Rotigrill supports various charities by supplying outdoor cooking equipment for fund raising events.
We also help with the cooking itself when required, but on most occasions we work with "Taistertainment", our catering associates. This Saturday we are supplying equipment for the Mayor of High Wycombe's charity event at the "Hellfire Caves" in West Wycombe. I should mention at this point that we will be cooking local game, mainly partridge and pheasant, supplied by George Davies, a local farmer and game dealer.
In the past we have also supported Arts4Everyone and during the new year we hope to lend our support to the "Sue Ryder" charity.
We do this as our equipment (when not in commercial use) can either sit in store and do nothing or be used for good causes. We would encourage other organisations in a similar situation to do the same. Apart from feeling very pleased with ourselves (natural human emotion), any revenue contribution to charities is well received, as they have had a tough time during the recent economic downturn.
On a personal note, I play in a band called "Red & Grey", who perform for charity. We mainly support Cancer Research UK, but if anyone has a charity fund raining event and needs a live band, please let me know. (40 mile radius of High Wycombe)
BBQ recipes for your rotisserie.
As winter approaches, a lot of people will be thinking of wrapping up the bbq. Why deprive yourself of all those lovely flavours, just because the temperature has dropped a few degrees.
We have just posted some new bbq recipes on our website. They are free to download, so please take a look.
There's a bbq chicken recipe that is so simple to cook (lemon chicken) and delivers an amazing taste. Pork is becoming more popular, mainly due to people's love of crackling. And when you experience crackling from roast pork cooked on a rotisserie, you won't want it any other way in future.
We are also, always on the lookout for new recipes, so if you have any ideas, please let us know. We will be happy to give you a mention on the site.
Many people ask me how to get the best cooking results from their rotisserie bbq.
The first thing to mention is that on our web site there is a page dedicated to helping you with rotisserie cooking. http://www.rotigrill.com/how-to-rotisserie
The same basic principles apply to rotisserie cooking as to cooking in your oven, regarding cooking time. It's also similar in that you "blast" your roasts for 15 minutes to seal the meat. Apart from these two aspects of cooking, your rotisserie will need a slightly different approach.
Temperature control is vital. Cooking over charcoal gives best results and is more authentic than gas. Also, with charcoal rotisseries you can see your food cooking. It's what I call the "theatre of cooking". If your food is underneath a hood, you see nothing. Admittedly with a gas bbq, you can adjust the temperature by turning a knob and checking the thermometer. With charcoal bbq's, getting the right amount of heat is a combination of the right amount of charcoal, plus the cooking height above the coals.
Charcoal bbq's create a heat "envelope" within which your meat sits during cooking, so it is not subject to direct heat. As a general rule, if lots of fat is dripping onto your coals, causing flares, your meat is too close to the coals. If little or no fat drips out you are too far away, but if some fat is dripping out and not causing any flares, you are about right.
For crackling you need to lower your cooking height for the last 5 to 10 minutes. Unfortunately, gas (covered) rotisseries tend not to produce such good crackling.
Anyway, do look at our web site and call me if you need any help or advice with your rotisserie cooking.
You Don't Have To Cook The Most Expensive Cuts Of Meat To Get The Best Taste.
The secret with meat is to get the right balance of meat and fat. Fillet steak, pork loin and lean lamb cutlets will cost you a lot of money, but do not deliver on flavour.
With pork and lamb, it is the cheaper cuts that taste the best; pork belly and lamb shoulder. Beef is slightly different as it is the rib cuts that deliver the best taste, but they are not the cheapest. So lets have a look at pork and lamb. Both joints should be boned.
Belly pork needs to be marinated in brine overnight. This increases the water content and seals in the flavour. The brine mix I use is 65gm salt + 22gm demerara sugar per litre of water. The amount of brine needed, depends on the size of your container. The only rule here is that it needs to be large enough for the pork to be completely covered.
I prefer to score the skin of my pork, but some people do not score at all. I find that when you're cooking on a rotisserie, that scoring helps to distribute the fat more effectively. Take the pork out of the brine and pat dry. Rub a small amount of salt into the skin. Now roll the joint and tie it with cooking twine (available on Amazon). Cook on your rotisserie for about 2 to 2 and a half hours over coals at medium height. For gas rotisseries, cook at about 150c.
Lamb shoulder is so tasty. Stab the meat quite deeply all over and press large slithers of garlic deep into the flesh. Place some rosemary sprigs down the middle of the shoulder. Now roll up the joint and tie with your cooking twine. Cook exactly as per the pork belly. Don't rush these joints as they have some work to do for themselves by distributing those lovely fats that will produce the flavour. By cooking slowly, you will retain the correct amount of fat (the rest will boil or drip away).
Once you have finished cooking, rest the meat for about 20 minutes ( the cooking process will continue).
Enjoy!
(Colin George is a Director of Rotigrill Limited)
http://www.rotigrill.com
How To Care For Your BBQ In Winter
For those people who do not bbq in the winter, you need to think about how you are going to store your bbq.
The best solution is always going to be to store in a dry shed or garage. However, a lot of people have to leave their bbq's outside.
WD40 (WD stands for water dispersal) is great. Just give your barbecue a light spray of WD40 (all over). This will repel moisture during wet periods. Next spring, just wipe the WD40 off with a soft cloth and hey presto! You're ready for next year.
Even if you store your Barbie inside, it's always worth a light spray for protection.
For our rotisserie bbq's, don't leave motors out in the elements. Always keep them dry. For things like spit roasts and kebab skewers, try wrapping them in an old towel.
www.rotigrill/com
Get The Taste Of A Rotisserie
Everyone says that bbq's are for fair weather. I totally disagree!!
Why deny yourself the opportunity of creating delicious food, just 'cause it's got a bit colder.
If you use a caravan and it gets windy, you put up a wind break.
If you go out in the cold, you put on extra clothing.
If it rains, you put up an umbrella.
So, why do BBQ's not deserve the same treatment.
Put up a shelter/gazebo
Put up a wind break
Add some extra charcoal
BUT, don't be put off. How great is to have your roasts cooked on a rotisserie in winter?
How great is it to cook Caribbean food on the bbq when it's cold?
Any problems, call me on 01494 511368
Visit our website: www.rotigrill.com
There is so much comment about food these days. What you should eat and what you shouldn't eat, so I'm going to fly a flag for taste. We BBQ food on our rotisserie every week, no matter what the weather. Rotisserie cooking always delivers intense flavours, it's just it's nature, but what we've found is that some of the cheaper cuts of meat and fish, can produce some outstanding food.
Most of the horrible fat disappears during cooking and what you are left with is delicious food. The tick to not piling on the pounds is portion control.
Enjoy your food, but be content with less of it. Don't always "fill your face". If there are leftovers, save them and enjoy them a second time.
Try lamb shoulder, shoulder of pork or brisket. Cook them slowly to tenderize them. There are so many offers for fish. Bream and bass are extensively farmed, as is trout. All these fish can be poached in white wine. Place them in some foil and pour the wine over, add a few slices of lemon and then loosely wrap the foil into an envelope with the seal at the top. Put them on your grill on a low heat.
Cook for no more than twenty minutes and the flesh will just fall off the bone. It's healthy and tastes brilliant.
Take a look at our web site for some brilliant recipes.
www.rotigrill.com
