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Now We’re Cooking On Grass - Beer Brined Roasted Chicken

BEER-BRINED, Roasted CHICKEN COOKED IN A CAST IRON DUTCH OVEN ON AN “ORGANIC” TRIVET
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Prep Time 2 days
Cook Time 1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

The Brine
  • 36 Ounces Beer Light colored lager or ale with less bitterness
  • 3 TBLS Salt Kosher is best
The Chicken Roast
  • 1 Whole Chicken 4 Pound (Give or Take)
  • 2 TBLS Oil Any oil will do. Use this to coat the chicken.
  • 3 Handfuls Organic Straw, Grass, Hay 1-3 Handfuls of Organic, Non-Sprayed Timothy Hay, Straw, Alfalfa, or another Straw or Hay
  • 1 Whole Lemon

Equipment

  • 5 or 7 Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven Depends on the size of your chicken
  • Larger Zipper Storage Bag To Brine In
  • Larger Bowl To hold the brining chicken while it’s in the refrigerator.
  • Knife To poke holes in the Lemon
  • Meat Thermometer Optional
  • Butcher's Twine

Method
 

Brine The Chicken 2-5 Days Before Roasting
  1. Create your brine - In The Zipper Bag, add the 32 ounces of beer and then add the 3 Tablespoons of Salt. It will foam up!
  2. Remove the chicken from the market packaging and remember to remove anything from the cavity of the chicken.
  3. Place the chicken in the brine. Do not truss your chicken yet. Just the whole, raw chicken into the beer brine.
  4. Store the brining chicken in the refrigerator for two or three days. I sometimes will go a bit longer.
Ready To Cook
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 177°C.
  2. Pat dry the chicken’s outside (and inside if you prefer)
  3. Take the knife and the lemon and poke many small slits in the lemon’s skin. Then shove the lemon into the cavity of the chicken.
  4. Truss the chicken with the butcher’s twine.
  5. Use the oil to coat the outside of the chicken.
  6. Take your 5-quart Dutch oven and place a bit of grass, straw, or hay into the bottom of the Dutch oven.
  7. If you are using a skewer thermometer, place the probe into the chicken breast at the thickest part and not all the way to the bone.
  8. Make sure there are no tips or ends of the grass, hay, or straw sticking out above or over the edge of the cast iron Dutch oven’s rim or brim. If so, snip them off.
  9. Place the Dutch oven with the chicken and the grass into the preheated oven.
  10. When the thermometer reads 165°F / 74°C, remove the chicken from the oven and check the chicken at a few other spots to make sure it’s done.

Notes

Chef Tip 1: Don’t eat the hay, straw, or grass when you are done with cooking the chicken.
Chef Tip 2: Don’t let your animals eat the straw, grass, or hay when you are done with it. Dogs will think it’s a treat; it’s not. We always remove the used grass right away and tie it up in the garbage bag. We don’t give our dogs chicken bones either no matter how pathetic those puppy dog eyes look.
Chef Tip 3: Don’t use a skillet for this recipe. Use the Dutch oven to keep the grass in and away from direct heat. Dutch ovens are deeper and they keep everything dress-right-dress.
Chef Tip 4: Chicken is considered “done” at 165°F / 74°C. Because chicken has different parts with varying thickness, be sure to check the chicken at a few other spots to make sure it’s done.