Wood Smoked Beer Can Chicken with Chipotle BBQ Rub

1. Soak the wood chips for an hour in a bowl or wood chip soaker with 1/2 can beer and 1 cup water.

SMOKING SET UP:

1. Set up your smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Heat the smoker to about 350° to 375°. Add the soaked wood chips directly to charcoal or use your favorite wood pellets for a pellet smoker. If you don't have a smoker, you can also make this on a gas grill. See below for method.

TO SMOKE ON A CHARCOAL GRILL

1. Set up the grill for indirect heat, by lighting a mound of charcoal in a chimney starter, then separating the charcoal embers to opposite sides of the grill.

FOR WOOD CHIPS ON CHARCOAL GRILL

1. Add the soaked wood chips directly to the burning embers on either side of the grill. Place the grill rack over the charcoal. When the chips start to smoke, add the chicken to the center of the grill, so that it's not sitting directly over the heat source.

TO SMOKE ON A GAS GRILL:

1. We will be using an indirect cooking method for the chicken, which means if you're using a gas grill, only one of the burners will be on and the others will not. So that one half of the grill is on (and smoking after you add the wood chips) and the other side isn't lit.

FOR THE WOOD CHIPS ON GAS GRILL:

1. When wood chips have finished soaking, remove them from the soaking liquid and transfer to a smoker box. (If you don't have a smoker box, make a pouch out of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the chips in the pouch and seal it, then use a sharp knife to poke holes all of the pouch.) Set the smoker box/pouch directly over the burner that is your heat source. Turn on the grill to a medium high heat (about 350°.) and cover with the lid. It will be ready to start cooking when it starts to emit white smoke. Set the chicken on the grill opposite the heat source.

FOR THE BEER CAN CHICKEN

1. While the grill is heating, remove the giblet package from the interior of the bird. Use paper towels to dry the inside cavity and outside of the chicken. Place it on a rimmed sheet pan.
2. Sprinkle the inside and outside of the chicken with about 6 tablespoons of the chipotle dry rub and massage it into the flesh with your fingers.
3. Use a church key to puncture several holes in the top of the half empty beer can. Add about 2 tablespoons of rub to the beer. Carefully insert the beer can into the cavity of the chicken and rest it upright. The beer can is the chicken stand.

SMOKE THE BEER CAN CHICKEN

1. Place the chicken on the grill opposite the smoker basket so that it's standing up and steady on the grill -- and won't fall over. Close the lid and cook for about an hour - or 1 hour and 15 minutes or when an internal thermometer registers 165 degrees. (I actually take it off a little before that because the chicken continues to cook when it's resting) Try not to open the grill too much in order to preserve the heat and smoke.

TO SERVE

1. When the chicken is done, carefully remove the beer can, tent the chicken with tin foil and let the bird rest for about 5-10 minutes. Carve the chicken and transfer to a platter. Serve.