BBQ Chicken on a Beer Can

I've been wanting to do this dish for quite some time now.  Prior to this, I've always stood on the sidelines and witnessed from afar everyone else cook a whole chicken with just a can of beer and a grill.  I'm not entirely sure why it took me so long to try this recipe myself.  It's no secret that I am a lover of any dish that involves cooking with alcohol.  

Once I arrived at my parents' house, I called our photographer friend, Steve to document the whole event.  Steve is used to photographing bikini clad babes, so I wasn't sure how he (a vegetarian, I must add) would feel about shooting us violate a foul with a huge can of Sapporo.  But, like a pro, he hid any reservations he may or may not have had behind a smile and snapped away.  

Here are a few snapshots from that day! 

Before we begin, let's have a collective "Awww..." for the family dog, Dolce. 

Awwwww

It is essential that the can of beer is half full. 

What's that you say? You want to see another picture of Dolce? 

"Where's my chicken?"

I'm sorry that vegetarian Steve had to witness this

Leave it on the grill, close it and forget it. So simple! 

A thing of unflitered beauty. 

Beer Can Chicken

adapted from a recipe found on Food Network

Ingredients

1 (4-pound) whole chicken

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub

1 can beer

Directions

Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub. Set aside.

Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod.

Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (i.e. no coals or burners on directly under the bird), with the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Maharlika Balut Eating Contest

If you are in search of pretty photos of 

ingredients and delectable dishes, 

this post is not for you.  

If you seek culinary inspiration to 

help you cook a beautiful meal for your loved ones, 

this post is not for you. 

If you are looking for a post that will make 

your tummy rumble with excitement and anticipation...

THIS POST IS NOT FOR YOU!!

I REPEAT!!!

THIS POST IS NOT FOR YOU!!

However, if you ARE someone who is on a diet and is in desperate need to find images of intense unabashed food RAWNESS that 

will help SUPPRESS your appetite...

then please, by all means, do continue. 

Sigh. Here we go. 

I did something stupid. 

I entered an eating contest. 

It wasn't your run-of-the-mill state fair pie eating contest, 

it was a balut eating contest. 

Photograph courtesy of Jill Futter

I am not a girl with many talents, but one of the talents 

that I do posses is the ability to eat and enjoy 

large amounts of food in one sitting. 

When I heard that my favorite Filipino restaurant, Maharlika, 
was hosting a balut eating contest in Brooklyn, 

I knew immediately that I wanted to give it a shot.

I have this insatiable curiosity for food that will either guide my stomach towards food utopia or lead me down a very dark path.
  This balut eating contest lead me down a very dark, black path.  

For a NORMAL person, the mere thought of scarfing down a juicy balut (aka duck fetus) would immediately tickle your gag reflex and cause a 
SANE person to dry heave uncontrollably. 

I guess I am not a normal or sane person. 
I will try anything once, even if it means shoving 
multiple duck fetus down my throat.   

The thing is, I've had it before in Cambodia 
and actually liked it.

When I stayed on my grandfather's duck farm outside of Siem Reap,
 I probably ate a dozen of these ominous little eggs 
(little being the operative word). 

The duck fetus in the eggs are barely developed when 

the eggs are at a smaller size. Thus, making the 
duck fetus less duck like and more palatable. 

HOWEVER, when they sat the tray of four ginormous 
eggs in front of me... 

I knew I was in trouble. 

At this point, I should have 
shook everyone's hand and leisurely eat this instead. 

But, no. I stayed in the competition. 

The night before, a friend asked me why in the world was I willing to risk having a serious puke session 
for all of Brooklyn to see. 

"For mad props, yo!"

Let's get this party started.

"On your mark, get set..."

Ready and steady, stomach. Don't fail me now! 

"GO!"

As my teeth pierced through the grey webbed membrane that surrounded the yolk, I was hopeful because it tasted similar to the yolk of hard boil egg. 

HOWEVER, once I saw the furry baby duckling nestled peacefully on the hard cartilage, I knew it was game over for me.  

It didn't help that I had a human baby looming over me while I was chomping mercilessly away on another baby of a different species.  

From the corner of my eye, 

I felt the baby's stares stab right through my conscience.  

"Why are you eating a baby duck?  Do you not like babies? 

Will you try to eat me next?"

At this point, my stomach started to get woozy as my 

teeth begin to grind on Daffy's little cousin's beak.

Thinking I can mask the blatant WRONGNESS of the situation,

I begin to season my balut with salt. 

Exhausted from guilt and chewing, 

I knew there was no hope for me. 

The final nail in the coffin was when 

I stole a look at my competitors.

I saw fierce warriors, whose internal fire still burned bright.    Whereas, my fire sputtered and spewed, begging me to stop. 

  

It was time to throw in the towel.

I went in this competition hoping to at least scarf down a dozen.

I ended up eating three in five minutes. 

The winner ate 18. 

All in all, I do not have any regrets. 
At least now I know competitive eating is not my cup of tea, especially when it involves duck fetus.  My forte is eating copious amounts of food slowly at my own time discretion with a beautiful glass of fragrant wine.  

