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Catering for large events such as milestone birthdays, engagements, weddings, christenings etc. can often appear to be a daunting task for the host of the party. Kitchen ovens and BBQs often aren't large enough, so it becomes a bit of a juggling act between moving food between ovens as well as cooking on the BBQ at the same time.
Cooking on a large spit roaster for a party is a convenient way to cook for a large number of people and it is quite economical too. Lighting the charcoal generally takes only 20 minutes if you're using a charcoal chimney fire starter so in essence, around the same time for your kitchen oven to get up to temperature.
Again, like cooking in a kitchen oven, the cooking time will vary depending on the type of meat and number of kilograms you're cooking, the benefit of cooking on a spit roaster however is that you have a much larger surface area to cook on. Try cooking 30kg+ meat in your kitchen oven!
How much meat to buy for your party
As a rule of thumb, on average the amount of meat you need to cook is around 300g per person of meat without bones such as gyros or 500g per person for an animal with bones and that's assuming you're just going with meat and a few light salads. If you're making a whole heap of side dishes to accompany your spit roasted meats, this amount can be reduced.
Gyros is a great way to cook for an 18th or 21st birthday party as this style of cooking requires the meat to be gradually carved over a number of hours rather than all being ready at the same time. As we all know, for an 18th and 21st birthdays, people never turn up at the specified start time and drop in all throughout the evening. By cooking gyros on the spit, you'll always have fresh hot meat to be able to carve. Gyros is also so easy to prepare. You just need to purchase the meat, either chicken breast, thighs or lamb shoulder, trim out any large fatty bits, season it with Gyros Seasoning and skewer it only to your skewer. Holding gyros in place with gyros plates is recommended and makes carving the meat into your carving shovel an easier process. For a birthday you generally don't need a full-size spit and a Cyprus Grill is generally enough.
If you're planning on cooking a spit roast for an engagement party or a wedding, I'd recommend cooking roasts or whole animals as this style of cooking needs to be cooked all the way through prior to being taken off the spit roaster and the meat is carved all at once. This option is best for when you have a designated eating time for more formal events. If you have never cooked on a spit before I have gone through some helpful tips below.
Tips to help with cooking a spit roast for a wedding or large party.
If you have never cooked on a spit roaster before and you are about you take up the challenge of cooking for a large event then below I have listed some tips that may be logical but so often overlooked:
DIY spit roasting rather than getting a spit roast catering company to cook for you is a great way to save some money. At the time of writing this in 2018, chicken breasts for cooking gyros will cost around $9 per kilo or around $3 per head. Whole chickens cost around $12 depending on the size and based on a quarter chicken per person, that'll cost you $3 per head. Lamb/beef/pork will range between $10-$20 per kilo depending on the cut, so at $2.50-$5 per person, it's certainly well worth doing it yourself.
A whole lamb weighing 17kgs costs around $200 ($12 per kilo). This is the most common size lamb you'll find at the local butcher and is referred to as a spring lamb. If you know a farmer, you'll be able to get a sheep up to 30kgs for around $11 per kilo. Whole pigs from the butcher cost around $250 - $300. Strangely, in my experience, it makes no difference in price if you buy a 15kg pig or a 30kg pig. The price is the same. Maybe check with your local butcher as they are all different. If you want an even larger pig, it's most likely going to be a special order so be sure to give plenty of warning.
If you're on a tight budget, I۪'d strongly recommend giving a spit roast party a go. Not only is it an economical and stress-free way to cook, but it'll also be a focal point for everyone to gather around and mingle. You can either hire a spit roaster for a one-time event or buy a spit roaster that can be used year after year.
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