Rib roast in Showtime Rotisserie questions

[Moovyz]

How many out there use a Showtime Rotisserie?

Is there a separate Forum for that specific cooking method?

Should there be?

I have the Showtime Pro (huge, black, supposedly the professional model). I got a great deal on it (and no, I don't work for Ron Popiel! LOL!) and it is fantastic! I've had it for a couple of years. Primarily I use it for roasting whole chickens. It comes out better, fresher and cheaper than any grocery store or even Boston Market.

I have also used it several times for Prime Rib (standing rib roasts). Last Christmas, I cooked a 7 lb. (6 rib) roast. I used the rock salt crust method and that thing came out better than any Prime Rib I've ever had in any restaurant. Nothing, IMHO, works better than cooking some meat or poultry and baste it in it's own juices.

But now I have a dilema... it's just my wife and I and we don't eat huge meals. But today I found a really good looking Prime Rib roast, on sale for $4.99 lb. And so as not to have a lot of leftovers or waste, I picked out a 3 lb. (2 rib) hunk. But I am worried about how to properly cook this. With a bigger roast you simply use a thermometer to determine doneness (is that a word?). But with a dratically smaller roast, I am worried that if I try to get the center medium rare, I will basically have 1/2 or more of the roast medium well, since it cooks from the outside.

Opinions please... for those who use this appliance, do I put it on the "close" position, where it will get right up next to the heating element? Or should I move it away one notch?

My thinking is that my best result would likely coe from keeping it close. That will "sear" the outside and provide more heat to bring the inside temp up. But this method is likely to be dicey, in terms of timing. If I get medium rare after, let's say, 1 hour, even a 5 minute change will likely move it to medium if longer, and too rare if 5 minutes shorter.

Moving it away from the element will give me a slightly slower cooking temp on the outside, and will probably then give me more room for error.

So, does anyone have experience cooking smaller cuts of meat in the Showtime? Any tips or tricks?

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Moovyz

P.S. This is my first time to this site but I will be coming here often. I consider myself an "at home Chef". I've had many peple heap praise on them and ask for the recipe details. I've been cooking since I turned 16 (now 53) and I think I do a pretty decent job. I'm not a "fancy" epicure. I'm not really that worried about presentation. But I work hard on getting the flavors right, the right side dishes, a solid ability to get the entrees at the exact temp needed and my best skill is making it all come together at the finish, at the same time. To me, that's the most important aspect. I've been with other people who could make a mean steak, etc. but you'd get undercooked potatoes with it, or dried out veggies.

Anyway, enough rambling (and patting myself on the back, I've got a cramp now... sorry all). I'd love to hear from anyone about anything. I always love neew recipes and would love to share some of my better ones as well. Feel free!

 

[Michael in FtW]

I would pretty much follow the instructions in the Showtime™ Professional Rotisserie 6000T Manual and use the center A position

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Depending on desired doneness (120-125ºF Rare, 130-135ºF Med Rare, 140-145ºF Med, 150-155ºF Med Well, +160ºF Well) cook for about 12-18 mins/lb (roughly somewhere between 35-60 minutes). The only way to check for doneness is to use a thermometer to check the temp. I would start after 30 minutes.

Pretty much just do what you did before.

But with a dratically smaller roast, I am worried that if I try to get the center medium rare, I will basically have 1/2 or more of the roast medium well, since it cooks from the outside.

It cooks just like the one you did before - only it will not need to be cooked as long, therefore the outside will not be exposed to heat for as long with the smaller roast. I don't know of any cooking method that does not require the outside to be exposed to the heat long enough for the center to reach temp.

One trick to reduce the time it takes to cook is to remove the roast from the refrigerator and let it sit for 30-mins to an hour, until it reaches room temp, before you begin roasting it.

Hope this helps more than it confuses.

 

[Moovyz]

End results...

Well, here's what I did...

The roast was actually 2.73 lbs. I positioned it so that it would rotate without being too heavy on one side. I did this so that I could get the fat strip as close to the element as possible (I found a few tips on other websites and they all led to this as the best method). I cut under the fat strip along the entire length of the roast and as wide as the strip (about 2 & 1/2 inches). I fillled that cavity with a thin layer of chopped garlic and then used 4 toothpicks to "sew" it up. I placed my meat thermometer into the end of the roast, between the spit rods and started it up. It took approximately 75 minutes to hit 145 degrees. At that point I took it out and set it on a plate where it eventually settled in at about 150 degrees (after about 5 min). I cut directly through the middle, giving each of the two of us a wonderful prime rib "end" cut about 1 & 1/4 inch thick. The middle was a gorgeous medium rare and the other side and the "tail" (I think that's what they call the tender edge along one side) were medium well but extremely tender and juicy. My wife said it was the best prime she's ever had. I agreed. The small roast ended up giving us the best of both worlds... a thick, juicy lean center cut and a suberbly flavorful "browned", basted in it's own juices, end cut. The combination was exquisite!

I think everyone for their assistance. And I highly recommend trying a smaller Prime Rib Roast, especially for those people, like us, that have only 2 in the household. Im the past, I've always just assumed that I would only do a large 7-8 rib for a large group of people. I had tried these smaller roasts in standard ovens before, with good success, but nothing along these lines. Allowing that to baste itself, near the high heat source worked to tenderise the meat beyond compare. And the garlic and the high heat gave us an ideal crust on the outside.

I think I'm doing another next week!

Eat well!

 

[Bear Paws]

I have one like the 6000t above several years now. I laughed at my wife when she first brought it home but have long since apologized. I use it for everything when I'm only cooking for the two of us. Even hamburgers in the basket.. I nuke the cheese on it after if I want....Great for pork loin roasts (as a matter fact tonight's the night ) I agree.. smaller 2 people roasts in a conventional or even convection ovens dryer and are not as tasty compared to rotisserie. I have not tried standing rib roast because when I get one its a seven ribber. Then its in the big Imperial commercial range at 200 degrees for 7-8 hours until it reads 120-125 degrees on the electronic beeper..

Paula Dean has a interesting method I might try someday.. when I'm not under pressure to serve a crowd and have the time to make mistakes.... Foolproof Standing Rib Roast ; Paula D**n : Food Network.. Cursed 15 post URL rule..

Speaking of laughing..When I first met my wife she had a electric knife and I snickered then too. Me with my "magic" Wusthof knives I thought I was the traditional Ginsu himself. I now own three electric knives and peel off perfect roast's slices as well as cut up cakes and rutabagas like a banana.

 

[Moovyz]

I used to cook standing rib roasts for 7-8 hours using the "Rock Salt Encasement" method. I gave that up when I bought the Showtime. You MUST try that same 7-8 ribber in the rotisserie. You will not believe the results... as good, if not better than the slow cook method!