P.S. Don't expect any egg or duck recipes any time soon. 
I am still a touch traumatized. :) 

Chicken Pesto Pizza with Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes

I don't bake.  

Flour is my foe, and most definitely not my friend. 

My style of cooking doesn't really lend itself 

to successful baking.  

I don't really measure. 

I come from the school of 

"a little of this and a little of that". 

That being said, I don't normally like 

to take culinary shortcuts, 

but when you live in a city where Arthur Avenue  

is at your fingertips, I'm okay with using 

prepackaged pizza dough.  

My Arthur Avenue pizza dough made this recipe 

SUPER easy and SUPER cheap. 

This recipe is also perfect for your leftovers 

that you are not sure how to jazz up. 

All of your half eaten food knick knacks will taste 

divine on a pizza.  

I had leftover rotisserie chicken, 1/4 cup of pesto, 

a few leaves of arugula, and marbles of cherry tomatoes 

rolling around aimlessly in my fridge.  

I bought pizza dough, assembled, 

10 minutes in the oven, and I was done! 

The taste was award winning, indeed! 

I may have stretched the truth, just a tad.
The dough requires you to plop it in a lightly oiled bowl,
place a towel on top,
and allow it to rest for an hour or two.

But, seriously, how hard is that?

Drenched in cheese. 

Even better the next day served cold. 

Chicken Pesto Pizza with Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 4

1/2 cup pesto basil sauce

1 bag of pizza dough

2 cups cooked chicken breast strips

1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2  cup arugula

1. Remove dough from plastic bag. Place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel.  Allow to rest for 1-2 hours, until dough is pliable.

2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

3. Spread dough on an oiled baking sheet, until the dough is in desired shape.

4. Spread pesto on pizza dough.

5. Top with cooked chicken breast.

6. Sprinkle tomatoes and arugula.

7. Sprinkle with cheese.

8. Once the oven is heated, slide uncooked pizza into oven and allow to cook for approximately 15 minutes.  Slice and serve! 

Tamarind Cooking Class in Luang Prabang

I took a lot of cooking classes while in Asia,
but the most memorable class is without a doubt the one I took with the instructors at Tamarind restaurant in Luang Prabang.

I am not the biggest fan of Laotian food,
but the unique experience that Tamarind's cooking class offered
was as delicious as a meaty slab of ribs!

Before we headed out to the kitchen site, 
we made a quick stop to the town's center market. 

Refrigeration is almost nonexistent in Southeast Asia, 
so the inventory consisted of only produce and 
protein harvested earlier that morning.    


I'm sure you can imagine my excitement 
when the instructor informed us that we were 
allowed to select one unusual item 
to cook during class.  

My ears immediately perked up.

The opportunity to pick something from a market  
that would have made Whole Foods feel not so whole
just tickled me silly.  

Vats of stinky, fishy, intensely flavored fermented fish. MmmmMMmm...

Giddy, I knew exactly what I wanted to cook. I've seen this ingredient plenty of times while strolling the streets of Chinatown, but I had no clue how to use it.

Ribbet.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup."

"Mmmmmk."

After I handed him my toad, I began to roam the 
market with wide eyeballs and inflamed 
nostrils taking in the vibrant colors and  
inhaling unappreciated smells. 

We then regrouped, gathered the rest of the 

ingredients needed and hopped onto the back of a pickup truck. 

After spending 45 minutes turning and swerving down   

bumpy nameless dirt roads, 

we parked near a desolate open area 

in the middle of a jungle.

Alongside swaying banana trees and giggling monkeys 

sat our kitchen. 

 And our oven!

Before we started cooking, the instructor 

asked me if I wanted to butcher my own LIVE frog.  

I have YET to kill any other animal at this point, 

so I lowered my head in shame and declined.

Seriously, though. 

The job of butchering a live frog seemed a bit daunting.

Here's another picture of my lonely frog.

One more. 

I really need to learn not play with my food.

The frog meat was used in the Laotian version of Amok.  

The difference between Cambodian Amok and Laos Amok 

is that the Laotian curry does not include 

the addition of coconut milk.

Other dishes that we made that day 

included a Chicken Lemongrass pop...

and of course dessert! 

Black rice steamed in coconut milk served 

with tropical fruit.  

Because of my raging sweet tooth, 

this was my favorite of all.

Chicken Lemongrass Pops

I chose to feature this recipe because I'm fairly certain people  are not into buying live frogs to cook and eat.  However, if you are feeling adventurous, give me a holler and I will gladly send you the recipe! 

12 stalks of lemongrass

5 cloves of garlic

4-6 spring onions

1/2 – 3/4 cup of fresh coriander

1 kaffir lime leaf

teaspoon of salt

1/2 pound of minced chicken

Preparing the Lemongrass

1. Using a small sharp knife, start cutting about 1cm from the base of the lemongrass stem. Make cuts lengthwise through the stalk about 4-5cm in length – without letting the cuts reach either the base or the cut top end of the stalk.  

2. Rotate the lemongrass and repeat the cuts at small intervals, until the outer stalk are separated – basket-like – creating a central hole for the filling.

