Smoked Faux-B-Que Beer Can Chicken With Cola BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• mesquite smoker wood chips, 2-3 handfulls
• 1 roasting chicken

Dry rub for chicken

• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup smoked paprika
• 3 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon mesquite powder, I use McCormick grill mates (not a powder but zaar thinks so)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground red chili pepper, d'arbol
• 3 fresh garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

for the sauce

• 1 cup Coke
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke
• 3 tablespoons Heinz 57 steak sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. 2

   Mix the dry ingredients for the rub. You'll have extra for next time.

3. 3

   Rinse & pat dry the chicken setting aside giblets, etc. for another use.

4. 4

   Liberally season the chicken with the rub inside & out as well as gently pulling open a pocket in at the base of the neck over each breast & adding rub.

5. 5

   Pop the tab of a regular size can of beer, I use Bud. Pour half the beer into the broiler pan with the chips and stuff 3 cloves garlic & 2 sprigs fresh rosemary into the can, spoon about a teaspoon of the rub into the can as well & then push the bird down onto it so that it sits snugly. You'll want the chicken to sit upright over the upright can (I only add this because a certain friend of mine asked how I kept the beer from spilling out when I laid the chicken down, it's okay, she's blonde).

6. 6

   After 30 minutes turn oven up to 400 degrees so chips smoke.

7. 7

   About 15 minutes before the chicken is done combine the sauce ingredients & bring to a boil until it reduces to about 1/4. Serve with chicken.

8. 8

   I have a rack that I can insert the can into that holds the bird up but you can place a pie dish over the chips & balance the chicken & can to make it more stable if you don't have a rack (sold through Cabella's).

9. 9

   Roast in oven for about an hour. I've tried lower temperatures but 400 makes the chips smoke & that's what you want.

10. 10

    To remove chicken I slice up the belly so it comes more easily off the can ~ can will be extremely hot so be careful!

11. 11

    Enjoy.