[Sca-cooks] A Question of Spit Roasting....

[Nancy Kiel]

Technically, roasting is heat  coming from the side, so what you want is
what is described as a clear fire, or sometimes a "six by six" fire---six
pieces of wood in each of six layers.  A basic time assumption for mutton is
15 minutes per pound, more if colder, and possibly more if not using a
fireplace and therefore losing more heat to the air.  And of course how
well-done you like your lamb; I believe it is generally cooked to be
slightly rare.  Larding with fat and spices is probably your best bet for
really altering the flavor once you start cooking the meat.  You might want
to roast the lamb close to high heat until the outside is seared, then lower
heat (or further away) to cook until done.
Break a (lamb) leg! :)



Nancy Kiel
nancy_kiel at hotmail.com
Never tease a weasel!
This is very good advice.
For the weasel will not like it
And teasing isn't nice.





>From: "Susan Laing" <paxford at gil.com.au>
>Reply-To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
>To: "scacooks" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
>Subject: [Sca-cooks] A Question of Spit Roasting....
>Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 22:40:54 +1000
>
>Hi ho Everybody!
>
>One day left of work until I'm on a months leave <yaayyy!!!> and one week
>more until I head off to Yass, New South Wales (Australia) for Rowany
>Festival (think Pennsic but no golf carts, or unceasing drums or uber-huge
>crowds :-p)
>
>I'll be acting as second camp cook (Big YAYYY! - feeding lots of hungry
>people is my idea of fun!) and have been faced with a cooking challenge -
>to
>wit - roasting some legs of lambs a-la-spit-roasting over the fire coals.
>
>I must admit that I'm somewhat of a wuss (Australian coll. translation
>afraid... scaredy-cat...) about cooking over a fire. Luckily we'll have gas
>burners for 90% of the cooking or I'd be doing a "Drakey" a day in
>humourous
>near-death by fire adventures :-p.
>
>I've looked up some of the various web articles on Fire- spit roasting but
>am still a bit confused.
>
>Can anyone advise me on -
>*how to gauge & maintain the fire coals heat
>*how long the roasts are likely to need cooking (they're for serving at
>dinner at about 6-7 pm)
>*what type of basting sauce is best (recipes anyone??)
>*and does using a long sprig of rosemary to bast on the sauce help add to
>the flavour or is it just something that looked good on the recently
>screened "dining with Henry the 8th"??
>
>Any input gladly accepted
>
>Marion de Paxford
>(the currently-unscorched! :-p)
>
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>Sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
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