The best way to cook a roast, slowly on a spit
Imagine a tender, juicy beef roast, slowly roasted over a low fire. When you slice it into paper thin slices the juices run out onto the cutting board. The flavor fantastic, the colour a perfect pink. Usually people think of oven roasting when it comes to roasts whether pork or beef. No wonder they’re called roasts. The problem with oven roasting is that your roast can dry out and cook unevenly. Try putting it on your rotisserie over a low fire next time.
Heat: Whether you are using charcoal or gas, the secret is the perfecting roasting temperature. Now I would love to tell you just how many coals to light or the right setting for your burners, but I can’t. That depends on your grill. You want a low heat, meaning you can hold you hand where the roast will be sitting for the count of three and no less.
You’ll want it a little cooler if you keep the lid down the whole time. Keep the temperature low, but if you want to get the surface of the meat seared and get that great crust to form start out on a high temperature for about 15 minutes then reduce it. If you’re using charcoal bank the coals close to the meat for about 15 minutes then pull them back, away from the roast.
Threading: Now the hardest part about putting a whole roast on a rotisserie is getting the spit through the meat. The first step is taking a good look at your roast. You’ll want it as evenly balanced on the spit as you can get it. You need to skewer the roast lengthwise through the longest part of the meat while still getting it as centered as possible. Once you know where the spit will enter and exit the roast take something long and sharp to make a hole from each end. A fillet knife works well. Then drive the spit through the roast and clamp it down tight with the forks. Make sure you’ve got it firmly secure.
There are a few other options out there if you’re serious about rotisserie cooking. The rotisserie system is basically a large basket you can set a roast in. No threading onto a long metal skewer. The real advantage to something like this, besides the fact that it is easy to use, is that on a traditional rotisserie kit the metal rod gets hot and cooks the meat from the inside, drying it out more. I really recommend this product, but either way rotisserie is the way to go with roasts.
Seasoning: You can season your roast however you want. A good dry rub works best. Since the turning action of a rotisserie helps hold in moisture you don’t need to worry about marinating or basting, though you can if you wish. I like to keep seasonings simple because it lets the flavor of the meat stand out more. A simple sprinkling of salt and pepper works great.
Gravy: Lastly, use a drip pan to catch the flavor of the meat as it cooks. Not only does this keep your grill clean but gives you the makings for great gravy. To keep the drippings from drying out and burning add water to the drip pan. You will need to keep an eye on it so that the water doesn’t all boil away. If you time it right you’ll practically have perfect gravy without much effort. The drippings from the meat, combined with the seasonings of your rub, slowly roasted together are truly fantastic.
Carving Once you have the roast of the rotisserie, let it rest for about 10 minutes covered loosely with foil. Now you are ready to carve. I prefer very thin slices piled high. It makes for a great presentation and keeps the meat tender to eat since it’s so thin. Once you’ve tried a rotisserie roast you won’t want to go back to the oven ever again.