Ultimate Spit Roast - Cooking Guide

Spit roasting, or rotisserie cooking, is a super fun and easy way to cook tasty meat, especially if you're entertaining a large group of people in your home. One of the oldest cooking methods around, spit roasting centres around skewers and hot coals, and is an indirect way of grilling meat and vegetables on rotation over a medium heat.

Why Use a Spit Roast?

Spit roasting food is a popular cooking method for many reasons, the main one being that the slow cooking time makes for juicy and tender meat, caramelised to perfection. The rotation of the meat means that the fat and juices recirculate to bring out the flavour. Spit roasting typically creates evenly cooked meat that is tender and succulent.

The most common type of spit roasting is charcoal or wood fired - both providing distinct flavours throughout the meat. Charcoal is a great choice for those who love smokey flavours throughout their food, while wood fired provides more aromatic flavours. You can also spit roast food over a gas heat source.

The hardest part about spit roasting is having to wait patiently for your food to cook, while the intoxicating aromas of the meat waft through the air, knowing that it’s hours away from being able to devour the explosion of taste that awaits.

Spit Roast Cooking Times:

The length of time it takes to spit roast meat depends entirely on what you are cooking! Use the guide below to determine how long you’ll need to spit roast your meat.

• A whole chicken: Between 1 to 2 hours deepening on the size of the bird
• Beef: 40 minutes per kilogram
• Lamb: 1 hour per kilogram
• Pork: 1 hour 20 minutes per kilogram

Here’s What You’ll Need for the Perfect Spit Roast:

First select and prepare the meat and vegetables that you’re going to cook. You’ll also need to gather any herbs and spices that you’ll add for flavour. Preparation can vary depending on the type and cut of meat you’re using, and using the wrong preparation can greatly impact the end result. Be sure to do your research on the type of meat you’ve selected so you get the tastiest outcome possible.

Don’t forget the aluminium drip pan, as this can help prevent flare ups. You’ll also need butcher’s twine, grill mitts and a meat thermometer. Your meat thermometer will help you determine if you’re meat is cooked to your liking. Follow the below temperature guide to ensure perfectly cooked meat every time.

If you’re roasting with charcoal, you’ll also need 1 kilogram of charcoal for each kilogram of meat you will be cooking. You’ll start with 2/3 of the total charcoals, gradually increasing as the meat is being cooked.

Spit Roasting Temperature Guide:

It’s imperative to get the right temperature for the meat you’re cooking to ensure the meat is not only thoroughly cooked, but tender and juicy as well. The below temperatures are what you should base your spit roast cooking off.

• Rare Beef and Lamb: 63 degrees
• All kinds of meat: 67 degrees
• Well done: 72 degrees

Tips for the perfect spit roast:

Be sure to place the meat at the centre of the spit to ensure even cooking. If you’re cooking with charcoal, spread it around so it is not all directly under the meat.

Prepare your marinade and coat your meat with this before you start cooking to allow the flavours enough time to soak in.

Go slow and steady with spit roast cooking, do not rush the spit roast cooking process. If the meat is cooked too quickly it can dry out and become tough and chewy. A waste of meat and all that time spent preparing and cooking!

Rest your meat for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to continue to develop. This is one of the most important steps!

Never leave your spit roast unattended - be sure to check it every half an hour or so, and always use grill mitts when handling the spit roast to avoid nasty burns.

Gasmate Is Your Go to Brand for Spit Roasts

Gasmate is Australia’s leading brand of barbeque products and accessories, offering a range of deluxe charcoal and gas spit roasters for all of your needs:

Gasmate Deluxe Spit Roaster

Known as the king of all spit roasters, the unique design allows meat to be cooked in the body of the roaster close to the burners, allowing for the lid to be closed to create an oven like roast.

Gasmate Large Spit Roaster

Similar to the deluxe spit roaster but slightly smaller, this uniquely designed spit roast also allows the meat to be cooked close to burners in the body of the roaster.

Deluxe Charmate Charcoal Spit Roaster

A solid fuel Spit Roaster with a 240V motor that can carry up to 40kgs, the deluxe charcoal roaster features a solid steel construction firebox and is finished with high temperature powder coat. It takes charcoal or heat briquettes and comes with a rotisserie kit included.

Large Charmate Gasmate Charcoal Spit Roaster

Another solid fuel Spit Roaster with a 240V motor that can carry up to 40kgs, the large charcoal spit roaster is similar to the deluxe roaster but slightly smaller.

Small Charmate Charcoal Spit Roaster

A smaller version of the large and deluxe roasters, the small roaster is a solid fuel Spit Roaster with a 240V motor that can carry up to 10kgs. It comes with a rotisserie kit so you will have the hardware to cook delicious spit roasts in your backyard and is compact enough to take on your next camping trip.

Gasmate spit roasters are available in a range of stores across Australia. 

Browse through the stockist pages to find your nearest retailer or for more information, call our friendly team 1300 174 876.