The Rotisserie Grilling Cookbook: Surefire Recipes and Foolproof Techniques

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Just about anyone can grill a burger or steak without a cookbook, but rotisserie grilling is tricky. The Rotisserie Grilling Cookbook is your secret weapon.

With everyday grilling, most people cook things with roughly even thickness and they can tell when the meats are done just by eyeballing them. Consider something bigger, like a leg of lamb, a whole turkey, or a full pork shoulder, and you have a problem–most grills will completely char the outside long before the inside is cooked to a safe temperature. The solution: get a rotisserie.

The Rotisserie Grilling Cookbook shows how to set up, maintain, use and troubleshoot a rotisserie spit. It includes 105 recipes to expand your outdoor cooking repertoire, including a dry-brined Thanksgiving turkey, a whole country ham for other holidays, a whole chicken, duck, game hens, and big cuts like a beef ribeye roast or a leg of lamb. Beyond the meat recipes that are the core of the book, it includes rubs, glazes, and mops that are specifically crafted for long, slow cooking over a rotisserie, and even some ideas, like a spit-roasted whole pineapple, from beyond the world of poultry and meats.

From the Publisher

Rubs

In the traditional barbecue world, a rub is a combination of salt, sweet, color, and flavor. It serves not only to season meat but also helps create a crusty surface and provides texture. We use rubs throughout this book, but here we include a few fantastic all-purpose recipes. The proportions are designed for a single use, but these can be made in large batches and stored for up to 6 months in a cool and dark place. The advantage of using a rub is that it is easier to apply in an even coating than adding all the seasonings individually. By putting the herbs, spices, and other ingredients together first, it creates an even distribution of flavor. The rule with rubs is what sticks is the amount needed and you do not actually have to do any rubbing. Sprinkle on in even layers and what stays on the meat is the perfect proportion.

Classic Prime Rib Roast

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

There is truly nothing better than a well-made prime rib roast. This recipe uses few ingredients but produces a fantastic roast. The key is to season the meat well with salt. Opt for a bone-in roast whenever available. The rib bones help keep the meat moist as it cooks and, well . . . who does not love carving those up and having them the day after? The plain and simple truth is, and do not tell anyone not responsible for doing the actual cooking, the ribs are the best part of any rib roast.

Directions:

1. Prepare the grill for medium-high heat with indirect cooking.

2. Trim off any straggling pieces of meat or fat from the roast. If the fat cap is too thick, cut it down to between 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 to 13 mm) in thickness depending on how you like your prime rib. Run a long sword skewer through the center of the roast lengthwise to create a pilot hole. Run the rotisserie rod through the hole and secure with the forks. Balance as necessary. This is a large roast and it is important that it be well balanced.

3. To make the rub: Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl and apply evenly to the roast. Concentrate the rub on the rounded end and not the cut sides, though it should still get some. The rub will then be on the edges of the slices once the roast has been carved.

4. Place the roast on the preheated grill, set a drip pan underneath, and add 2 cups (470 ml) hot water to the pan if you intend to make gravy; add more water during the cooking time as necessary. Cook the roast for 2 to 21/2 hours, or until it is near the desired doneness: 125°F (52°C) for rare, 135°F (57°C) for medium rare, 145°F (63°C) for medium, 155°F (68°C) for medium well, or 165°F (74°C) for well done. The roast will shrink during cooking, so adjust the forks when appropriate.

5. Carefully remove the rotisserie forks and slide the rod out, and then place the roast on a large cutting board. Tent the roast with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The roast temperature will continue to rise an additional 5°F (2°C) during the rest phase. Cut away the bones first by passing a knife against the bones and cutting through (save the bones for later). Cut the meat into slices 1/3 to 1/2 inch (8 to 13 mm) thick.

Rub One 4-bone prime rib roast (8 to 10 pounds, or 3.6 to 4.5 kg) 3 1/2 tablespoons (63 g) kosher salt 3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tablespoons (23 ml) olive oil 1 tablespoon (6 g) coarsely ground black pepper

The Basics: Loading a Rotisserie Rod

1. Locate the center balance point for the roast

Rotisserie cooking is easy. It may require a little patience and preparation, but done right needs little work. The basic rules are: balance well, secure tightly, use a drip pan, and watch the internal temperature. Beyond this, a rotisserie on the grill will produce vastly better food than the indoor oven every time.

2. Make a pilot hole for the rotisserie rod

Before you load the rotisserie rod, lift the roast with your hands, holding the cut ends. Roll it around to get a feel for the balance center. Next, because it can be hard to guide a rotisserie rod through a large piece of meat, use a long sword skewer that is is flexible and has a sharp point to create a pilot hole for the rotisserie rod.

3. Insert the rod

Then run the rotisserie rod through the hole and secure with the forks. Adjust the balance of the roast as necessary.

4. Secure the rotisserie forks

A potential problem that rotisserie cooking might pose is a loose setup. We know that we have already said several times that whatever goes on the rod must be secured tightly, but it really is the one issue that surfaces. This goes beyond pushing the forks together and tightening the screws. The food itself needs to be tied and secured into a tight package.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harvard Common Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 15, 2017
Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1558328734
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1558328730
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.85 x 9.35 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #276,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #185 in Meat Cooking #260 in Barbecuing & Grilling
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