Should I spin my shawarma?

[jfmorris]

Ok folks - was browsing the snsgrills.com website and looking at recipes and videos, and came across their Chicken Shawarma recipe, and now I am jonesing to make my first shawarma!

Their recipe, and the video which was on the SNS Kamado, calls for skewering the chicken thighs, cooking indirect, and then finishing over the SNS to sear and add some char at the very end. I was looking around the house to find the metal skewers we have, and realize they are pretty short - like 12". Probably long enough to make enough shawarma for a couple of people. And then I came back here and read a few threads from years past, and see where some have done their shawarma on a horizontal rotisserie. And googling around, I see folks doing that on their kettle and Kamado rotisseries.

So, if I move over to the Perfomer, which probably needs some love, I can spin the shawarma, and get exposure to radiant heat the entire cook. And if I want, I can cook a lot more on the spit than on the little skewers we have.

So - for those of you who have done this: Should I spin it the entire time, or do the indirect cook with the SNS, and then add some char at the end? Are there any concerns about the stack of boneless skinless marinated thigh meat drying out spinning horizontally rather than vertically like in traditional shawarma? If so, I'll use the SNS and cook indirect most of the time. Otherwise, I'll spin it on the rotisserie.

Either way for this first venture, I plan to follow the SNSGrills.com recipe just for this first attempt, since it looked nice and easy, and tasty.

[LA Pork Butt]

I have made it on my BGE and my MiniMax using the vertical spikes from the Ceramic Grill Store. It is not like you might get with a rotisserie, but relative easy and not bad.

[USMCCrashCrew89]

Shawarma has been on my list of things to do. I’ve been hesitant to spin it because I’m afraid it would fall apart. I’ve seen a few things out there that might do a decent job without spinning it. They main one I’ve seen is called a trompo king, but I feel like I could make something similar with a skewer mounted in a pan for far cheaper.

[bbqLuv]

Yes, spin shawarma chicken, spin it. Put your own spin on it.
I will stay tuned for further details.

[shify]

I've wondered the same thing and keep worrying if it would hold together spinning horizontally. Saw a video recently where someone added additional skewers horizontally to try to keep it in from falling apart, but don't remember where I saw it. In my head I always envisioned cooking it on the rotisseries, then slicing and crispying the slices pieces, otherwise you wont get that char throughout the entire cook

[troymeister]

I did chicken Shawarma a couple years ago. I did it on my Weber Rotisserie. The results were phenomenal. Which reminds me...I'm going to do another soon.

[DavidNorcross]

On a list but not in the near future. Looking forward to your results.

[Chuck in Charlotte]

I did spin a couple pounds of chicken al pastore on a horizontal rotisserie. The technique I used worked OK. I marinated the meat, then stacked it in a large plastic cup. Then I pushed 4 skewers in from the top, turned it over and slid the meat down the skewers about halfway. I pushed the whole mess onto the spit and pushed the forks on. Then, for good measure I wrapped it with butcher's twine a few times. The outside charred nicely, and it didn't dry out. Of course, YMMV.

[fzxdoc]

For PBC owners wanting to make this, kill2grill has shown how the Turkey hanger on the PBC can be used for chicken shawarma or shish tawook. He's also done Tacos al Pastor and Lamb Shawarma using the same turkey hanger.

Here's one of kill2grill 's photos from that link . I use it for inspiration!


I've made Halal-Cart-Style Chicken on the 10 inch PBC skewers. It was delicious. Here's an action photo of one of those cooks (along with some chicken drumstick lollipops waiting to be devoured):



Kathryn

[Troutman]

I like those lollipop !!!!

[Troutman]

It's an interesting problem and a bit of a conundrum. We all want to figure out how to re-create a shawarma (or trompo as the Mexicans refer to it) without having to spend big bucks for a vertical roaster. The idea is to always have a cone of meat that is constantly producing a layer of crispy, fried to perfection meat that can be carved off a little at a time. When preparing one that replicates the first thing we think about is a rotisserie attachment to our grills. It dos almost the same thing but there are two problems. First, how do you shave the meat, it's kind of tricky and messy. Add to that the fact that you have to stay with the cook then and keep shaving until its all gone.

Or you don't shave at all, make it a small enough cylinder of meat that is one and done. I've done that before and it's okay but at the end of the day I could have done the same thing with skewers of meat. The end result is really not that much different.

The secondary issue is the self-basting on a vertical. When doing it horizontally on a rotisserie you don't get the basted affect. This isn't a deal killer but it is a different end result.

I'm putting together the next installment of the Taco Chronicles and chose el Pastor. I'm probably going with the skewered idea but may try the rotisserie idea one more time. Stay tuned !!

[jfmorris]

Troutman your comments may be why the snsgrills.com video does it with skewered meat, and with the boneless skinless thighs folded in half - that makes the overall thickness less, so there is more "char to meat" ratio on the carved off meat than if you do a 6 inch diameter cylinder of chicken meat on your horizontal rotisserie.

Now you have me thinking I will try it on the skewers, indirect with a finish over the SNS, first...

[Troutman]

mnavarre Thanks for the Kenji reference it was interesting, but way too much work for very little result. He still didn't have the char ratio I'm looking for. I'm doing skewers concentrating on the flavor rather than the technique.

[jfmorris]

There is always that beer keg vertical rotisserie some guy on Youtube built. Someone here posted the video a while back. He cut the side of a full sized beer keg, mounted 3 Weber charcoal baskets inside, and spins the rotisserie vertically in front of them. He put a metal plate at the bottom, just like the real deal, which helps catch anything that you shave off that misses the pita or tortilla.

[Attjack]

I say spin it! Then I'll learn from your experience and spin my own next time.

[Attjack]

No, actually I did not drill a hole. I just bent that skewer and inserted it through the slice of pineapple. The curvature of the 9" wok also helped and I had a nice stable base. It did crisp up pretty good without any kind of searing but next time I want to slice as it cooks. I'll foil the pan and slice off the ends 2 or 3 times. That way I'll get more of the texture we're after.

[Attjack]

The grilled fruit and veggies were for salsa for the tacos.

Yes, I always foil the deflectors. I leave the foil on for many cooks.

Troutman do you have a link to Kenji's method? I would be interested in seeing that.

[Troutman]

Attjack Look above at post 10.2.

[FireMan]

Well, since we’re having another poll, spin it. Now, bein an expert at eatin the stuff & I’ve only eatin it if it’s been spun, spun or spin, tomato or potato. I did say expert at eatin it, never cooked it
in my whole life fer what it’s worth.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

If you are going to spin it, I think you need to commit to slicing off the edges through the cook so the next layer gets crispy. Otherwise, you are not getting much from the effort.

The other approach is to do it with the Ceramic Store Spike and cook it. Then, when done, slice, sear in CI skillet until crispy and serve.

I personally lean towards option 2 (I have the spike) as you can put things on top of the meat like pineapple to add flavors more easily.

[jfmorris]

Just got back from browsing the Ceramic Grill Store, and the spike looks useful, and much cheaper than a rotisserie for the SNSK. I need to pull the top vent and drop my tape measure in there, and see what height spike would work for me.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

Yeah, you don't need to serve it immediately if it is spinning, but I admit, it's kind of the experience as that is what you get in the restaurants.

[Attjack]

I was going to try spinning it but the forks of the rotisserie are going to make it difficult to slice any meat off. I'm sure that's why traditionally a vertical rotisserie is used.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

My results with the spike.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/beef-steak-brisket-roasts-prime-rib-etc/851196-doner-kebab-on-mb560

[ofelles]

I say spin it, but shake your booty at the same time.

Sorry, I'll exit now.