Customer Reviews

Beer-Can Chicken: And 74 Other Offbeat Recipes for the Grill

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's a great book to receive and give. The chicken turns out so moist & delicious and Steven Raichlen provides a great starting point to experiment on your own. I have ordered 4 of these to give along with my own spice rub and our friends love it!

I became interested in this book after watching the TV show BBQ Bootcamp on the Food Network (try to watch that show if you can, it will help you understand the logic behind the recipes). Now that I have the book and have tried some of the unusual easy recipes I am more pleased than ever. The Beer Can Chicken alone may be the best chicken I've ever had. It's extra juicy and a little spicier than I would have expected but VERY GOOD.

This is not Steven's best book, but it is a good addition to any serious grill cooks library. Some of the recipes are quite tasty! I'll never put another bird on a rotisserie now that I know how much better they taste when they are cooked on a beer-can. This cooking technique is the secret to the best tasting chicken.

This book is perfect as a gift for the griller in the family. But the I bought How To Grill by the same guy. A much better buy, more diverse recipes, awsome photos showing you step by step....

As a long-time fan of basic "beer-can chicken", I was intrigued by this book and bought it for my husband. Its terrifically original, with lots of unique recipes and variations on the "beer can chicken" theme. (Including recipes for roasting a turkey on a Foster's can and quail on little bitty cans). If you're looking for new and interesting ways to grill, this is a great book.

I like the author's Barbecue Bible for its depth and diversity of recipes, but this little book is nowhere near his earlier work. There are a few decent Beer-Can Chicken recipes, though we have seen them before in other grilling books. Then there are some awful variations, like Root Beer Game Hens, and random stuff such as Grilled Prunes. This book is more about the joke of a chicken perched on a can than it is about food you would want to serve to your friends. It's not worth the price.

Although this book sounds a little gimicky, it is still packed with many quality recipes. If anyone has used Raichlen's previous books, you know the recipes produce outstanding results - and this book is no different. I've tried about 12 recipes so far and they've all been outstanding. The Coca-Cola can chicken is every bit as good as the title recipe. (In other words, restaurant quality, or better)

The majority of the book is beer can chicken and its derivatives. And there are quite a few variations on the theme, almost enough to make you forget that this is mostly a book about poultry on a can full of some sort of liquid. Don't get me wrong, the resulting dishes are varied and spectacular, running the gamut from true American barbecue to Asian, to Indian, to Middle East, etc. - similar to his Barbecue Bible. However, you'd better like poultry if you buy this book. There are some meat, fish, and vegetable dishes (and dessert), but it's mostly poultry on a can.

One plus that the author mentions, and most people will figure out, is that even though it is mostly poultry on a can recipes you don't need to stop there. There are so many rubs, sauces, and marinade recipes in there, you can really be creative and do whatever you like with them. Throw in some good tips here and there and you've got a great book.

Call it 4-4.5 stars, simply because the author's previous barbecue books are true 5 star books that are hard to live up to.