Discover Cooking

Cooking on a spit is an old tradition, which can be found in different cultures around the world, using various versions over an open fire. Nowadays, rotisserie cooking is incorporated into the most modern ovens. There are many tasty recipes available for skewered meat, fish and vegetables. Many commercial ovens use a horizontal design but some domestic ovens have these too. The vertical rotisserie, when the heat source normally comes from the side, is to be found more in the home.

Meat prepared in this way cooks evenly but it needs to keep moist, so basting is advisable. Rotisserie cooking is good for keeping the flavor in. You can cook just about anything using this method but chicken, lamb and pork do seem to suit it best. Placing vegetables such as peppers between the pieces of meat all adds to the taste.

There are classic traditions in different parts of the world that are very similar to each other. Most people will be familiar with the Doner Kebab, which originated in Turkey and was further developed in Germany. It is used as fast food after a night out on the town in many Western cities. The meat is turned slowly in rotisserie cooking and the Doner is usually beef, chicken or mutton accompanied by salad and yogurt sauce in a pita bun. The version that can be found in Greece is called Gyros. It’s also a filling for pita bread and the meat is usually lamb, beef, pork or chicken. This is served with salad, a yogurt sauce called Tzatziki, French fries and onions.

The Middle East have their own recipes for spit roasted lamb, chicken, turkey or beef. Their pita sandwich is called a Shawarma and is popular in several countries, including Syria, Israel and the Lebanon. The filling usually includes salad, parsley, turnips, pickled gherkins and cabbage with a variety of sauces. Mexico has the Taco al pastor, a filling that goes into a tortilla wrap. It’s commonly various kinds of meat, fish or cheese, served with a chili sauce or guacamole.

Even with all our state of the art kitchens, it’s still nice to get outside and cook. Food seems to taste better outside and slow cooking is terrific, especially for meat. Rotisserie cooking, as long as it’s not allowed to dry out, keeps the meat tender. Our ancestors used to celebrate special occasions with a hog roast for everyone to feast on. This desire to spit roast must still be in the genes. At least, we don’t have to catch the hog first!