Rotisserie Grills

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For full flavor and succulence nothing beats cooking on a rotating spit in front of a searing fire. For as long as mankind has been cooking over an open fire the food have been cooked on a turning fork. The word rotisserie is french and comes from shops in France in the 1450 where is was used to roast meat. Rotisseries are used for cooking large sections of meat such as a whole or half hog, turkeys, goats and a side of beef. It allows for the meat to be turn and basted with its own juices.

Many gas grills come with rotisserie attachments or they can be purchased separately. They are usually mounted over the grill grates in front the infrared or live flamer burner. On charcoal grills and older gas grills sometimes rotisserie that sit over the open fire and not over the grates; Although they work, unfortunately this type of placement allows for the fat to drip directly into the fire and produce undesirable smoke and increase the possibilities of flare ups. It is always better to face the spits in front of the fire rather than sitting over them.

When purchasing a rotisserie separate from your grill it is important to know how much weight the various options support and check out the clearance when turning the food. You don’t want to plan on cooking a turkey on a rotisserie that only supports Cornish hens. Also check on how many prongs the rotisserie has. If you will be cooking more than one birds at a time you will need more than just the end prongs that are usually included. You will also want a rotisserie basket which eliminates the need to spear the meat. It is handy for maintaining an even weight while roasting.

When cooking large quantities of meat you should use a meat thermometer. Cooking times varies and there is no way to tell if the meat is cooked through unless you test with a thermometer. You also will need the other traditional accessories that go with a regular grill, grilling knives, forks, basters, brushes and a drip pan to catch the juices.

The rotisserie should be set up so that the top of the item is moving away from you and place the drip pan slightly towards the front of the grill. This will give you better options for scooping up the drippings from the pan for basting.

Now that you know the basics get out that rotisserie and try your hand at rotisserie roasting. There is nothing better than enjoying beef, turkey or pork slow roasted over an open fire or grill.