What is a spit braai? It is a whole animal — most often a lamb — skewered on a rotating steel rod and cooked slowly over coals for four to six hours. The turning is what makes it work: the meat bastes itself continuously in its own fat instead of drying on one side, which is why a spit braai produces meat you cannot reproduce on a grid.
What is a spit braai made of, and how it works
- Spitting. The carcass is threaded onto the rod and clamped so it is balanced. An unbalanced lamb stalls the motor and cooks unevenly.
- The fire. Coals are banked in two lines under the edges of the animal, not directly beneath the middle. Direct heat under the centre burns the belly before the legs are done.
- The turn. A motor rotates the rod slowly and continuously for the entire cook.
- Basting. The meat is brushed every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Resting and carving. Off the heat for 20 minutes, then carved straight off the rod.
How long does a spit braai take?
Four to six hours for a whole lamb, depending on weight and wind. A 20 kg lamb is closer to four; a 30 kg lamb in a stiff south-easter is closer to six. Plan backwards from when people eat and add an hour of slack — a spit that finishes early rests happily, one that finishes late ruins the schedule.
How much lamb per person?
About 400 g of raw meat on the bone per person. That is the working caterer's number, and it accounts for bone weight and cooking loss. For 25 people that is a 10 kg carcass; for 60 people you are into two lambs or one very large one.
Doing it yourself, or having it done
A spit braai is not difficult, but it does occupy one person for most of a day. If that person is you and you want to be at your own function, spit braai hire gets you the equipment with the lamb already spitted, and spit braai prices shows what having a chef run it costs instead.