Grilled Guinness-Basted Chicken
Jacob Dean is a food and travel writer and psychologist based in Oaxaca, Mexico.
- Servings 4
Ingredients
- One 1½ - 2 kg (3½ - 4 pound) chicken
- One can or bottle of Guinness or other dark beer
- 59 ml (¼ cup) brown sugar or 2 tablespoons maple syrup, fruit jelly, or preserves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Bacon fat rendered from frying 8 ounces of bacon, cooled, or 59 ml (¼ cup) olive oil or vegetable oil
- 2 bay leaves, optional
Preparation
1. Place the chicken on a work surface and use kitchen shears to cut along either side of the backbone and remove it. Turn the chicken over, spread the chicken open like a book, and press down firmly on the breastbone until it cracks and flattens.
2. Re-shape the chicken so it is compact, and place it in a large heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. In a mixing bowl, combine the beer, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Whisk to blend. Add the bacon fat or oil, and whisk again until well-blended. Add the bay leaves, and pour the mixture into the bag. Carefully (so that the bones don’t puncture the bag) turn the bag so that the mix coats the chicken. Refrigerate, up to 24 hours, until ready to grill.
3. Transfer the chicken to a work surface, reserving the marinade. Flatten the chicken again, skin side up. If metal or bamboo skewers are available, thread two through the chicken to keep it intact during cooking.
4. Prepare a moderately hot wood or charcoal fire with a pan of cold water nearby in case of flare-ups from dripping fat. Place the chicken skin-side up on the grill, and cook until golden on the underside, about 15 minutes. Turn the chicken and continue to cook, basting with the reserved marinade, for another 15 minutes. Continue to cook in this fashion until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer reads 82° C/180° F. when inserted into the thickest portion of the thigh, 45 minutes to one hour total cooking time. Cut the chicken as desired, and serve.
Jacob Dean
Jacob Dean is an award-winning food and travel writer, editor, and psychologist based in Mexico. He was the Updates Editor at SeriousEats and has also been a freelance columnist for The Michelin Guide, an Editor-At-Large for The Cook’s Cook, and a recipe cross-tester for Serious Eats and The New York Times. Jacob’s first article about food appeared in the New York Times when he was 18. He began writing regularly while earning his doctorate in clinical psychology and became a full-time journalist after graduating.
Courtesy photo
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