The general rule of thumb is "anything that's cylindrical" in shape but steer clear of the cheaper cuts such as chuck as this will be tough. For the large number that you are cooking for I'd try either a rolled boneless rib roast, a rib-eye roast or top loin roast and get your butcher to string it for you.
Whole birds or portions of meat such as beef, lamb, veal and pork are ideal for cooking with charcoal spit roasters. Meat portions should be a suitable size for skewering onto the rotisserie prong. Check that the total weight of your meat does not exceed the spit roaster manufacturer weight rating.
Rotisseries are generally used for cooking large joints of meat or entire animals, such as chickens, pigs or turkeys. Legs of lamb and pork and beef roasts are also great on a rotisserie.
Cuts of lamb that have a basic cylindrical shape and a fairly even distribution of weight are suitable for cooking on a rotisserie. Good choices include leg of lamb, rolled shoulder, and whole lamb.
Once your lamb is on the spit, spit roast lamb can take between 4-6 hours depending on size.
A shoulder of lamb is one of the the best cuts of meat (as well as shank) for this slow cooked recipe. This is because the shoulder has lots of connective tissue that's then broken down during a low temperature and long cook, resulting in a succulent table centrepiece.
Using your rotisserie to cook provides you with all of the benefits of using the direct grilling technique without the flareups. It can provide a crisp exterior with juicy meat just below the surface. One of the most common comments about cooking on the rotisserie is that the food is basted from the inside-out.
Fix rod to spit roaster with pins. Turn on the motor. Cook until internal temperature of the meat is 57ºC (135ºF) for medium/rare / 63ºC (145ºF) for medium / 66ºC (150ºF) for medium/well. This will take around 2-3 hours depending on the height of your rod and the thickness of your meat.
Basting your roast is a great technique to keep your meat nice and moist, and of course, it adds even more incredible flavour. We've even been told that a slightly overcooked roast turns out moist if you've been religious with your basting!
Spit roasting is a healthy and exciting alternative to oven cooking or frying food in the pot. Spit roasted food has an amazing taste and less grease. Apart from the taste factor, spit roasting can also be a fun and enjoyable social activity with family and friends.
Rotisserie, also known as spit-roasting, is a style of roasting where meat is skewered on a spit – a long, solid rod used to hold food while it is being cooked over a fire in a fireplace or over a campfire, or roasted in an oven.
The time it takes to spit roast a whole animal varies significantly depending on the size of the animal and the environmental conditions. The bigger the animal the longer it takes and cold, windy weather also slows cooking. As a very rough guide, a 16-20 kg pig would usually take about five hours of cooking.
Spit Roast Meat Options
As a guideline, we allow 250g per person for boneless meat such as a rolled roast or a piece of meat. Bone in meat such as a whole pig or lamb should be 450g per person. Lamb, beef, pork and chicken are all good options.
Also rotisserie is almost cheating…the meat cooks in its juices so it always come out yummy. These chickens are loaded with salt, often injected with a chemical brine at the processing plant and then coated with a high salt spice mix.
Rotisserie: Cooking Style
No high-flame fire is required. Low heat in an open flame is sufficient. It is a slow cooking method and is ideal for bigger pieces cooking over a long time. Rotisserie chicken is much lower in calories due to being oven-roasted.
Whatever you decide to cook on your rotisserie, get it situated in your grill before turning on any burners, especially if it's the infrared burner. Keep the lid closed for most of the cook, opening only to baste your food every 45 minutes or so.
To guarantee a crispy crackling follow these steps below: Preheat oven to 230°C, 210°C fan or Gas Mark 8. Put the joint in a roasting tin on the top shelf for 20 minutes. This sudden blast of heat is the key to crispy crackling.
Pour boiling water over the rind. This allows the fat to render out easily.
Always start with high heat, to get the crackling going! Try 20-30 minutes at 220c-240c then reduce the temperature to a medium heat for the remainder of the cooking (170-190C). Once cooked, leave the meat to stand away from the heat on a bench somewhere, for 10-20 minutes, uncovered.
Rib Chops
Rib chops are cut from the center rib section of the lamb and usually come with a long rib bone attached to the end. While not the meatiest of the chops, tenderness and a smooth flavor make them a prized cut. Lobel says they're easy to cook because all you need is a hot skillet.
Serving for lunch – Slow roast overnight so it comes out of there oven around 9 am (to give a bit of headroom for extra oven time if needed, in case meat is not fall-apart-tender). Dinner – Slow roast overnight, allow lamb to cool to room temperature, then store in fridge. Emergency reheating option: Microwave it.
(Price per kg: £17.00)
All our cuts are approximate sizes/measurements.