Rotisserie Pineapple

Rotisserie pineapple seems exotic, but it is easy - the only hard part is driving the spit through the core of the pineapple.

Now, most people aren’t as rotisserie crazy as I am, with an extra spit lying around. That’s OK - cook it on the same spit as the main course. It will take about an hour to rotisserie a pineapple, over indirect high heat; the same time it takes for a 4 pound chicken, a beef rib roast, or a pork loin.

Put the pineapple on the end of the spit, next to the roast, and you have a sweet side dish to serve with dinner. Or, save the pineapple for dessert and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Rotisserie Pineapple
By Mike Vrobel

Equipment:
Grill with rotisserie attachment (I use my massive Weber Summit or Weber Kettle with Rotisserie Attachment)

Ingredients:
1 pineapple

Instructions:
1. Trim, peel, and spit the pineapple
Cut the top and bottom off the pineapple. Working around the outside of the pineapple, cut the rind off in 1 inch strips, making sure you cut deep enough to remove the eyes. Once the first strip of rind is removed, you can see the eyes in the pineapple; use them as a guide for how deep to cut the rest of the way. Drive the spit through the center of the pineapple, and secure the pineapple to the spit with the spit forks.

2. Test
Be sure to test that your food freely fits and spins on the rotisserie. It is crucial to test this out before you preheat the grill.

3. Set up the grill for indirect high heat
Set up the grill for indirect high heat (450° to 550°F) with a drip pan in the middle of the grill. (On my 6 burner Weber Summit, I turn on burners 1 and 6, and the infrared rotisserie burner.)

4. Rotisserie the pineapple
Put the spit on the grill, start the motor spinning, and make sure the drip pan is centered beneath the pineapple. Close the lid and cook until the pineapple is softened and browned around the edges, about 1 hour. (On my Weber Summit, I check the pineapple after a half an hour, and turn off the infrared rotisserie burner if the pineapple is browning well at the edges.)

5. Serve
Remove the pineapple from the rotisserie spit. Be careful - the spit and forks are blazing hot. Let the pineapple rest until it is cool enough to handle, then slice and serve.

Adapted from: Rotisserie Grilling by Mike Vrobel. Visit Mike at DadCooksDinner.com.