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Benefits of a Wood Fired Pizza Oven

Wood fired pizza ovens are a common attraction in authentic pizza restaurants because they are entertaining to watch and produce pizza with savoury, smoky flavour. Not only does food baked in a wood fired pizza oven taste better than that of a gas fired pizza oven, it costs less to run and it does not expel any gases. A wood fired pizza oven will stay heated for an hours and hours on end using only a small amount of wood; this makes it the more economical choice compared to gas fired pizza ovens which are very expensive to run for the same period of time.

The length of time a wood fired pizza oven will stay heated depends on the thickness of the insulated wall. Pizza ovens built with refractory concrete last longer than their brick counterparts. A pizza will only take a few minutes to bake when heated to the proper temperature of 300-350 degrees celsius. Pizzas will have a crispier crust and will require less time to bake if baked at a very high temperature. Temperatures below 200 degrees celsius are perfect for other foods such as roasts, meat, bread, casseroles, cookies and cakes. Any kind of food you can cook in a normal kitchen oven can be cooked in a woodfired pizza oven. The temperature of the oven and the amount of time needed to cook any certain food depends on what type of food it is. It’ll be a bit of trial and error for the first couple of cooks, but once you’ve exhperimented and figured out what works well, everyone will think you’re the world’s best wood fired oven chef!

How to choose between a clay and stainless steel wood fired pizza oven

Clay

Versus

Stainless Steel Wood Fired Pizza Ovens

Okay, so we all love pizza. But would it not be nice if we could make our own authentic Italian pizza at home? Of course it would be. So, exactly  what is it that you need in order to make your wishes come true?The solution is a wood fired pizza oven. But which to choose? Clay or a stainless steel wood fired pizza oven?

To explain , the key differences : 
- Clay pizza ovens require a  long time to reach cooking temperature . A stainless steel wood fired pizza oven only needs 45 minutes and you are ready to cook
- Clay pizza ovens sometimes fracture if not built correctly . The stainless steel oven never does , because it is stainless steel . 
- Clay pizza ovens have to stay in 1 spot . You will need to build an area for it and that is it . It remains there for life . If you decide to move , you lose an oven . The stainless steel pizza oven is portable and is simple to move . If you decide to move to better pastures , you can take your oven with you . 
- Looks . If you want a traditional Italian countryside feel , then clay pizza ovens is the solution . However let’s be honest , we are now living in a world which is modern and things are all shiny . Therefore a stainless steel wood fired pizza is the approach to take if you would like the modern-day feel . 
- Value for money : Undoubtedly stainless steel wood fired pizza ovens . In addition to being more affordable, you can take them with you if you relocate home .

Hopefully this will help to you make a decision exactly what is ideal for you . My personal preference is undoubtedly a wood fired pizza oven .

Choosing a gas or charcoal BBQ

Gas or Charcoal BBQ 

I am often asked by customers whether they should cook with charcoal or gas. 

So in essence, the question is: Should I buy a gas or charcoal BBQ? 

Lets look at a gas BBQ: It is quick and easy to get going and reasonably easier to clean. The down fall is that you do not have the awesome smokey flavour from charcoal. 

Charcoal BBQS: Charcoal BBQs do not take that long to get going. If you use a fire starter, you will be up and running in a half hour. This is time where you stand around the BBQ and chat. Charcoal BBQing is generally more social because it just brings out the cave man in us, standing around a fire. Not only does charcoal cook your meat by the heat it emits, it also smokes the meat as it cooks; adding a rich and unique flavour. As your food cooks, the fire and smoke is absorbed by your food which add a smoky authentic flavour to any dish. The downfall is that there is a bit of cleaning up to do. 

So choosing gas vs charcoal BBQs all depends on how you want to use it. If you want convenience then a gas bbq is the way. If you want flavour and a more social atmosphere, then a charcoal BBQ is the way to go 

5 TIPS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING A ROTISSERIE MOTOR

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE PURCHASING A SPIT ROTISSERIE MOTOR

It’s hard to believe that the original spit roast users took turns in rotating the rotisserie skewer by a crank handle! Thank goodness someone finally realised there was an easier way hance the discovering of the modern rotisserie motor.

Turning a spit roaster by hand for hours on end was a mighty hard job

Look for a motor with metal gears

Now I’ve heard there are still a few people out there selling rotisserie motors made out of old windscreen wipers and washing machine parts, however the vast majority of rotisserie motor available online (and most certainly in stores) are factory produced gear driven motors.

