Step 1

Truss the roast into a tight cylinder with butcher’s twine, tying it about every inch and a half. Mix the salt and pepper and sprinkle them evenly over the roast. (If you have the time, truss and season this the night before cooking. Rest the seasoned roast in the refrigerator, uncovered. Salting early dry brines the roast, seasoning it more thoroughly.) Put the first spit fork on the roast, run the spit through the center of the roast, and secure the roast to the spit with the second spit fork. Let the roast rest at room temperature until the grill is ready.

Step 2

For my Weber Summit, this means removing the grates, turning the two outer burners (burners 1 and to high, and turning the infrared burner to high. Then I put my drip pan in the middle, over the unlit burners, and let the grill preheat for ten to fifteen minutes. (For a kettle grill, I light a Weber charcoal chimney 3/4 full of charcoal, and divide it into two piles on the sides of the grill.)

Step 3

Put the spit on the rotisserie and start it spinning. (Close the lid and cook with the lid closed as much as possible.) After 30 minutes, check the roast - it should be browning well - and cut the heat back to medium-low, about 300°F. (On my Summit, I turn off my infrared rotisserie burner - the two outer burners on high give me about 300°F. On a charcoal kettle, don’t do anything - let charcoal burn-down take care of dropping the heat.) Continue to cook on medium-low with the lid closed, checking the temperature of the roast every 15 minutes. The roast is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 120°F for medium-rare, about 60 minutes of total cooking time. (Cook to 110°F to 115°F for rare, 125°F to 135°F for medium. If you want to go higher than that, don’t tell me; I don’t want to know.)

Step 4

Remove the spit from the grill. Be careful – the spit is branding-iron hot. Remove the roast from the spit and immediately remove the trussing twine. Cover the roast with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Carve the roast, serve, and enjoy!