how you doing turkey for thanksgiving in the RV

[Kadiddle]

Very close to RetiredAF1955-1981 response. We have done "trash can turkeys" for many years while camping. And, not necessarily on Thanksgiving. People always come over and ask "What did you cook in that trash can?" Here's the recipe we've shared with folks.

- Preparation -

This is what you need: A 20 pound turkey (fresh or thawed if previously frozen), 20 pounds of charcoal (30 if it's cold outside), a 20 gallon aluminum trash can with lid (bleached and cleaned), your favorite poultry rub, a spit, trussing string, hot mitts, tin foil, a rake, and a shovel. Optional equipment is a bundt pan and pliers.

- Before -

Prepare the turkey by trussing it up with string leaving the opening open for the spit. The turkey will fall apart and hit the ground if you omit this step. Apply your rub and do not stuff.


-Turkey Cooking-

Start the charcoal on the spot where the turkey will be. We use charcoal chimneys made from flu pipe about 18" tall with air slits cut around the bottom. When the charcoal has started well (about 20 minutes), remove the charcoal chimneys and rake the charcoal aside. Put the spit in the ground. Put it though a bundt pan if you want to save the juices. Mount the turkey on the spit with the bottom 6 inches from the ground. Cover with trash can (upside down of course). Put one shovel full of charcoal on the top (okay, okay, it's really the bottom!). Put lid on the top. Rake remainder of charcoal around the base of the trash can. Let cook for 2 hours. As the temperature outside gets further below 50 degrees, you will need to add about 10 pounds of charcoal about half way though.

- After -

After the two hours, disassemble. Here are a couple of tips. First, don't pull the charcoal too far from the can than necessary as you will need to reach over it to get the turkey. In fact, making a path on one side is recommended. Second, wrap the turkey with tin foil to separate your hot mitts from the turkey. Without stuffing, the turkey takes much less time to cook. Third, use pliers to remove the spit to get at the bundt pan to make gravy. We have occasionally noticed the temperature button hasn't popped even though the turkey is completely cooked.

You can also cook potatoes on the outside of the cooking turkey and a dutch oven with apple cobbler can be put on the coals while eating the turkey.

[Paulie1138]

DavidBo, yes, the liquid disburses the heat. a bit of the onions and stuff you might add before the turkey may char a bit. As you check, add water as needed. It takes quite a bit to boil off the 3 cans (or cartons) of broth. Keep 2-4 inches in the foil pan with the turkey.

Yes, we have done pot roasts this way as well. Add the potatoes in about an hour before the end, carrots, maybe 45 mins. Have also made camp bread, but use less coals, and some rocks to keep the pan above the coals. Easy to burn the bread, tho, so be diligent.

Once you have made up the box, keep it for future use.

[Wsmith60]

Will smoke it in MES. Someone suggested last year they smoked their's for an hour then deep fried it. Don't know if I want that much work.

[ciscojg]

I agree. The Bog Easy is my favorite way of cooking the turkey every year.

[Velosprout]

We camp at Kentucky State Resort Parks that have their Thanksgiving buffets in their lodges. No prep, fantastic food, and no clean-up.

[Marcinmiddleton]

Only on my Traeger Tailgater Wood Pellet Grill. Never camp without it.

[x90rider]

We cheat and take a smoked turkey. Since it is already fully cooked you can eat it cold or reheat it.

[bareftn]

Originally Posted by x90rider

We cheat and take a smoked turkey. Since it is already fully cooked you can eat it cold or reheat it.

Smart man that's a great move, why bring all kinds of food to cook and tons of clean up ?

[Finster]

We only make turkey one way either at home or at camp.





My wife found the fryer on clearance at Target for $35 just after Christmas one year. It the only way we've cooked turkey since. Its will handle up to a 20 pounder. A 16ish lb bird cooks in a little over an hour. And it comes out soo good. It has a ball valve built in to the bottom of the fryer so it drains/cleans pretty easy. Its electric so its pretty safe. It is a lot to take with on a camping trip, but ive done it a few times. Mostly when we pack this though, its for our fishing trip and we use it to fry fish.