There are various types of rotisserie motors to choose from, all which serve a different purpose. To help you decipher between the different choices available I have listed below the top 5 things you should consider before investing in a rotisserie motor. 

Power :

1.5v – These are rotisserie motors which operate using 1 D cell battery. They are usually very light weight and can only turn a small amount of meat, usually a few kebabs or souvlakis. 1.5v rotisserie motors are relatively inexpensive, however will burn out more quickly.

3v - 2 D cell batteries are used to power a 3v rotisseriemotor. Similar to its 1.5v cousin, these rotisserie motors are only used to cook a dozen or so kebab skewers, or small rolls of meat up to about 5 kgs. 3vrotisserie motors are quite cheap, usually around the $30-$50 mark, however they really are only designed for cooking for a small group of people.

12v – Rotisserie motors which operate off 12v are great for campers or anyone who will be using a rotisserie where normal mains power isn’t available. 12v rotisserie motors are usually weaker than 240v rotisserie motors, so keep that in mind when considering what type of meat you will be cooking.

240v - The vast majority of spit roast users will be using their rotisserie motor at home or somewhere where 240v mains power is available. They vary in differing load capacity from 5kgs to 100+kgs. A 240v rotisserie motor is generally recommended for most rotisserie users.

Capacity:

Before going out and purchasing a rotisserie motor, you need to consider how many kilo’s of meat you would be likely to turn. There is no point buying a 20kg rotisserie motor if you are planning on cooking decent size pigs, conversely, if you are only intending on cooking a couple of kilo’s of meat using the rotisserie on your 4 burner BBQ, don’t waste your money on an 80kg capacity motor.

If you are going to cook a whole animal, the minimum capacity you should be purchasing is 20kgs.

 Speed:

5 revolutions per minute seems to be optimum.

I have used rotisserie motors which turn 15RPM and those which turn 2 RPM. The 15RPM rotisserie motors spin way too fast and the 2RPM rotisserie motors tend to burn out.

People often ask me whether I recommend a rotisserie motor which has a variable speed. Personally I wouldn’t bother with a variable speed rotisserie motor, when you’ll just have it running at 5RPM anyway. The risk with the variable speed rotisserie motors is when you slow the RPM down to 1 or 2 RPM and you have a decent sized piece of meat on there, too much stress is placed on the rotisserie motor and it will burn out. Each to their own though!

Output shaft

1.5v or 3v rotisserie motors tend to be suited for 4-6 burner BBQ’s or small 8mm square skewers. You can’t cook a large piece of meat on a small square skewer because it will bow in the middle, therefore if you want to cook a piece of meat more than about 5 kilo’s, you can’t use a 1.5v or 3v rotisserie motor.

The output shafts for 12v and 240v rotisserie motors will vary. Most will be round, however the occasional one will be square. I know I’m stating the obvious, however if you have a 22mm round skewer, don’t purchase a rotisserie motor with a 19mm output shaft. It’s ok if the output shaft is slightly larger than your rotisserie skewer, however anything more than a couple of millimetres, and I would recommend getting a sleeve made to reduce the amount of movement between your skewer and rotisserie motor.

Warranty

Make sure that whatever rotisserie motor you decide on, it comes with a 12 month (minimum) warranty. You may want to check with the supplier whether they undertake any warranty repair work 'in-house' or whether the work is outsourced. You'll find that should you experience any problems with your rotisserie motor, you'll get it back a lot quicker if the warranty work is completed 'in-house' rather than your rotisserie motor being passed from pillar to post! You'll also be more likely to get your rotisserie motor looked at even after the official warranty period has expired. 

What is gyros?

What is gyros (pronounced Yeeros)

Though there have been conflicting accounts of when it was first introduced, gyros are never the less a mainstay of Greek dining. Some reports only extend back as far as the middle of the 19th century, while photos have surfaced of Athens gyros shops from the year 1880. However long this tasty meal has been in existence, countless diners are appreciative of this dining staple.

The first element of a gyro is the horizontal charcoal spit which allows for the meat to roast while maintaining its tender integrity. Your meat is grilled horizontally allowing for perfectly portioned strips of meat to be sliced. The choice of meat used varies on the region it is served in. Typically the leg of lamb is used, however gyros can also be made with chicken, beef, lamb and also pork. Gyros differs from other types of meat cooked on a spit in the sense that it comprises of many pieces of thinly sliced meat squashed together on the rotisserie skewer, rather than one single roast. Another typical difference is that gyros is generally carved throughout the cooking process, whereas whole roasts are left to cook all the way through before they are removed from the spit and carved.

