Instructions
Instructions for Your BBQ Success!
Though you can hire a BBQ Master with your rotisserie rental, many people enjoy the DIY approach. Follow these important instructions to make the most of your HERB experience!
Rotisserie BBQ Safety and Cooking Instructions
Thank you for choosing Hog Express for your BBQ needs.
The following items are included with your rental.
- Rotisserie style BBQ on wheels (the main event)
- Four bricks used for lighting charcoal trays (we’ll get to that later)
- Charcoal
- Starter fluid
- Fire extinguisher (let’s hope you don’t need this)
- First Aid kit (again, avoid if possible)
- Extension cord
- Meat thermometer
- Grease pail
- Instruction binder (you’re looking at it)
- Stainless steel pins (number you get varies)
This instruction binder is divided into four parts:
- Safety – we know, we know, no one likes this but BBQ isn’t as fun in the emergency room.
- Fun Stuff – cooking instructions, why we’re all here, the meat!
- Icky stuff – clean up, the inevitable post party blues.
- Questions – who you gonna call? Not Ghost Busters.
#1 Safety
✓ Mobile BBQ’s are for outdoor use ONLY! Seriously, outside use only!
✓ Always light charcoal trays on bricks provided away from anything flammable.
✓ Always use heat resistant gloves when handling any part of BBQ, it’s all metal and it all heats up quickly! Hot metal + skin = pain.
✓ Never cook meat with protective plastic wrap still on – this will melt and that doesn’t taste great.
✓ Always use the extension cord provided. We use heavy gauge extension cords as to not overheat the motor.
✓ Do NOT add wood chips to the charcoal. Doing so hinders the cooking process and damages the BBQ.
✓ Some larger BBQ’s come with a water reservoir on the inside of the BBQ to provide hot water for your event. This reservoir MUST be filled before you start roasting. Even if you do not plan to use the hot water, an em
#2 Fun Stuff
On average, it takes 4-5 hours for the meat to cook, plus 45 minutes set up. To avoid a hungry mob ensure lots of time to cook meat before starvation kicks in.
Special instructions for cooking whole pigs – It takes more direct heat to cook the two ends of a pig. For best heat distribution, we recommend you push the charcoal (not with your hands) to the very ends of the charcoal tray. After the pig has reached an internal temperature of at least 160 F, remove the charcoal trays. Let the pig rest for about 45 minutes, this makes cutting and serving much easier.
- Start by removing the charcoal trays and place them on the four bricks supplied. Completely fill trays with as much charcoal as they can hold.
- Using the entire bottle(s) of starter fluid provided, saturate the charcoal. Leaving the trays on the bricks, light the charcoal and let it burn for 45 minutes (we warned you you’d have to wait) until the charcoal turns grey in colour.
- While waiting for the charcoal to heat up, remove the protective plastic wrapping the meat.
- Hook up the motor to the extension cord and make sure it works before you put the charcoal trays back in the BBQ.
- Using heat resistant gloves carefully replace the hot charcoal trays into the BBQ and close the rear door behind them.
- The first hour after putting in the hot charcoal trays you may need to open one of the sides of the BBQ to let some heat out. This is to avoid burning the outside of the meat, after one hour the charcoal will have died down and you can then close it back up and simply check it once per hour. Gently shake charcoal trays to loosen ashes to settle to bottom of the tray once per hour.
- Using the supplied thermometer, check the meats internal temperature hourly until desired doneness. This should be done at the thickest part of the meat being cooked (for a pig that is the shoulder).
Beef/Prime Rib
Rare: 130 F / 55 C
Med-Rare: 140 F / 60 C
Medium: 150 F / 65 C
Med-Well: 160 F / 70 C
Well Done: 165 F / 75 C
Pork/Whole Hog
Medium: 160 F / 70 C
Done: 165 F / 75 C
Well Done: 170 F / 80 C
Poultry
Done: 165 F/ 75 C
Lamb
Rare: 140 F / 60 C
Med – Rare: 145 F / 63 C
Medium: 160 F / 70 C
Medium – Well: 165 F / 75 C
Well Done: 170 F / 80 C
Goat
Medium: 150 F / 65 C
Medium – Well: 160 F / 70 C
Well Done: 170 F / 80 C
8. Letting the meat rest after cooking will help to retain the moisture in the meat as well as makes it much easier for you to handle than a blazing hot roast. To do this simply remove the charcoal trays and carefully place them on bricks again and let the meat sit on the spit for 20-45 minutes depending on the size of the item cooked.
#3 Icky stuff
Sadly, there is always something to clean up after you’re “fed up”, here are some instructions to ensure the BBQ is returned as clean as you got it:
- Making sure the ashes are cold (not with your finger), dispose of them in a suitable place. Cold ashes are great for the garden.
- Properly dispose of any carcass or meat waste (wet garbage).
- Empty and recycle the grease pail (again, wet garbage for grease).
- Power wash the BBQ with a pre-soak soap and water cycle(this can easily be done at a coin car wash).
- Using an S.O.S. style scrub pad remove any stubborn grime remaining on the BBQ.
- Rinse well.
**Please note: do NOT use harsh chemicals on BBQ, as some may damage the metal, only use soap and water**
Of course, if you’d rather not deal with clean up, the cleaning deposit you paid up front was only $50, a small price to pay to avoid the hassle of scrubbing.
#4 Questions
Should you have any additional comments or concerns just let us know! We know every situation is different and we’re here to cater to your specific needs.
For any questions pertaining to the BBQ, set up, cooking, clean up, or returning the BBQ, please give our BBQ Master a text or call:
- Mark Nusko - (519) 374-5690
- Jillian Nusko - (613) 848-8231
Mistakes Others Have Made...
So you don't have to!
DO NOT OPERATE THE BBQ OFF A SMALL GENERATOR OR A VEHICLE 120 VOLT PLUG.
DO NOT USE AN EXTENSION CORD OTHER THAN THE HEAVY GUAGE EXTENSION CORD PROVIDED. DO NOT ADD AN ADDITIONAL EXTENSION CORD.
DO NOT TAKE THE SIDE WALLS OFF THE BBQ WHILE COOKING YOUR PROTEIN FOR THE FIRST 2-3 HOURS.
DO NOT USE WOOD CHIPS IN THE BBQ!
TAKE THE PLASTIC COVERING OFF THE MEAT!
PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTION BINDER PROVIDED.