1. Light your fire – You can use charcoal or briquettes to heat your meat. An easy way to start the fire is to set up two small mounds on either side of the spit. Once these burn off you can disperse the charcoal across the length of the pit. Do not lay them flat as there should be a slight peak throughout the length of the charcoal/briquettes.
2. It’s in the marinade – Make your own marinade to baste the meat as it cooks. Some of our favourite flavours include lemon, garlic, oregano and red wine.
3. Take your time - Spit roasting is a slow cook style and it is important to ensure your meat is stable, with the meat positioned in the centre of the rotating spike. Allow up to one hour cooking time for each kilogram of meat as a rough guide.
4. Use a thermometer – Invest in a meat thermometer. This will help you determine whether your meat is cooked through, which is particularly important when cooking poultry and pork. The Food Safety Information Council advises poultry and rolled roast meats should reach 75 degrees Celsius.
5. Let it rest – Once the meat is cooked, let it rest for ten minutes before you start carving. This will help the flavour and juices settle.
Spit roasting is ideal when catering for a large number of guests.
For more information visit your nearest Home Timber & Hardware , Plants Plus or Thrifty-Link Hardware store.
