spit roasting a cow in a slurry tanker and Dexter or dexterx wanted for spit roast

[Jim Wale]

Ok so I'm getting married next year and planning on spit roasting a cow, I'm in the process of turning a slurry tanker into a giant spit roaster, it's taking a bit of trial and error but I'm starting to get my head around it, I'll post some pics as I go along, but for the time being I'm after a Dexter or Dexter cross to fatten over the winter ready for July next year. Also if anyone has been stupid enough to try this before then any experience would be welcome

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I hope you've washed it out first

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Also if anyone has been stupid enough to try this before then any experience would be welcome

Are you talking about marriage?...

 

[Jim Wale]

Are you talking about marriage?...

Haha no I know how stupid an idea that is

I hope you've washed it out first

Managed to find one that's been used as a bowser for the last few years so hopefully the smell of sh!t should of washed out by now

 

[Fergieman]

Use a Marshall Rota Spreader - ready made shaft and drive system.

 

[PFH]

Loads of Dexters for sale on Preloved: http://m.preloved.co.uk/m/listadverts/3755?keyword=Dexter

 

[kill]

Went to a very large party several year's ago and a old rotospreader was used as the BBQ with some weld mesh and an old gate making the grill.

 

[sleepy]

 

[Jim Wale]

we are going to cook over gas and then just put some logs in at the end for the effect, was thinking of making a frame to wire and bolt each half to. Can't see why it can't be done, done a lot of pigs and lambs so only a much bigger scale

 

[roscoe erf]

not the spit roast i had in mind

 

[Gulli]

Me and a friend who does a lot of pigs have talked about making a cow roasting machine for ages but never done it.
Best idea we can come up with is to clamp the four quarters together well over the middle bar and make a heat proof lid/side that can be removed and essentially make it into a big oven. The trouble with turning the bar is that as the meat cooks it falls apart and the carcass will collapse.
Has to be gas burners to cook it nothing else will work sensibly.

Another plan was to have a bag lifter or similar to lift the bar out with the cow on so it can be carved, or you will actually melt trying to carve on the machine.

Keep the heat away from the tyres or they will blow up

Probably best to have a couple of goes at it before the wedding to check it works.

Alternatively you could put the cuts you want together on a hog roasting machine so you don't end up with half a cow left over

 

[Old Tip]

Use a Marshall Rota Spreader - ready made shaft and drive system.

Most will already have a few holes in the bottom to help with the draft for the fie

 

[mushnt grummmble]

not the spit roast i had in mind

 

[Chae1]

Do a trial run on the stag do.

 

[tanker]

Got a 35 knocking about..?

 

[DrWazzock]

Why not put the beast in the tanker, shut the door and fill with water. Then park it over the fire and pressure cook it. Take the wheels off.

 

[NZDan]

When to a do a while ago with a spit roasted cow. I had a chat to the guy and a few pointers. It turned really slowly, kept it closed all day. They started carving an area until they got to uncooked meat then carved another area. The next morning get there was a huge amount of waste!!!!

 

[NZDan]

 

[JD-Kid]

would of thought a hell of a long time to cook it alot of meat
a few test fires should cook out most of the smells watched some of the USA BBQ cooking shows and they do some big lumps of meat alot getting them cranked up very early on
mate made a pig cooker out of the old thick wall 44 gal drums (petrol drums i think ) cut top off and add another ring then rails in it to hold basket with pig in fire under it also 2nd skin over top of drums to hold heat in took most of the day to cook a pig even then it may have been a few more rounds of beers till it was done
wedding meal it will be a case of timeing to get it right bit of a bugger if no ones eating untill 3 am the following day

 

[Bobthebuilder]

They used to roast a bullock in Alnwick for fair week, not sure when they started cooking it but it would last all week, I presume they carved it as it cooked a bit like a kebab machine