Pulled Beer-Can Chicken Sliders

Method

1. Mix the smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, garlic powder and pepper to make the rub. Remove the giblet bag, pat the chicken very dry inside and out, rub it with the oil and then with the rub, inside the cavity and all over. Put it in a lidded container in the cooler, below 4 °C, for 1 h. Wash your hands and board straight after handling raw chicken.

   Add in this stepSmoked paprika 1½ tspBrown sugar 2 tspFine salt 1½ tspGarlic powder ½ tspGround black pepper ½ tspWhole chicken, giblets removed 1,200 gVegetable oil 1 tbsp

2. Light 40 briquettes in a chimney starter for 20 min, until covered in grey ash, then pile them on both sides of the grill with a drip pan holding 1 cm of water in the middle. Close the lid and aim for 180 to 190 °C on the lid thermometer (charcoal (medium heat)).

   charcoal (medium heat)

3. Pour out about half the beer and punch 2 more holes in the top. Lower the chicken onto the can, stand it on its legs like a tripod and tuck the wing tips behind the back.

   Add in this stepCan of lager (355 ml) 1

4. Stand the chicken on the grate over the drip pan, close the lid and cook over charcoal (medium heat) for 1 h. Because you will pull it, cook it a little further than usual: take it off when the thigh reads 85 to 90 °C and the breast at least 74 °C. At that point the thigh meat shreds easily with a fork.

   charcoal (medium heat)

5. While the chicken cooks, make the slaw: shred the cabbage as finely as you can, coarsely grate the carrot, and toss both with the mayonnaise, half the cider vinegar and the salt. Keep it in the cooler; as it sits it softens slightly and holds together in the bun.

   Add in this stepCabbage, very finely shredded 120 gCarrot ½Mayonnaise 2 tbspApple cider vinegar 1½ tspSalt (for the slaw) 1 pinch

6. Using heatproof gloves, tongs and a folded towel, lift the chicken and can together onto a tray and rest for 10 min, keeping the can level so the hot beer does not spill. Remove the can and pull the meat into shreds with two forks, discarding bones and gristle. Chopping the crisp skin and mixing it in makes it even better.

7. Set a 16 cm cast-iron pan at the edge of the grate over charcoal (medium heat), warm the barbecue sauce with the rest of the cider vinegar, then add as much pulled chicken as you need, about 60 g per slider, and toss for 3 min, until glossy and piping hot. Move it off the heat.

   Add in this stepBarbecue sauce 6 tbspApple cider vinegar 1½ tsp

   charcoal (medium heat)

8. Split the buns, butter the cut sides and toast them cut side down on the grate over charcoal (medium heat) for 1 min, until golden; they burn fast, so watch them. Pile chicken, slaw and pickles on the bottom halves and close with the tops.

   Add in this stepSlider buns 4Butter 10 gDill pickle slices 8

   charcoal (medium heat)