then drain and blot both inside and out with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon rub in the body and neck cavities and rub another 1 tablespoon over all the skin. If desired, rub another 1/2 tablespoon between skin and flesh. Cover and refrigerate while the grill preheats.
3. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking (see below), with a drip pan in the center. For charcoal, preheat to medium.
4. For a gas grill, put all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat on high. Once smoke appears, turn down to medium.
5. Open the beer-can tab and use a "church key" can opener to make 6 or 7 holes in its top. Pour off the top inch of beer, then spoon the dry rub left over through the holes into the beer. Keep the chicken upright, with its body-cavity opening facing down, and insert the can.
6. When ready, scatter half the wood chips onto the coals if using charcoal. Oil the grill grate, then stand the chicken at the center of the hot grate over the drip pan. Spread the legs into a tripod-like support for the bird.
7. Cover and cook for 2 hours, until the chicken is tender enough to fall off the bone. For charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals on each side and the remaining wood chips after 1 hour.
8. Lift the bird with tongs onto a cutting board or platter, supporting the can underneath with a metal spatula. Keep the board or platter right beside the bird for a shorter move, and take care not to spill the hot beer on yourself. Let stand for 5 minutes, then carve the meat from the upright carcass. Discard the can with the carcass.