Health Benefits From Cooking With A BBQ Rotisserie


For people who enjoy cooking outdoors, consider a barbecue rotisserie rather than grilling or deep frying. While these methods give you tasty meats and veggies, they aren’t the healthiest methods to prepare food. Rotisserie cooking, on the other hand, is the best of both worlds. Not only does it give you great-tasting meals, but it’s much healthier than grilling or frying.

Barbecuing burgers, hot dogs, steaks, shish kabobs and more gives food a great smoky flavor along with a unique texture that simply isn’t the same when cooked over the stove. Similarly, deep-fried foods possess a flavor and character of their own. Neither of these methods, however, is particularly nutritious. Deep frying is apparent – submerging foods right into a vat of oil greatly increases fat and cholesterol content. With grilling, the potential risks are less immediate. Studies have shown that particles found in the charred surface of grilled foods – called benzapyrenes – are in fact carcinogens which could eventually lead to cancer.

Other potential risks stem from the use of lighter fluid or additive-laden charcoal. While chemicals assist with fire starting, they could wind up in the food, which can’t be healthy. Not only that, but dripping grease can cause flare-ups which could burn food and an inattentive cook.

BBQ rotisserie cooking, in comparison, is a considerably healthier method to prepare food and may be done on either a gas or charcoal grill. How it works is simple. First, a skewer or spit is inserted through a piece of meat, whole chicken, etc. The loaded spit is then mounted on support legs which allow it to rotate freely, powered by a motor. Once activated, the spit slowly rotates, exposing every side of the meat equally to the heat.

Since using this method allows for the food to be held higher off the flame, cooking is less direct. Although this process takes more time than grilling or frying, there’s no charring and no hot spots. Barbecue rotisserie cooking results in self-basted foods, as juices effectively cover every part of the meat as it rotates. A drip pan placed beneath the spit collects extra fat and grease. This results in less fatty, healthier food while avoiding flare-ups from grease dripping right into a fire.

A rotisserie is great for preparing almost all meats, from steaks to chicken and pork ribs. Small items like vegetables, fruits, cubes of meat or seafood like shrimp and scallops may also be skewered and positioned on a rotisserie for slow cooking.

Required rotisserie accessories include the spit, support legs and motor. Extra choices include multi-pronged spits to better hold larger foods like a whole turkey. Recently, revolutionary barbecue aficionados have come up with new varieties of rotisserie cooking that employs several flat trays that rotate round the spit, giving the cook ways to barbecue several foods simultaneously. The food doesn’t have to be skewered, but could just lay in the basket, with grease dripping from the food into a catch pan. The capability of cooking various kinds meats and vegetables at the same time helps blend flavors, and increases fuel efficiency while inevitably reducing cook time.

BBQ rotisseries designed for use on present gas or charcoal grills are available in multiple sizes. As with slow roasting, the rotation of the skewer or basket ensures the smoke penetrates every part of the meat. With all of these developments, there is no end to the delicious possibilities close at hand.

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For an award-winning BBQ rotisserie, internet marketing strategist Stephen Daniels suggests BBQ Innovations. This company developed the Rib-O-Lator rotisserie and offers an variety of accessories including sauces and smoky wood chips, promising big flavor for your barbecues year-round.