Tailgate Octoberfest Chicken with Fennel Slaw and Grilled Mango Salsa
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons paprika
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 whole chicken about 3 pounds
1 can (16 ounces) beer, preferably Octoberfest-style
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup prepared chicken stock
Heat the grill to medium.
Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, nutmeg, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Apply the dry rub to the outside and inside of the chicken.
Pour half the beer from the can (about 8 ounces) into a bowl; reserve the rest of the beer in the can. Add lime juice with the beer in the bowl. Using an injector, inject the bird with beer-lime mixture.
Impale the bird on the reserved beer in the can by placing the bird on top of the can. Push the bird's cavity onto the beer can, legs down. (Push the bird down onto the can while keeping the bird upright.) Place the bird upright (with the beer can in it's cavity) onto a foil baking pan and place the pan with the chicken on the grill. Add the chicken stock to the pan.
Close the grill and cook 60-75 minutes depending upon the size of the bird. Rotate the bird (front to back) every 30 minutes. Check the liquid level in the bottom of the pan when you rotate the bird. Add more water or stock as needed to keep the bird moist. The bird is done cooking when the temperature of the breast reaches 165 degrees, or the temperature of the thigh is 180 degrees.
Remove the bird from the grill and let it rest 10 minutes.
Carve the bird into pieces and serve.
Serves four.
Joan Huenecke, Palatine