What is spit-roasting?

Spit roasting is a traditional cooking method, which involves open-fire BBQ. Also called Rotisserie, spit roasting is a popular choice during casual family gatherings, outdoor parties, and even camping.

To spit roast a pig, you would need to fasten a whole pig on a spit and evenly cook all sides by rotating the pig. Before roasting, you need to baste the pig with herbs and spices to enhance the flavour and prevent the skin from drying.

Why is it called “spit roast”?

It may sound familiar, but what does “spit roast” mean? In medieval times, spit roasting was a common way to cook a whole pig. A servant, usually a boy referred to as a “spit jack,” would sat near the spit, turning the rod slowly and cooking the food. This roasting process started being called “spit-roasting.”

With the development of technology, mechanical turnspits later appeared, first powered by a dog and then by steam power. Since then, spit roasting has been more straightforward and have gained tremendous success.

What are the benefits of spit roasting?

Spit roasting has stood out for the way it gives meats this impressive savoury flavour. Aside from this fact, there are several advantaes to roasting a pig on a spit.

• Roasting a pig on a spit gives you this crunchy skin and juicy meat. This is a result of the slow cooking process, which prevents the meat from drying out and becoming tough.
• A pig on a spit has this even caramel colour. Because spit roasting involves rotating a pig throughout the cooking process, the heat is evenly applied to the meat which results to this crisp golden brown color.
• Cooking a pig on a spit ensures the caramelisation of the protein and prevents it from losing important nutrients.
• Roasting a pig results to “self-basting,” a process wherein the fats and juices melts and envelops the meat as it cooks.