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Beer-Can Chicken — and 5 Other Tasty Things to Cook with Beer

Beer-Can Chicken — and 5 Other Tasty Things to Cook with Beer

You can always have something delicious on the table when brews are waiting in the fridge

We all know and love beer as one of the planet’s most delicious and refreshing beverages, but the savviest backyard chefs know it’s also a secret ingredient that makes summertime meals taste incredible. Looking for a new favourite dish? From beer-can chicken to beer-y baked goods, here are a few tasty ideas.

Beer-can chicken

If you’ve never made this recipe before, you’re in for a treat. When an open beer can is inserted into the cavity of a fresh, whole chicken and heated on the grill, the beer produces steam, which cooks the chicken from the inside while keeping the meat super juicy.

Pretty simple, right? But here’s how to really master it:

  1. Look for a recipe that involves a spice rub—spicy, salty or sweet, as you prefer.
  2. If you have a smoker box on your grill, or experience with smoking food, be on the lookout for recipes that involve adding wood or wood chips to the process so that your chicken ends up with a lightly smoked flavour. (And if you’re working with wood chips, soak them in beer instead of water. Trust us.)
  3. Steam your chicken with a favourite lager or pale ale that isn’t too hoppy—otherwise you could end up with a slightly bitter bird.
  4. Pair the finished meat with the same beer you used to cook it.

Beer-braised sausages

A secret among seasoned summer hosts: Braise sausages in beer before grilling them. As with beer-can chicken, the cooking process locks in moisture, yielding extra-tasty results.

Whether you prefer Polish-, German- or Italian-style sausages (or any other kind, really), the procedure is the same:

  1. Place the links in a grill pan—reusable and aluminum foil are both fine.
  2. Cut an onion into large chunks and put the pieces between the sausages (you don’t actually eat them; they’re just for extra flavour).
  3. Pour in beer until the sausages are totally covered; place the pan on the grill and cook over medium heat until the sausages are firm and an instant-read thermometer inserted into them lengthwise reads 71°C (160°F). Add more beer as necessary to keep the sausages covered while they braise.
  4. To finish, use a pair of tongs to move the sausages directly onto the grill. Cook them for a minute or two—they’ve got to have the customary grill marks!

Beer-marinated brisket

Soak brisket or a similar cut of beef in suds before cooking it low and slow. What makes beer-based marinades delicious? Brisket and other slow-cooked meats always taste best when there’s something sweet in the recipe to complement the spice of the rub and the smoke from the grill. Beer works because it contains a small amount of sugar. Adding a dark ale or stout to your favourite Southern-style marinade will infuse meat with malty, roasty flavours as it cooks.?

Beer-soaked cedar-planked fish

Perhaps you’ve tried cooking fish on a cedar plank before? It’s an easy way to grill up a shareable portion of salmon (or another fish, such as trout). The smouldering plank gives the fish a mild smoke flavour, too. You have to fully soak the plank first, according to the instructions that come with it. But here’s a hot tip: You can use your favourite lager or ale instead of water to soak the plank. It’ll make your catch of the day even more succulent.

Beer and greens

Beer isn’t just for proteins! Try cooking greens like collards, Swiss chard, rapini or kale in a favourite brew. (This will be especially tasty if your main is also cooked with beer.) Swap in beer as the steaming liquid—a light-tasting lager will give the veg a subtle flavour, while a sour beer will give it a more noticeable zing.

Beer ice pops

Have you ever looked at your pint on a hot summer day and wondered, “Could I turn this into an ice pop?” Us, too. And yes, you absolutely can. Mix a citrusy brew or wheat beer with lemonade or lime juice, add sugar to taste and stir to combine. (Juice helps the pops freeze; beer alone might turn out slushy.) Pour into ice pop moulds and freeze. Enjoy these responsibly!

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