DELICIOUS HOG AND SPLIT ROASTS

In recent years, it’s becoming more and more of a trend for people to have a showstopper to their event catering like delicious hog or spit roasts. The idea of having a large complete animal fully cooked, slowly with the tenderest and most deeply and richly flavoured meats, spreading those strong aromas to all areas of the venue, is something that is really exciting, dramatic and involves all the senses.

If you want to put on the event to end all events with a spit roast or hog roast, there are a lot of things you need to do beyond just picking the right meat. To help you out we are going to look at some tips for the most delicious of hog roasts.

GET THAT FIRE STARTED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE

Many misunderstand the process and think they need a whole lot of smoke and flames when really all you need is a nice bed of hot coals. The best way to start things off is by making nice piles in the spit with charcoal and allow them to warm up until they are very hot.

BE AS EVEN AND BALANCED AS YOU CAN

Undoubtedly the hardest part of spit-roasting meat is getting that spit right through the meat. As well as having it evenly balanced, you will want to make sure it is central enough to cook evenly. Our suggestion would be to use something long and very sharp and make holes from either side of the animal before you even attempt to push the spit through.

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE YOU NEED FOR SPIT ROASTING

Spit roasting is a very slow kind of cooking and therefore you need to be patient. Make sure the meat is stable and your rotating spike is positioned in the middle. How long will it take? Generally speaking, we would say you have to allow for at least an hour for each Kg.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AND USE A MEAT THERMOMETER

A meat thermometer is invaluable to this type of cooking as this is the only way you are really going to be able to tell if the meat is cooked all the way through or not. Something essential when you are cooking pork or poultry.

MIX UP A MARINADE

To keep the meat nice and moist, you need to baste it regularly. Why not try making your own marinade. The flavours that are often used by spit roasters in marinades include red wine, oregano, garlic, and lemon.

GIVE THE MEAT TIME TO REST

You need to be patient, even when you have taken the meat off the spit. It needs to sit for a minimum of 10 minutes before you start carving it up. This allows the juices and flavors to settle and makes it a bit easier to cut.

GET THE PROFESSIONALS IN

Although it’s honourable to have a shot yourself if you want a spit roast to remember without all the stress and virtually no planning or preparation, why not hire professionals.