Using Rebar as a Spit?

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Kaboom

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Hi everyone,
I'm new to this forum and excited to spend some time here with you!

I discovered this forum a couple weeks ago when I was Googling "avocado wood," trying to figure out if it was good to smoke with (it is!!).

So, here's another question...

I built a concrete fire pit and I currently have a three pieces of rebar laying in the middle which a grate rests on. I noticed that when many of you cook a whole chicken or pig, you put it on hooks which hang from the rebar. Couldn't you just stick the rebar through the chicken like a spit?
 
Sounds interesting don't know for sure but on the pit Barrell you might not be able able to shut the lid
 
I just saw an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern from San Antonio where the chef had everything on rebar spits using different gauge rebar based on the size of the food being cooked. I would say you need to make sure the rebar is well burnt and seasoned as new rebar has a lot of crap on it.
 
That's actually really helpful, Bill. I couldn't really find much info on people using rebar as spits so I was curious if there was a reason behind that. And yeah, I've already used the fire pit 5 times, so the rebar should be seasoned enough by now. I'll give it a shot. Thanks!!
 
Note that food hung over a fire in a drum smoker is hung on stainless steel hooks, not plain steel. The reason is that rebar, moisture, and heat results in a quick oxidation reaction ... rust. I'm not a fan of rust in my food. Just because some 3rd world street chef does something and I see it on the boob tube doesn't mean I have to swallow it. You can find stainless bar stock that will be much better for your application.
 
CeramicChef said:
Note that food hung over a fire in a drum smoker is hung on stainless steel hooks, not plain steel. The reason is that rebar, moisture, and heat results in a quick oxidation reaction ... rust. I'm not a fan of rust in my food. Just because some 3rd world street chef does something and I see it on the boob tube doesn't mean I have to swallow it. You can find stainless bar stock that will be much better for your application.
Click to expand...

Restaurant happened to be at La Gloria - Street Foods of Mexico - Chef Johnny Hernandez, San Antonio Texas ... Health inspections and all... Once rebar is well seasoned it will become nonstick. I'm not advocating one way or another for rebar just it is a viable option.

You Oklahoma boys still consider Texas as third world... Ha!
 
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We use rebar to hold the meat on trench pits with no problems. Dig long trenches with the backhoe, burn wood in the pit to get a good hot bed of coals, then lay rebar across the pit. Lay the meat, pots of beans, etc., directly on the rebar.
Just an old method used around here.
 
Rebar has serrations on it for tying wire. If I was going to stick it through meat I would go get an appropriate size of round bar stock [ 3/8, 1/2, etc.] and cut it to the length I needed. Much easier to wipe down with a rag coated in EVOO or something to keep it clean. That being said, I've never tried it.
 
I agree that buying stainless steel rods would be a better long-term solution for this spit idea. But if I were to buy some online or at Home Depot, can I assume that as long as they're sold as "stainless steel," they're foodgrade? Or does some stainless steel have more chromium than others making it unsuitable to burn and eat off of?
 
We use rebar for pigs and lambs on the spit.
We don't push it through the meat though, instead, we ty the meat to it with tying wire and it works pretty good.

I should have a picture somewhere, let me know if I should dig it up...:cool:
 
One of my buddies has a homemade barrel spit rig that his Dad built about 30 years ago, and it's still going strong. This one has a solid bar which works fine when tying whole animals or quarters, there are rotisserie forks that we tie to. For just tying to, rebar would work fine... BUT when skewering things like prime rib I think the bumps in the rebar would cause problems. Last weekend we did a full prime rib and a a couple of pork loins and forgot to oil the last section of the rod, one of the loins was hard to get off.

StZW2x4.jpg
 
Kaboom said:
I agree that buying stainless steel rods would be a better long-term solution for this spit idea. But if I were to buy some online or at Home Depot, can I assume that as long as they're sold as "stainless steel," they're foodgrade? Or does some stainless steel have more chromium than others making it unsuitable to burn and eat off of?
Click to expand...

Just go to your local steel center and check the pricing there. An 8' piece of 1/2" diameter Grade 304 stainless (very popular in my neck of the woods) might run $35 or $40.
 
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