Beer in the Rear Chicken

Oh sweet Lite Beer from Miller.... Never have you been so demeaned. Forgive me for what I am about to do.

Oh my - beer in the rear - scandalous name! But so so good. From the crispy spicy skin to the moist tender flesh accompanied by an ice cold ML-er - nothing could be so divine.

First you need a 4-5 lb (small) chicken - whole roaster or fryer will do. Although, with a fryer there is a bit more fat that I usually remove before cooking. And remember to remove the giblets, etc from the cavity!

Rub the chicken liberally inside and out. I seperate out and use about half of the rub in the recipe below to avoid cross contamination.

Open up a beer and take several sips, leaving a little over 3/4 of the beer in the can. Tip the chicken carefully and with one hand shove the open end of the beer into the ass end of the chicken. Really get it up there as far as it will go or at least until the "feet" of the chicken rest in the bottom of your baking dish.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 1.5 hours (or more) until a thermometer put in the thigh reads 165 degrees. Another good test is to grab one of the legs and see if it pulls away from the joint. Once you take it out of the oven, tent it with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Carefully removed the beer can - in will be hot. We use several layers of paper towel, because it's also greasy. Transfer to a cutting board and quarter or carve as you wish.

Beer in the Rear Spice Rub:
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dry mustard (I've used 1/2t ginger instead)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Cayenne pepper, pinch