Amidst all the available ways to make food, rotisserie gives possibly the most fantastic tasting outcomes. Meats cooked in this style are invariably moist and full of flavour. There are many different options to choose from. You can rotisserie on the barbeque (charcoal or gas) or you can use an electric countertop rotisserie. If you want the best tasting outcome for all methods, be sure to follow some tried and true steps. The result is mostly dependent on whether or not these elementary steps are followed so disregard them at your own risk.
The difference is the movement
Understanding how to cook the best meat starts with understanding precisely how rotisserie cooking works. In order to get such yummy outcomes, there are two principles that are served by the slow rotation. One is the fact that the heat is uniformly distributed on all sides of the piece of meat. The next intention behind the long winded motion is the fact that you won’t have any basting to do as the juices of the meat end up coating it fully. The result is food that is a lot better than broiled meat because the natural juices aren’t lost.
A balancing act
Balance is very crucial to ensure that the motor works consistently as the food is turning on the skewer. To test this, attach it in position using the forks and hold the spit in your hands. The laws of physics order that any heavy side will pull down and end up facing the floor if you let the rod rotate without restraint. Heavy sides are eliminated either by repositioning the food or attaching a weight on the skewer facing the other side of the unbalance.
Choosing how to distribute the heat
How hot the flame or grilling element should be is also worth paying attention to. Powerful heat might be right for traditional cooking but it isn’t a nice idea for this type of cooking. This means that it will normally take more time to cook. Now if you are using an electric rotisserie, this is taken care for you as they are designed for this function. Doing rotisserie on a barbeque doesn’t automatically set the temperature for you and necessitates some knowledge on your part.
Direct heat means that the food is right above the heat source and in this instance shouldn’t be too high as to not overcook the meat. Using a charcoal grill gives you the ability to scatter out the coals in smaller heaps to keep the temperature low. For small meat cuts, a direct flame does work well though if you are looking for that grilled taste.
Direct heat isn’t the only way to do things and you can instead opt an indirect source. You can do this by maintaining two flames; use either charcoal piles or seperate burners. In both cases, the food must only have a few inches of its sides over of the heat sources. Meat is best when it is not overcooked but still evenly done all the way through which is what indirect heat provides.
Cooking duration can be deceiving
By keeping an eye on the inner temperature rather than the cooking time, you will always get the perfect doneness. Because the shape of the meat can deviate quite a lot, some pieces can take longer than others to cook. Temperature isn’t a subjective assessment and it will always notify you just how far on in its cooking cycle your meat is. When the meat reaches the correct temperature, it’s over.
So there you have it. When it comes to rotisserie, trial and error is overrated and you must go for what works instead. The holes created by the thermometer should me minimized in order to hold all those natural juices in the meat. To maintain all the juice in the food, wait about ten minutes before serving it. Don’t forget these tips and your rotisserie will come out juicy and delicious every time.
Bob Haas enjoys good food and anything grilled on the barbeque. He writes articles about the tools, equipment and recipes that he likes most. His latest website provides information about rotisserie cooking all the ways to do it. His site also includes reviews of different rotisseries and ways to get the most out of chicken when cooking it rotisserie style at home.