I'm hoping that some of you can offer some concrete advice, and/or recipes.
I have been 'volun-told' that I will be teaching a cooking class at an upcoming event. And hey! I have this nifty new spit I purchased last Pennsic that I'm still wanting to try out, so it's all good. The problem is that I've spent hours trying to find specific information on how to roast meat (either lamb, chicken, or beef - i'm not picking!) over an open fire (either pit or bowl), but have found absolutely nothing on the subject other than the general "nothing is better than meat cooked over an open flame" type of comments. Seriously, I haven't found one online entry with any trued suggestions/guidelines about strength of flames vs hot coals, distance to said flame, length of time spent cooking, distance to the fire, or even wood vs charcoal briquettes.
So, I am bringing my search to you all; hoping that in your collective wisdom I will find some valuable and savory advice. I am new to campfire cooking, though I am a competent cook and am very familiar with using both a gas grill and a propane. I am moderately adventurous in my cooking and am always willing and eager to learn new methods and variations.
I look forward to any and all advice that you wish to share.
Dulcinea of the East
East Kingdom
Shire of Panther Vale
College of Knotty Crossing (incipient)
I have been 'volun-told' that I will be teaching a cooking class at an upcoming event. And hey! I have this nifty new spit I purchased last Pennsic that I'm still wanting to try out, so it's all good. The problem is that I've spent hours trying to find specific information on how to roast meat (either lamb, chicken, or beef - i'm not picking!) over an open fire (either pit or bowl), but have found absolutely nothing on the subject other than the general "nothing is better than meat cooked over an open flame" type of comments. Seriously, I haven't found one online entry with any trued suggestions/guidelines about strength of flames vs hot coals, distance to said flame, length of time spent cooking, distance to the fire, or even wood vs charcoal briquettes.
So, I am bringing my search to you all; hoping that in your collective wisdom I will find some valuable and savory advice. I am new to campfire cooking, though I am a competent cook and am very familiar with using both a gas grill and a propane. I am moderately adventurous in my cooking and am always willing and eager to learn new methods and variations.
I look forward to any and all advice that you wish to share.
Dulcinea of the East
East Kingdom
Shire of Panther Vale
College of Knotty Crossing (incipient)
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Vermont
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Tue, May 15, 2007 - 8:32 AMdang it, I have "mom brain", but I KNOW there is actually a cook book out on this. I saw it a couple years ago. Dreadfully not useful, I know... It had a beautiful red cover, and drawn illustrations, and while not having particularly Medieval recipes, it did have some Colonial and other early stuff in it... I'm going to fish around online and see if I can come up with a better reference for it, than my shoddy memory. -
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Tue, May 15, 2007 - 8:40 AM -
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Tue, May 15, 2007 - 9:44 AMThank you for your suggestion Marisa. To be honest, I was hoping to not have to come up with the money for an actual cookbook; that's why I asked here - so that I can take any recommendations and tips and then have fun experimenting a bit. ;) -
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Tue, May 15, 2007 - 10:05 AMyah, no, that IS the point of online forums isn't it? Find it in Borders and read it and take notes and put it back on the shelf? ;P
Dinner Impossible on tv had a really cool episode on Colonial era cooking, and what show was it that went into a working Henrician/Elizabethan kitchen with all the clockwork spits??
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Tue, May 15, 2007 - 8:55 AMI recommend no flames if you are roasting meat. Hot coals, a spit that you can rotate, a meat thermometer, and a long fork are all useful when cooking over an open fire. I prefer hot coals over flames even for broiling. Bobby Flay's website has a wealth of info, and since every meat is different, I'd look there. Good Luck!
Respectfully,
Nikolas -
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Tue, May 15, 2007 - 9:44 AMThank you Nikolas, I will be sure to check out Bobby Flay's site. :)
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Mon, May 21, 2007 - 10:33 AMLow and slow is the way to go. I am going to be doing a modified version of a spit roast at the Pirate Gathering in OR over Memorial Day weekend.
My father used to spit roast whole cows...I'm just doing a goat. For an event later this summer where I'm roasting a pig, this website was invaluable (and more importantly, free!) www.3men.com/bbq_whole_pig.htm
Whoever said no flames and all coals was right on the money. Flames=char=nasty. I have some nice greenish alder that I am going to put on the fire for smoky goodness.
Chicken is easy peasy- give it a good rub with garlic, salt and pepper, lace it to your spit, roast until crispy (and a meat thermometer reads 160 in thigh joint), remove from spit, let rest, serve.
I know meat thermometers aren't period appropriate but I don't play by those rules in my kitchen- no one wants botulism, however period appropriate it may be. -
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Mon, May 21, 2007 - 2:40 PM" ... no one wants botulism, however period appropriate it may be."
Too true! Many times I've heard people say (and when it comes to cooking, they are words to live by), "SCA stands for Society for Creative Anachronism. Emphasis on 'Creative'." ;) -
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Mon, May 21, 2007 - 11:17 PMMy preferred definition was "It DOESN'T stand for Society for Compulsive Accuracy"...because I'll be damned if I'm going to kill and pluck chickens. -
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Tue, July 17, 2007 - 8:19 AMA meat thermometer is a perfectly acceptable safety device. It also makes up for the fact that we're not kitchen servants who roast meat every day and who can tell when its done by looking at it. -
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Re: Spit Roasting Over an Open Fire
Fri, July 20, 2007 - 11:20 PMI can usually tell by poking it...the old chef's trick of knowing how the meat should feel comparative to the fleshy part of your hand.
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