Spit roast

[novembeRain]

This is going to sound quite mad probably

My long suffering other half's getting quite used to the whole idea of doing these strange things in the woods (stop it you mucky - minded lot) in the woods. So, Sunday lunch in the woods it is!

Problem is, how to stop things turning on the spit, i.e. you turn the handle but the meat stays put because it's heaviest at a certain point.

Was thinking along the lines of a joint or a whole chicken, with veg in a pan in the embers, sounds good to me!

Depending on the weather of course uppy_dog

 

[WolfCub]

How to describe this in writing ? Oh well, here goes.....

..."Spatchcock" the chicken , this is just splitting down the spine. Can be done with those heavy kitchen scissors/shears , or , stand it up on one end with the legs uppermost, spine towards you and place tip of knife at top of spine and tap it down with the heel of your hand (bit like battoning ?)

Open out the chix , place 'spit' along line between breasts, use smaller skewers to fasten chix on 'spit'..... sorry this is where the description really falls apart ??!

You should end up with the chicken partly opened out and 'flatter'. This allows the heat to get at both sides of the meat better, cooking quicker and more evenly. Also as the meat contracts and firms as it cooks it grips the smaller skewers and spit and helps reduce 'spinning'.

I'll try and put up a pic of a partridge I did the other week in garden with my Son.

Sorry if this makes no sense or is 'teaching egg sucking'

 

[novembeRain]

no, no egg sucking mate, I've never tried it before. I can see your point about splitting a chicken but a bit unsure about the skewers?

What would you do with a joint of beef or pork?

 

[Wayland]

My spit has holes drilled through it. The food can then be skewered through the holes which will spin it with the spit.

The trick then is to stop the handle spinning back, which can be done with props or ties depending which way it want to go.

 

[alpha_centaur]

How to describe this in writing ? Oh well, here goes.....

..."Spatchcock" the chicken , this is just splitting down the spine. Can be done with those heavy kitchen scissors/shears , or , stand it up on one end with the legs uppermost, spine towards you and place tip of knife at top of spine and tap it down with the heel of your hand (bit like battoning ?)

Open out the chix , place 'spit' along line between breasts, use smaller skewers to fasten chix on 'spit'..... sorry this is where the description really falls apart ??!

You should end up with the chicken partly opened out and 'flatter'. This allows the heat to get at both sides of the meat better, cooking quicker and more evenly. Also as the meat contracts and firms as it cooks it grips the smaller skewers and spit and helps reduce 'spinning'.

I'll try and put up a pic of a partridge I did the other week in garden with my Son.

Sorry if this makes no sense or is 'teaching egg sucking'

Yeah the pics would really help as your description sounds really impressive, but I just can't visuallise what your doing.

Is it similar to panassing?

 

[WolfCub]

Hope this has worked ?

Not the tidiest of examples, it was done under verbal instruction by my 10 yo son. Tasted delicious when done though , so still a very proud Dad !

 

[WolfCub]

Still can't figure out how to get these pics smaller ?!?! Sorry.

 

[novembeRain]

Hmm, well I don't want to be carrying more than I have to so I'll have to find a suitable spit in the woods. Rather than drilling it, i guess I could split it for 8 - 10" and push the skewers through the chicken / joint and the split in the spit. Good point about stopping the spit from turning, could be quite tricky I guess!

 

[novembeRain]

Still can't figure out how to get these pics smaller ?!?! Sorry.

Thanks wolfcub, looks good but still not sure how you managed it lol, Hopefuly I'll work it out when I come to it. You never know, it might have to wait until next weekend looking at the weather!

 

[WolfCub]

Deliceous !!

When you get a break in the weather that matchs you free time , I'll envy you !!

 

[shocks]

Dutch oven and roast it!

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Get a piece of willow about an inch thick and about 4 foot long. T ie some spruce root or willow bark cordage about 18 to 24 inches down the shaft and split that end of the willow shaft down the centre until the cordage stops the split. Put one side of the split willow up through the cavity of the chicken and out through the neck end and tie it off with more cordage (A la Ray Mears cooking salmon) and roast it that way over the fire. A traditional roast of meat can also be done in a very similar way. simply sharpen both sides if the split willow and pust the sharp points through the meat, leaving a gap of about 2 inches between the points. Once through, tie the two points as close together as you can. the two prongs going through the meat stop it spinning of it's own accord.

 

[Wayland]

Hmm, well I don't want to be carrying more than I have to so I'll have to find a suitable spit in the woods. Rather than drilling it, i guess I could split it for 8 - 10" and push the skewers through the chicken / joint and the split in the spit. Good point about stopping the spit from turning, could be quite tricky I guess!

Ahh... Having just done a pig with Bernie at Middlewood I was thinking of larger scale.

Easy way is to split a stick, or use two, put skewers through and between the sticks or through the split and then bind it at each end of the food.

If the food is Spatchcocked first it tends to be easier because the food is mainly cooked on two sides so it can be rigged so that it only needs two positions for turning.

 

[alpha_centaur]

Hope this has worked ?

Not the tidiest of examples, it was done under verbal instruction by my 10 yo son. Tasted delicious when done though , so still a very proud Dad !

Now it all makes sense Ta

 

[novembeRain]

ok, got it, as long as the weather doesn't take a turn for the worse we're going in a bit!

I've thought of a way to stop the spit from turning, it involves tieing a stick over the top of the spit (across the points of the "y" stick) to put friction on the spit. I'll let you know how it goes, probably with pics.

Thanks for the advise.

Richard.

 

[johnnytheboy]

Its easy enough to cut all the bones out of the checken and be left with all the meat attached to the skin which is a doddle to cook, the skin keeps it moist and you can cook right on the bbq grill !!!

 

[Nagual]

Ahh... Having just done a pig with Bernie at Middlewood I was thinking of larger scale.

Easy way is to split a stick, or use two, put skewers through and between the sticks or through the split and then bind it at each end of the food.

If the food is Spatchcocked first it tends to be easier because the food is mainly cooked on two sides so it can be rigged so that it only needs two positions for turning.

Is that the same way that RM demonstated when he cooked off some salmon he caught out in Sweden? Sounds nice and simple, and would probably be the way I'd try and cook something outside.

Nag.

 

[Wayland]

Yep, that's right.

I works on other stuff as well as fish.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Ohhh, there's an echo.

 

[Nagual]

Ohhh, there's an echo.

My bad for not properly reading your post there mate.. oh well..


Nag.