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Rotisserie Cooking
Rotisserie cooking produces foods that are moist,
flavorful and attractive. The optional rotisserie system
is most commonly used for cooking meat or poultry
and is designed to cook food slowly. You can place a
cooking pan beneath the food to collect juices for
basting and gravy. To flavor the contents of the cooking
pan you may add herbs, onions, or other spices of
your choice.
The cooking times on a rotisserie will be approximately
the same as for oven cooking.
Balancing the Food
In rotisserie cooking, balancing the food is of utmost
importance. The rotisserie must turn evenly or the
stopping and starting action will cause the food to cook
unevenly and possibly burn the heavier side.
The easiest foods to balance are those of uniform
shape and texture. To test if the food is balanced
correctly when secured, place the ends of the rotis-
serie spit loosely in the palms of your hands. If there is
no tendency to roll, give the spit a quarter turn. If it is
still stable, give it a final quarter turn. It should rest
without turning in each of these positions. It can then
be attached to your grill.
Food Preparation
When preparing poultry, truss the birds tightly so that
Guide to Rotisserie Cooking
wings and drumsticks are close to the body of the bird.
The cavity of the bird may be stuffed prior to this. Pull
the neck skin down and, using a small skewer, fix it to
the back of the bird. Push the rotisserie spit through
lengthwise, catching the bird in the fork of the
wishbone. Center the bird and tighten with the holding
forks. Test the balance as described before.
A rolled piece of meat requires the rotisserie skewer to
be inserted through the center of the length of meat,
then secured and balanced.
For meats that contain bones, it is best to secure the
rotisserie skewer diagonally through the meaty
sections. If protruding bones or wings brown too
quickly, cover with pieces of foil.
Preparing to Smoke
Smoking gives food a distinctive, delicious flavor. You
will find a variety of wood chips or pellets available for
use in smoking grilled foods. Pre-soaking of wood
chips may be required so read and follow the manufac-
turers instructions for preparation of smoking chips
prior to use.
Guide to Smoking
Note:
it is our experience that many smoking chip and
pellet products do not actually produce a smoke but
instead infuses the food with flavor. Please read
product labels carefully and if in doubt, ask your
retailer for details.
Using A Smoker Box
There are many optional smoking boxes available for
purchase. Follow these guidelines and always refer to
the label of your smoking chips or pellets for specific
directions.
Raise your grill lid and light the grill. Lower the grill lid
allowing your grill to reach the desired cooking tem-
perature for the food you are grilling. Fill your smoking
box with your prepared smoking chips or pellets. Dried
herbs and spices may also be added to produce
different flavors. Wear an insulated cooking glove and
place your smoker box on a cooking grid or flame
tamer directly above a lit grill burner. The heated
smoking chips or pellets will flavor your foods.
Tips for Smoking
You can reduce the strength of the smoke flavor by
only smoking for half or three quarters of the cooking
time. The heat required for smoking is normally low to
medium.
Foods naturally high in oils lend themselves well to
smoking, while drier foods benefit from a marinade.
You can also rub the food with herbs, spices or
flavored oils. Many foods can be smoked to produce
stunning results with very little effort. Here are a few
suggestions:
Chicken,
boneless chicken piecesespecially
sliced breasts.
Fish,
sliced fillets of firm fish, assorted seafood
such as prawns, scallops and calamari.
Pork,
sliced fillets, diced or minced pork, sliced
leg steak, sliced chops.
Beef,
sliced fillet, rib-eye, round, rump, sirloin.
Lamb,
sliced fillet, round, loin.
Tuna steaks,
marinated in Asian flavors of sesame
oil, soy sauce and sherry.
Pork fillets,
rubbed with ginger, orange rind and
brushed with maple syrup.
Mussels,
brushed with lemon rind and chili oil.
Lamb cutlets,
marinated in virgin olive oil, lemon,
oregano and black pepper. The same marinade can
be used for a whole leg or rack of lamb.