A popular method of cooking chicken in recent years both in Barbeque contest as well as backyard barbeques is the beer-can chicken. Cooking a beer-can chicken couldnt be any easier but the results are worthwhile. This is a technique that delivers a moist, succulent chicken and flavorful chicken. Its also a bit of a showstopper and makes a lively conversation starter as well. Is it chicken in a beer can? Close but try beer can in a chicken. The beer is used to both keep the bird flavorful and moist, and the cook happy. By the time the bird is ready to eat, the chef will not be the only one with a beer belly!
Is it safe to eat chicken that has been in contact with the ink from a beer can? When the FDA was asked this question they were not sure because they have only tested the cans as a container and not as a cooking utensil. However the ink on the cans is applied at a temperature in excess of 500 degrees while the can never get hotter then 215 degrees during the cooking process. The conclusion by most is that there is nothing harmful in using the cans.
For those cooks who still worry about possible contamination, vertical stainless steel chicken roasters...