no. 157: the HOTTEST summer BBQ menu
Michelada beer can chicken, grilled corn-halloumi salad, and agua frescas!
Last weekend, my friend Lily and I made an epic summer BBQ menu on her rooftop grill for no apparent reason other than culinary INNOVATION. I cannot recommend doing this enough. We made four recipes, all of which are shared below—Michelada beer can chicken, a grilled corn & halloumi salad, Modelo agua frescas, and nerd clusters & cherries on ice. All were divine.
What started this all is that I saw my friend, Olivia, make a beer can chicken, and I knew I had to make one, too. I LIKE CHICKEN. I LIKE BEER. I MUST MAKE BEER CAN CHICKEN.
I was telling Lily about my beer can chicken desires, and then we had the idea to make a MICHELADA beer can chicken by making a special michy-esque spice rub and serving the chicken with a bacon-pickle aioli* (a la classic michelada garnishes).
For the sake of transparency, we intended to work in some tomato powder to the michelada spice rub, but the geniuses at Amazon could not get it to us in time for this urgent grilling endeavor. Something to try for the next one!
Once we decided we were gonna grill a chicken, it only made sense to throw a side in there. So, we landed on a grilled corn and halloumi salad (which uses the same aioli as the chicken). And since it was a real scorcher that day, we needed something to keep us cool, and we already had a 6-pack of Modelo, so an agua fresca fit the bill.
Lastly, I had gone over for dinner a week prior, and we tragically did not arrange a sweet treat, which was a huge mistake because we both were in dire need of one. To avoid another situation as such, we decided to go the easy route and do cherries & nerd clusters on ice for dessert. Thankfully both are in season right now.
If you’ve never had a Nerd Cluster, LET THIS BE YOUR SIGN. They were honestly so refreshing on ice, though if you let the ice melt, it will become a scary, soupy, weirdly-colored mess. The clusters’ sour, fruity flavor was perfect between bites of cherry. We used a mix of Rainbow and Very Berry. Mark my words, I will be serving this again.
This summer, I am really challenging myself to consume Modelos in as many original, inspired ways as I possibly can, and so far the count is at THREE. First, is my spicy cucumber-passion fruit michelada from a couple weeks ago. Second, is the Modelo agua fresca that is part of this week’s summer bbq menu (more below), and third is this passion fruit shandy that I made for my friend Katie’s dinner party last week.
Basically, we made a passion fruit lemonade and then topped them with Modelo. They were unsurprisingly HEAVEN. Who knew that Modelo is good with anything?! Let me know if you want the recipe for ‘em!
*Random side note, but I went on another heinous date where the guy said he hated mayonnaise but doesn’t mind aioli. It’s an epidemic. Make it STOP!
Michelada Beer Can Chicken
Serves: 4-6
Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
For the chicken:
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoons Tajin, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried dill
½ teaspoon ground cayenne
2 limes, zested and juiced, divided
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (3-4) pound whole chicken, patted dry with a paper towel
1 light beer can (such as Modelo)
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
¼ cup taco sauce
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Bacon-Pickle Aioli:
4 strips thick cut bacon
½ cup mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s!!!!)
¼ cup finely chopped pickles plus 2 tablespoons pickle brine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Hot sauce, to taste
Preheat a grill to medium high heat.
In a small bowl, mix paprika, Tajin, celery salt, dried dill, cayenne, and the zest of one lime.
Place chicken on a sheet tray and season all over with salt. Season all over with spice mixture.
Take a healthy swig of your beer, then top it off with lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Tajin. Place the beer can on a flat surface, then place the chicken cavity over the beer so that the bird is sitting upright. Transfer to the grill carefully.
Close the grill and let cook until the skin is lightly charred, 10-12 minutes. Open grill cover and reduce heat to medium, then cook until the breasts register 165F, about 50 minutes. Continue to check on the chicken to ensure the skin isn’t burning–if it looks too dark, reduce the heat slightly.
Once chicken is done cooking, let chicken rest for 10 minutes. Remove can and discard (that’s some HOT beer), place chicken on a cutting board and carve.
Meanwhile, make the aioli. Cook 4 strips of bacon in a skillet over medium heat (you can do this on the grill or on your stove). Cook until bacon is crisped and transfer to a paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon rendered bacon fat. Chop bacon finely.
In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, bacon, reserved bacon fat, pickles, pickle brine, dill, and hot sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, make the celery slaw. Mix celery, dill, and remaining zest and juice of a lime. Season with salt and pepper.
Swoosh a couple spoonfuls of aioli on serving platter. Top with carved chicken and celery slaw. Serve immediately.
Grilled Corn and Halloumi Salad
Serves: 4-6
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
4 large ears corn
1 bunch scallions
1 (8 ounce) block halloumi cheese, sliced into ½-inch planks
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small jalapeno, thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced
Preheat a grill to medium high heat.
Toss corn and scallions in oil and season on all sides with salt and pepper.
Place corn, scallions and halloumi on grill. Cook until all are charred on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side of corn, 2 minutes per side of scallions, and 2 minutes per halloumi side. If halloumi is sticking, let it cook until it releases from the grates (a fish spatula is helpful). Transfer to a sheet tray and let cool slightly.
Cut kernels off corn, trim ends off scallions and thinly slice, and cube halloumi cheese. Place all chopped ingredients in a bowl with tomatoes and jalapeno. Toss with bacon-pickle aioli and season with salt, pepper, and lime juice. Serve immediately. Salad will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Modelo Agua Fresca
Serves 4
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
½ medium watermelon, rind removed and cut into large chunks
6 limes, juiced
Kosher salt, to taste
4 cans chilled Modelo (or any light beer)
Tajin, for serving
Blend watermelon in a high speed blender until smooth. Add lime juice and salt.
Run a lime around the rims of 4 glasses. Place tajin on a plate and run the rim around the Tajin. Place ice in each glass and fill halfway with watermelon mixture. Top with Modelo and serve immediately, continuously topping off with more Modelo as you enjoy.
NERD CLUSTERS AND CHERRIES ON ICE
SERVES HOWEVER MANY YOU LIKE
ACTIVE TIME: 1 MINUTE
TOTAL TIME: 1 MINUTE
NERD CLUSTERS
CHERRIES
ICE
PUT ICE IN A BOWL. TOP WITH CHERRIES AND NERD CLUSTERS. SERVE IMMEDIATELY. YEAH!!!!
Omg please post the passion fruit shandy!!!