If you've never tried the injectable marinade, I highly recommend.

[BarabooBob]

My preferred way to cook turkey is simple. I allow my son-in-law to cook it at his house. He loves to show off his cooking ability and I don;t have to eat leftovers for a week. I like to keep things simple.

[Charger]

Originally Posted by DavidBo

GAWD!!!! I just had a flash back to 1974 when I was a kid, My sisters would fix these and Dad thought they were good

[Finster]

All this Turkey talk, we had to have pre-thanksgiving.

[dbledan]

Originally Posted by Paulie1138

Turkey in a box! Take 3 costco pans. Punch holes on one, fill about 2/3’s charcoal. Slice 2-3 onions and celery into another. Prep turkey (no stuffing for speed), place over onions. Add can of chicken broth, place on coals, add 2 more cans of broth. Place roasting pan lid on top. Add smoking chips to taste if desired.

Here is the cover. Take an apple box, line inside and wrap up 1/2 outside with tin foil. Tape seams with metal/foil duct tape. Cut slot in the top about size of a quarter.

Place box over all 3 pans, place empty cans under lip of box to allow some airflow. Wait about 1 hour, remove box to remove top inner roasting pan if turkey is brown enough. Replace box. About every hour, check progress, add water if needed. Replace box.

In the meantime, preepare your other fixn’s. Dutch ovens if ya gottem! We did this again this past weekend at camp. 3 turkeys, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, pumpkin, peach and blueberry pies....and more....for 55 hungries!

Takes 3-4 hours. Probably the most moist, tasty bird you will eat.

My Boy Scouts are always in awe that you can eat like we do when camping.

I cook them in boxes but I just cut access holes in the side to slide a pie tin in and out with fresh coals. The Turkey pans sit on grill grates elevated by bricks which help steady the heat. I also cut some small vent holes in the top but not too big.

Your way seems to make the coals last longer and also prevents the bird from burning on the bottom. Thanks for sharing the tips.

[Paulie1138]

Yes, the bird and juices help transfer the heat into the canopy and upper box, evening out the heat. This also slows the coals under the turkey. We sometimes have to move the turkey tray a bit if the charcoals in the center do not seem to be up to snuff. Then, when the turkey is done, stir the coals. There will be many left in the center that have not burned much. We will take the top tin from the turkey and invert it onto the coals, place pies into that, and put the top box back on. Hot pies for dessert!

[ependydad]

We just buy an electric roasting pan for $30 in mid-November and then donate it to a thrift store in January. We make use of it at Thanksgiving and Christmas. And then don’t have the bulk of it the rest of the year.

[flosmith]

All this Turkey Talk made me do the Cornish hens & Cornbread dressing in Dutch oven. Yep, added corn on the cob. Delicious!

[Teamfour]

We load this in the truck and smoke a turkey in it. Been smoking turkeys for 30 years now. Stuff the inside with apple slices to provide moisture from the inside out.

[Ejs4029]

Originally Posted by Charger

GAWD!!!! I just had a flash back to 1974 when I was a kid, My sisters would fix these and Dad thought they were good

Hey watch it.....I still think there good

[Charger]

ok.. on a more serious note , I had been think about roasting a chicken or a small turkey over an open fire / coals.I had gotten this https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...fsrtssrgrllcac

and thinking about putting an electric rotisserie on it. Sitting back having a cold one and watching the bird cook seasoned with olive oil ,rosemary and rubbed sage on the outside and stuffed with apple slices on the inside... what do yall think?

[flosmith]

[QUOTE=Charger
...
and thinking about putting an electric rotisserie on it. Sitting back having a cold one and watching the bird cook seasoned with olive oil ,rosemary and rubbed sage on the outside and stuffed with apple slices on the inside... what do yall think?[/QUOTE]


What I think is I’d like to know when & where to come because with that plan, I’d like you to be my new friend! [emoji6]

Sounds incredible! Please let us know how awesome it turns out!