Stuffing

1. All of these ingredients except the minced chicken are pounded in a mortar and pestle, then the minced chicken is added and mixed well.

2. The next step is to push a spoonful of the mixture into the central core of each stalk, then shape and smooth it out with your hands.

3. Dip the stuffed lemongrass in beaten egg (you’ll need two eggs) and fry them in a wok (stalks protruding and resting on the side so they can be easily withdrawn) until the meat is browned and cooked.

Peppers Stuffed with Fiesta Turkey

I love to make this meal because you seriously get 

a big bang for your buck. It's filling, healthy and is even more 

delicious the next day. Wanna see how much I spent?

3 green peppers - $2.94

2 corn on the cobb - $1.00

1 block of cheese - $2.99

1 pound of turkey - $4.25

1 can of kidney beans - $0.89

1 can of crushed tomatoes - $1.99

1 onion - $1.49

1 jalapeno - $0.25

Total - $15.80 or $2.63 per person! 

I say that is a fiesta worth having. 

My secret to a Thrifty Meal is to use ingredients on sale
and a lot of imagination! 

I usually cut my peppers lengthwise rather than off the top.
Easier stuffing, easier eating. 

Roasting the peppers before stuffing ensures a cooked pepper.

I like to put all my favorite spice combinations into small tins.
Saves counter space and time.
I call this one,
Southwest is the Best!

Equal Parts of Cayenne, Cumin, Paprika,
Onion Powder, Garlic Powder

Corn was on sale at the market, so in it goes! 

Turkey Fiesta! 

Chedda' makes it bedda'

Do a Daisy Dollop and serve immediately!

Peppers Stuffed with Fiesta Turkey

Serves 6

2 tablespoons of canola oil

3 very large green peppers, sliced lengthwise and deseeded  

2 cups of shredded sharp chedder

1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 jalapeno, diced

1/2 white onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound of ground turkey

2 corn on the cob, shucked and shaved

1 can of crushed tomatoes 

1/2 cup of chicken stock 
1 cup of sour cream

2 tablespoons of Southwest is the Best spice blend 

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place green sliced and deseeded green pepper on baking tray and cover with aluminum foil. Place tray in heated oven. Cook for 20 minutes. 

2. In heated pan, coat bottom with oil. Stove top should be on med/high heat. Once hot, add garlic and  onion until fragrant. Add ground turkey until brown. Toss in minced jalapeno and Southwest is the Best spice blend.   

3. Add corn ears to skillet.  Cover for five minutes. Add kidney beans.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set stove top to med/low and cover for approximately 10 minutes.  

4. Remove peppers from oven. Stuff peppers with Turkey Fiesta mix and top with cheese. Your skillet should now be empty. 

5. Add canned crushed tomatoes to skillet and chicken stock. Cover until simmering.  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.  

6. Place stuffed peppers back into pan on top of tomato sauce and cover.  Allow to cook for ten more minutes or until cheese is melted and pepper are soft to the touch. 

7. Turn heat off. Spoon tomato mixture on flat plate, place peppers on top of sauce and dollop with a spoon of sour cream. Serve! 

Momofuku Fried Chicken and Spicy Tamarind Dipping Sauce with Roasted GARLIC Caesar Salad "Steak"

I'm not going to lie.

This fried chicken took a long time to make.

If you don't love and enjoy the process of cooking,

skip this recipe.

BUT! If you are willing to leap over metaphorical mountains inorder to sink your teeth into one of the moistest (I hate that word, moist. Eck.) chickens you'll ever eat, please accept the challenge and begin the fried chicken journey.

I'm not going to post Momofuku's recipe, because it can be found here. BUT! I will warn you that this chicken will require

brining, steaming, AND frying.

Yeah.

Make sure you love the process.

I will, however, post the GARLIC caesar dressing and tamarind recipe. Please see below. Best. Lany :)

Roasted GARLIC Caesar Dressing

Please note that there is a lot of garlic in this recipe (hence the all caps). If you're not a huge fan of garlic, you can reduce the amount used and please use lowercase letters.

P.S. I call it a "steak" because the romaine was left whole.

1 head of garlic
1 1/2 cups of olive oil
6 anchovies, minced (oh, just add it and stop being a wuss!)
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. 

3. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic

4. Place the garlic head on a sheet of foil and drizzle half of the olive oil on top, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Wrap the foil up tightly and place wrapped bulb on baking sheet.  

5. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

6. Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. 

7. Use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. 

8. Remove the cloves from the oil, reserving the oil, and in a medium bowl, mash until smooth.

9. Stir in the anchovies and mustard. While stirring, add the lemon juice, vinegar. Continue stirring and add the reserved roasted garlic oil and additional oil in a slow steady stream.

10. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

11. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until needed.


Tamarind Dipping Sauce

I eat this sauce like how I ate mayo in highschool (thank goodness I got over THAT phase). I eat it with everything - fish, chicken, pork, steak, a nice platter of crudite, whatever needs a little kick.


2 tablespoons of tamarind paste
2 limes, juiced
1 red thai chili pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with 1 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

Mix the first 5 ingredients until well blended. Top with chopped cilantro.