Rotisserie Grilled Chicken

This is a great way to cook in the warmer months. Keep the kitchen cooler. 

Whole chicken
spices

A grill with a rotisserie motor
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Rinse your chicken and impale on the rotis bar. Grill on rotisserie for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature registers 160* in the thigh, not touching bone or metal.

If you don't have a grill with a rotis feature, I'm really sorry. :( After having one, I'd never buy another grill without one!! Grills don't last forever, so when yours dies, splurge a teeny bit and get one that has the rotisserie. You'll never regret it!! 

For a GREAT selection of spice mixes, check my favorite place... http://www.penzeys.com/
Lucky me!!  We now have a Penzey's in the Atlanta area!


Washed and ready to grill!



Get the hardware in place, but don't screw down the grippers till you center the bird on the grill in front of the rotis burner.



Once I've got the chicken on the grill, I skewer the grippers carefully so that I grip each leg with a stake to hold them as they go around. As it cooks, the joints get loose. If you don't hold the legs up, they'll drop lower as they go along and flop around. You don't want them dragging over the dirty grill bottom. They may also burn as they'd be the thinnest place exposed to the heat.



Nicely skewered.



I fold the wings back, like you would for a Thanksgiving Day turkey. They would also flop around if you didn't secure them. They don't need to be skewered though. Folding them will be sufficient. And yes, those are the chicken livers in the pan under the chicken. I lay them in the pan (where I catch the drippings so they don't yuk up the grill). Those are MINE! Chef's reward. :)



This is my choice of spices today. Penzey's Bicentennial Rub. I mix it up and change the spice mix frequently. This is one of my favorites. Check out their website. I've put the link above in the recipe directions.



Spread it all around as the chicken goes round and round. The chicken is slightly damp from it's earlier bath, so it sticks nicely. No need for oil or butter.



All ready to go. Rotisserie is on high, for those who can adjust. Close the lid and go away for an hour. :) I LIKE this kind of cooking!!



Taking a peek after one hour. I also check the temperature. 120 degrees. Needs more time. Aiming for 160*.



90 minutes. 140 degrees. A little longer...



One hour and 45 minutes. 160 degrees. This was a nice large hen, and still slightly frozen inside. So do check yours after it hits that first hour to see how the temperature is progressing. Going a bit over the 160 degrees really isn't a problem on the rotis. The turning motion keeps the juices in the bird and doesn't allow them to just fall to the pan like in the oven. Better hotter than cooler than 160*.



Remove rotisserie hardware and allow the bird to sit for 5-10 minutes while you get the side dishes on the table. This allows the juices to settle into the meat so they don't just run out at your very first cut.



Come, sit, enjoy! Rotisserie chicken with a side of green bans, bread and butter, and Jonathan's special noodles. You'll find the recipe for that on another note, today. :)



Crispy skin all around!

Arista Al Forno

Pork Loin with Rosemary and Sage

1-2 pound pork loin
4 fresh sage leaves or a teaspoon of dried
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, or a teaspoon of dried
zest of one lemon or a teaspoon dried
1-2 garlic cloves, smashed
olive oil
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or prepare grill rotisserie. 

Finely chop herbs, mix with lemon zest, garlic and S&P. Rub on olive oil and then rub spice mixture on the meat. P.S. If you are cooking on the grill rotis, you might want to put on the rotis rod before spicing. 

If you are cooking in the oven:
Place in roasting pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350*. Turn the roast over, increase oven temperature to 425* and cook another 15 minutes or until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Allow the roast to sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing. 

If you are cooking on the rotis:
Run the rotis bar through the meat. Place on the grill's rotisserie (on high, if you can adjust the temperature). Grill until the internal temperature reaches 150*. Remove from grill, allow to sit and cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing. 



This is a half loin. It weighs exactly 5 pounds. I'll use half of this.





Get the spices ready.





I make a paste of the spices and the olive oil, rather than rubbing on oil then spices.





Mix it up.





I cut the loin in half and then freeze the other half after putting it in a gallon size ziploc baggie.





I run the rotis bar through it.





Locked onto the rid with the grabbers and onto the grill.





I've poured on the spice mixture.





Spread it around. No better tools than your hands. Just make sure they are clean.





Turn on the rotis and the heat.



After an hour, I test the temp. Needs a little more time.



Another 30 minutes and we're good. Remember, mine was 2.5 pound.



I pull the rod out and get it onto the serving platter. If you save your electric knife for just Christmas Turkey, you're missing many opportunities. Nice thin slices of pork loin for everyone! Much easier with the electric knife.



Ready to serve! :D