Cooking on a spit is a real hit

ELKO – The spit cooking class offered by Machi’s owner John Lemich was attended by 27 foodies who all seemed enthralled with the roasting pig, doughnut laced bread pudding and bubbling pot of Basque beans. Lemich learned many of the tricks of spit cooking from his grandfather. He carries on this 60-year-old tradition with his own family and in his restaurant. He explained how his grandfather had worked as a machinist at Kennicott and made all of his spits out of stainless steal. He showed a selection of spits and other handmade metal implements he uses to cook over an open fire. Lemich demonstrated how to prepare different meats with seasoning and put them on to rotate and slowly cook. “I never put oil on anything because it burns everything on the outside,” he said. “Sometimes I baste the outside with wine or fruit juice.” He added bits of bacon and chorizo to the pot of beans that steamed in the brisk outdoor air. “I had it all chopped up ahead of time,” he said. “I have a good kitchen crew so you can keep your hands warm in your pockets.” Meanwhile, Kathy Alexander Lemich guided members of the group through the rigors of her secret bread pudding recipe in the Presbyterian Church kitchen. “Bread pudding is just one of those things where you just put in what you have around the kitchen,” said Alexander Lemich. Onlookers enjoyed whiskey laced coffee to warm up after the outside cooking lesson while asking questions and absorbing the many details of fine cooking...more