Above: 20kgs Lamb and chicken gyros

There wouldn't be a day that goes by where someone doesn't ask me what gyros disks are used for. I usually start by describing that the plates are similar to CDs which slide onto the skewer and squash thinly sliced pieces of meat together. So why would you use the gyros disks instead of the prongs? is often the next question which follows. As described above, because the carving takes place while the meat is still on the skewer, it is easier for the chef to carve the meat up against a flat plate (a gyros plate) rather than 'dodging' the spikes of a prong. Next time you walk past your local souvlaki bar, just pause for a moment and you'll be surprised what you notice!

Above: 20kgs Lamb gyros

Served on lightly oiled and grilled pita bread, no other ingredient is needed though others are traditionally added. Once the pita is properly grilled (this can be done using the grill on your spit roaster), shaved meat is added. As a guide, we recommend allowing 300 grams of gyros per person. After your meat has been portioned tomatoes are added in addition to onions and tzatziki garlic sauce. Tzatziki is available from supermarkets or delis, however if you’d like to try making your own, you’ll need strained yogurt, crushed garlic, olive oil, shredded cucumber, lemon juice and salt and pepper for seasoning.

Many of us have had a bastardised version of gyros from the local fish and chip shop, however until you’ve tried authentic gyros cooked over a bead of charcoal, you haven’t really experienced gyros as its best!

Typical marinade:

Salt

Pepper

Crushed garlic

Crushed onion

Cumin powder

Olive oil

Baste with olive oil and lemon juice

How to spit roast a lamb

Spit roast lamb can be a daunting process but with some preparation, planning, and patience, it can be done by any home cook. 

Your first task is to find the lamb. A whole lamb is not an item found in most grocery stores so it will need to be ordered ahead of time. Your grocery store may be able to order one for you, but your best bet is an independent butcher shop, one that is familiar with Middle Eastern or Greek meats would be most helpful.

You will need to know the size of lamb you require. A good rule of thumb is 1 kilogram of meat per guest. This may sound excessive but after shrinkage during cooking, trimming and bone removal, the amount is still plenty for everyone.

Once you have secured your lamb, it will require seasoning. Lamb meat doesn’t require much in the way of seasoning but the addition of olive oil, lemon, mint, basil or oregano might be welcome. The herbs and spices are up to you and the flavors you wish to impart to the meat.

One method is to soak the lemons and spices in olive oil a few days before applying the oil to the lamb. This gives the oil a chance to absorb the flavors of the herbs. This can be done while waiting to acquire the lamb so when you have your lamb on hand, oil will be ready to apply.

Another way to add flavor is stuff the lamb with onions, garlic and/or lemon and sew the lamb closed with heavy cotton thread. The lemons, garlic or onions don’t require much prep beyond simply slicing in half. Onion/garlic skins do not need to be removed.

Pass the skewer through the cavity

Securing your lamb to your spit skewer is imperative to having a trouble free spit roasting experience. Typical equipment you will require is: rotisserie forks, back brace, leg holders and some stainless steel wire. 

Secure the legs with either some wire or leg holders

When your lamb is prepped, it is time for cooking. To spit roast lamb, you need a space about 2 feet high, larger than the typical home barbeque unit. You will need a larger rotisserie unit or a large barrel grill for cooking. Prices on these vary but neither is cheap so if spit roasting a lamb is not something you do on a regular basis, you might want to check into hiring one for the day.

Tighten the back brace to keep the center balanced

Secure the spine of the animal to the skewer usng a back brace

Here is where the patience comes into play. Once your lamb is on the spit, spit roast lamb can take between 4-6 hours depending on size. The lamb has to roasted at a low temperature so that the interior and exterior are cooked at the same time. Too high a temperature, and the outside will cook first and burn before the inside is done. Low and slow are the watch words for spit roast lamb. You can baste the lamb with your marinade mixture for extra flavor while cooking.

Spit roast lamb is not a quick process but the flavor is well worth it. After the first time, once you taste the smoky, juicy meat, you may find yourself cooking spit roast lamb for all of your special occasions.

Regular basting is essential to keep your lamb moist

Do not put our lamb directly on top of the coals otherwise it may catch on fire as fat and oil drip onto the charcoal

A typical 16kg lamb should take around 4.5 hours to cook. The skin will start to peel away from the body

The meat will also start to pull away from the bone when the lamb is cooked

Use a large knife and sick when carving the lamb. You should also adjust the height of the skewer as far away from the coals as you can to prevent burning yourself

Spit roasted lamb is sure to be a hit at your next gathering.....this is all that'll be left!