Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Healthy, Delicious Rotisserie Cooking Using Your BBQ Grill

By Stephen Daniels

Mankind has been enjoying the tender, juicy results of turning meat over a smoldering blaze ever since man discovered fire. Twenty first century man is still cooking on a spit over a fire but the fire is likely to be an enclosed gas, electric, or briquette fired grill with an electrically powered spit rotating at precisely the correct height above the heat source. Today, the mouth watering scent of a savory roast or chicken on the rotisserie carries on the breeze across backyards and patios all over the world.

Today's health conscious cooks favor rotisserie cooking not only for the flavor it imparts, but also for its health benefits. Little did our caveman forebears know (or care) that they created one of the lowest fat methods of cooking meat that is known! This is due to the fact that no extra fat is needed for searing or browning the outside of the meat. Any excess fat produced during cooking drips into a tray below as the meat is turned.

Rotisserie cooking over the grill is a healthy and delicious method of preparing almost any meat. It is a preferred preparation method for such inherently fatty meats as lamb, beef or pork ribs or hams. Tougher cuts of meat such as shoulder, rump or chuck roasts are also favorites for the slow cooking on a spit over a grill. Juices are held inside the meat while the outside becomes browned and flavorful.

Rotisserie cooking is an indirect method, unlike grilling on a BBQ or over an open flame. On a spit that turns slowly a safe distance from the head source, meat browns slowly and evenly but never burns. This prevents the carcinogens that are produced when meat is charred through other cooking methods.

Rounding out the meal with vegetables is another healthful choice. Some vegetables can be skewered directly on the spit while others are best cooked in a special vegetable basket. All develop the healthy and delicious flavor typical of rotisserie on the grill as they slowly turn over the fire.

As simple grilling is increasingly being replaced by roasting on a spit as the most preferable cooking method, most new grills come with a rotisserie attachment or have them available as an add-on option. The majority of older grills can usually accommodate an attachment with a spit. Adjusting the distance of the spit above the grill for more or less browning is easy.

The cook's job couldn't be easier than when rotisserie cooking over a grill; skewering the meat on the spit, adjusting the grill heat to low and setting a timer is all that is needed. Most chefs also insert a meat thermometer to assure the desired degree of doneness before removing the meat for slicing and serving.

Marinades, seasoned rubs or broth injections all can add additional flavor to meats, as can special BBQ sauces or treated chips for adding wood smoke flavor. Seasoning methods are limited only by the imaginations of creative chefs, and all will help produce a healthy and delicious meal.

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