Drunk Cajun Chickens

Yea I know, they been done to death; old news, a fad that passed. Every cookin' show on da planet has done a segment on this 'redneck' delicacy. This adventure just hadda happen; beer drinkers, bbq, etc. Pretty soon some wiseguy gonna say, "Hey Bubba what ya reckon if'n we..." and das how great cooking things happen. I mean, one night in New Orleans Chef Paul Prudhomme burned a redfish fillet and was too poor and greedy to throw it out and decided to eat it himself. The rest is history, of course das another story. On TV ya usually see someone jam a beer can up a chicken's butt and put it on a grill...give me a break, would a "foodie" be content with that method?? First off, the beer only moistens, like the top 1/3 of the breast that way. Beer cans these days are so flimsy ya can't hardly get one in a chicken, much less remove it when ya finished. With this in mind, some enterprising individuals invented all kinds of beer can cooking thingys to sell. Cast iron high $ doo-hickeys kinda take the "good ole boy" aspect right outa da whole process, don't it? Well anyways, here is how we do it:
-1 large chicken cleaned and patted dry
-Moisten dry chicken with melted butter and hot sauce
-Apply a liberal rubbing of Cajun seasoning, on and in the chicken

-Forget the beer can. Find any good 12 oz. soup can or something. We keep...a couple likely candidates in da cabinet in case we get an "envie"(craving) for drunk chicken.

-Place the can in an aluminum pie pan and fill the can 2/3 of the way with beer. Fill the rest of the way with what ever you like, some suggestions are:Cajun seasoning, butter, wine, liquid crab boil; whatever ya like. -Place the chickens over the cans in the pans. (You may have to preform an 'episotomy' on the chicken to get it to sit comfortably on the can.) -Pour the remaining beer and seasonings into the aluminum pan. I use a cookie sheet to carry the birds to the pit, so it would probably be best to start out with the cookie sheet on the counter, then the pie pan on top of it, etc. -Place the chickens on da pit along with whatever else ya "Q"-in'. Remember, a smokey grill is a terrible thing to waste, and BBQed or smoked meats keep well in the freezer, so we do other meats on da pit alongside our drunk chickens while they are cookin'.

-Check ya chickens every once and awhile and if the pan gets dry pour in some of the beer you drinking. If you are a beer snob use ya buddy's beer while he aint looking, or some coke or water or Peggy's mojito...whatever is handy. Dis aint an exact science; ya gettin' a chicken drunk not dismantling a bomb.

Be patient, sit around and visit with friends and check every half hr. or so to see if the chickens or ya friend needs more to drink.You can invest in one of those fancy BBQ temperature gadgets, or when the chickens look done, ya can grab a wing and twist. When it comes apart easily and the meat is fallin off the bone, it's done.

We woulda showed ya the pretty finished product 'cept when I took 'em offn da pit they were missin' 3 outa 4 wings. :-)