This recipe is from Beer-Can Chickens by Steven Raichlen; it is for 4 Cornish Game Hens. The hens my image are more on the large size and I made 3 hens to serve 6 people since I had lots of yummy sides.
Ingredients
- 4 cans of beer
- 4 Cornish game hens
- 2 T olive oil
- see The Rub ingredients
Instructions
- Make The Rub
- Open beer cans and pour/drink half of the beer out from each can. Using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in each of the cans.
- Rinse hens inside & out, blot dry.
- Sprinkle ¾ tsp inside the neck cavity of each hen. Drizzle 1½ tsp of olive oil over the outside of each hen. Sprinkle the outside of each bird with 1½ tsp of rub and rub all over the skin
- Spoon the remaining rub through the holes in the tops of the beer cans, dividing it evenly among them.
- Put the hens onto beer can by holding the hen upright and lowering onto the can.
- Set up the grill for indirect grilling (middle burner off, side burners on) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce heat to medium
- Balance hens securely on grate. Cover and cook the hens until skins are a dark golden brown (170 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer), approximately 40min to 1hr
- Using tongs, hold a hen by the beer can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter. Let them rest for 5min and then carefully lift them off the beer cans.
- Be careful not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself!
The Rub
- 1 T coarse Kosher or Sea salt
- 1 T brown sugar
- 1 T sweet paprika
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp ground cuman
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Suggested sides: sautéed corn and tomato, basil and mozzarella salad