I will admit that I was skeptical - highly skeptical, in fact - about beer can chicken. It was delicious. I was introduced to this method of grilling chicken by a local group of LAN party enthusiasts, who proved that they can cook as well as they can modify computers and game.

This was the second LAN party that I have attended. It was at a local sports arena and there were thousands of computers. Outside, in the parking lot, there were grills, campers, wi fi and an ongoing swap meet for computer things. More than one car site was preparing chicken by the beer can method because, I was told, it is an-almost-no-fail method of cooking chicken. And it requires just a few ingredients and little attention.

Basically, it is placing a chicken over a beer can and setting it on the grill. The Food Network has a far more elegant explanation:

link: beer can chicken

The cooking time varies with the heat intensity of the grill. The ideal is a medium heat. However, the moisture from the beer keeps the chicken moist and flavourful. It gives a good margin for error. And, in a parking lot at a LAN party on a summer evening, this is gourmet cooking. It’s wonderful.

Catherine Forsythe