Eight Techniques of the Trade

6. Beer-Can Chicken

Illustration: Brenda Weaver

This technique for making succulent chicken entails stuffing the cavity of an upright bird with an open, half-full can of beer. The liquid evaporates during cooking, basting the flesh from the inside out. According to Elizabeth Karmel, executive chef at Hill Country Barbecue in New York City, "It infuses the meat with beer, which gives it a great depth of flavor, and roasting the chicken vertically allows the fat to render out in a consistent way, which gives a uniformly crispy skin."