Spit Roasting: Bringing People Together

Spit Roasting: Bringing People Together Medieval style

To the modern observer, the sight of a whole carcass impaled upon the horizontal bar of a contemporary spit roaster, slowly turning over the coals as the meat bastes in its own redolent juices, appears positively medieval. In fact, it is. 

Above: 22kg pig on a spit

This method of cooking certainly dates farther back into human history, but the height of roasting meat on a spit for large crowds was indeed the Middle Ages. At that time, lodgings were equipped with large spit roasters housed in great hearths. A servant called a spit jack was employed for the sole purpose of turning the crank of the spit roaster all day long.

As technology improved, mechanical spits came into fashion, and with them came one fascinating design improvement. These giant rotisseries were powered by dogs. Indeed, a specific variant of man’s best friend was bred for the sole purpose of turning the spit for man’s best meal. These terrier-like turnspit dogs, prized for their courage to work near the fire and their loyal restraint in not eating the roast, took turns running in an apparatus similar to a hamster wheel. When the wheel turned, so did the spit roaster with its bounty of succulent meat.

Above: Lamb and beef on a spit

Modern spit roasters come in a variety of designs suited for a variety of hosts. This medieval cooking method, which yields meat celebrated for the tenderness that only comes with slow cooking and steady natural basting, allows contemporary hosts to cook for large groups with a dramatic flare. Even better, while the meat turns, the spit roaster itself becomes a center point of conversation, transforming the cooking of a meal into a festive occasion itself. Around this functional centerpiece, family and friends gather to share the experience of roasting meat in a manner certain to inspire jovial tales of adventure, conquest, and turn spit dogs.

Above: Beef and pork on a spit