I like to remove the bones because if you leave them on, with the way it’s served, you end up with maybe 30% or so of the surface area that has no seasoning or sear/Maillard reaction. I usually buy bone-in and ask the butcher to cut it off so I can have a small rack of beef ribs too.
For rotisserie, I would have a coal bed evenly spread below the roast. But I bet the SNS would work too, as it tends to roll the heat up across the lid dome, and the rotisserie should keep it up there in the hotter air.
Assuming 350-ish temp, and med-rare desired doneness, I’d ballpark the timing at 15 mins per pound. It’ll probably take a little longer, especially if you want to start with lower temps to get some smoke on it.
Honestly, I’d probably skip the rotisserie and just use the SNS, rotating it a few times throughout. I don’t think the rotisserie adds much to a beef roast (unlike chicken, where it seems to redistribute juices well). And I see 2 negatives with rotisserie: first, you end up with an ugly hole in every slice, and second, you can’t use a leave-in probe (unless you have a meater-type wireless). Also a major pain to add charcoal with the twirly stick.
Do you have charcoal baskets? That's the way I prefer to use the rotisserie. That way you can move the baskets closer or further away depending on how the bark looks. When I spin a chicken, I start with the baskets close and move them away if I think the chicken is browning too fast. That should work for beef too.
- I vote remove the bones. It’ll help ensure a more even cook and give you more surface area for barked goodness.
- I also vote using the weber charcoal baskets over the SNS or an even layer of charcoal. If you go ‘even layer,’ I think it’ll get too hot. You could use the SNS, but by dividing the charcoal in 2 baskets, you’ll get a more even heat distribution.
- I’ve only done roasts with the SNS (usually take 2 - 2.5 hours) and have no idea how long it would take on the spinner. Turkeys usually take me 2.5 - 3 hours, but that doesn’t help.
I’ve been wanting to try this, but have always wimped out (prime rib comes out pretty great just using the SNS). I would think that you’re going to get a great bark (since roast is constantly moving in and out of the ‘heat zone’), but the middle may be a little overdone. I’m guessing this because the spit is going to get hot, and that runs through, and in direct contact with, the middle of the roast. But it should be fun, so I say go for it! And let us know how it goes!!
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
I've got a rotisserie for my Weber kettle, and have toyed with doing a prime rib that way.... but I get such great results with a front sear and indirect until it reaches my desired temp that I hate to mess with success. That plus you gotta keep stopping the motor to check the temp with a thermometer.
If you do go rotisserie, based on my experience with chickens and turkey on the kettle, I would just bank the coals on the charcoal grate to one side, or use the Weber baskets if you have those, to each side. Don't use the SNS. It tends to block the direct IR heat, and raise the coals up too close to the meat, at least when doing something big like a turkey. I would do a foil drip pan, and then just put lit coals to either side of it.
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