Roll With It: Tips For Rotisserie Chicken

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There's something about a rotisserie chicken.

They're everywhere these days in supermarkets - slow roasting by the dozen on display in industrial cookers the size of your guest bedroom. But the truth is if you have a rotisserie kit (it may have come with that fancy new grill and is now in a box in the attic somewhere) it's actually pretty easy.

Every attempt we made with our gas powered Sam's Club spit and electric motor set up ended with incredibly succulent and golden brown bird. There's only about four ingredients.

First start with a clean bird - Chicken and small Turkey seem to work equally as well. Rub lightly (watch for too much salt) with BBQ Tricks house seasoning UNDER the skin and over the entire outer surface of the skin. Rub seasoning generously inside the cavity of the bird (remove any "spare parts." Let the bird rest (upright if possible) uncovered in the refrigerator for about four hours to allow the seasoning to take and also to dry the skin a bit (this helps to crisp the skin later). My hunch is you could bypass all the above and still have an incredible meal but the little things do make a difference.

Remove the bird and let it come to room temperature about an hour before you plan to cook. two or three hours before you plan to serve.

Before you put the chicken or turkey on the spit mark the location of the grill's burner with two marks (with a Sharpie Permanent Marker) so you'll always know exactly where to slide the meat in the future.

The most important thing to accomplish is to balance and secure the bird firmly on the rotisserie prongs so that the entire mechanism rotates smoothly on the spit. Use trussing to help if needed. Test it by rolling the spit ends on a flat surface or even on your hands. After you have it on a hot grill it's very difficult to adjust. Also use pliers to secure thumb screws. You don't want an end to slide.

Finally make sure the spit is secure in the motor mechanism. Confirm there is no way for it to slide out (does it sound like it happened to me?)! After you start the spin and cook come back and sight check everything after five minutes. Let it Cook til golden brown checking infrequently for one to two hours. Our 4.72 lbs chicken took just over two hours.

When golden check the temperature with a good thermometer and remove to a cutting board to rest.

BBQ Tricks House Seasoning
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper (grinding is a little bit more work but worth it)
1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

Poultry's Recommended Internal Temperature: Is It Done yet?

Looking to safely cook chicken or turkey, without having it come out dry and flavorless? The USDA says to cook until the juices of the wings and thighs run clear. The only way to do it is use a thermometer (see below), and remember the wings and thighs reach a higher temperature faster than the breast. Here are some simple guidelines for safe internal temperatures that will keep your poultry tasting great! All measurements are Fahrenheit.

• Ground Chicken or Turkey 165 degrees
• Whole Chicken or Turkey 180 degrees (thighs, wings & legs) / 160 - 165 degrees (breast) Note: This should occur at about the same time.
• Chicken or Turkey Breast 170 degrees
• Duck 180 degrees
• Grilled or Roasted Quail 145 degrees

In general, The USDA suggests poultry be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 before serving. This is lowered from a pre-2006 recommendation of 180 for turkey. Many of us have become too dependant on the "factory installed" thermometer that comes in frozen birds these days. These are likely to err on the side of "over cooked."

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It is important to remember that internal temperature will indeed rise a bit while "resting" off the grill.

One universal tip is to watch for the juices to run clear but the best way to really know is by using an accurate instant read thermometer. You may already have an old dial faced version in your gadget drawer. In theory these are just fine and worked for many years; however I almost always find myself questioning the results. We prefer some of the really good digital instant read thermometer now available. In less than ten seconds you'll really know what temperature you have.

Cooks Illustrated spends a lot of time researching and testing the best of the best and when it comes to thermometers they suggest a model made by Thermapen for about $80 (based on pin-point accuracy and quick respnse time). But there are a few less expensive models.

NOTE: If the thermometer you're using needs to be "converted" from Fahrenheit to Celsius use this formula: Subtract 32 degrees from the (Fahrenheit) reading, then divide that number by 1.8. The result is the Celsius.