How to cook turkey while camping??

[Markfaz]

Ok...so I realize this is a little late in the game.. :D , but...


I am going out camping tomorrow night through Sunday in the mountains of N.C. (remember, I live in TN so it's not as far away as you guys..). I have a whole turkey and was trying to think of a way I could cook it on Thurs night for a Thanksgiving dinner for myself and my girlfriend while only being able to cook with a campfire. I will be in an established "campground", and their firepits are cement, so I can't very well dig a deep hole to cook it with.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or recipes that is relatively easy to prepare and can cook up a turkey with only a campfire and camping equipment to use.


Any help would be great!!


Thanks....



Mark

[FREEPOP]

A Weber grill works great because you can regulate the heat easily. They are a little pricey but are worth it.
Have fun!

[Salmonsmoker]

Markfaz,

Depending on the size of the turkey (if cooking for two, it won't need to be huge) , it could be cooked in a deep 12" or a 14" Dutch Oven, using either coals from the campfire, or charcoal.

Put some cooking oil in the bottom of the DO, get it hot, then brown the bird on all sides.

Put a trivit in the bottom of the DO, place the bird in Breast side down.

Add 1 cup of chicken boullion and spices to taste.

Place 8 briquetts (or equivalent campfire coals) under the DO and 16 on the lid and bake for 1 hour, turning the DO 1/4 turn in one direction tne the lid 1/4 turn in the opposite (this helps to eliminate any possible hot spots) at the half hour.

Turn bird over and cover the top with fatty bacon strips. Put the lid back on and add new coals. Bake another hour turning the DO as above. Then check to see if bird is done.

Depending on the size of the bird, you may need to bake it longer than 2 hours. If so, add fresh bacon strips and coals, and cook until done.

Hope this helps.

Salmonsmoker

[Markfaz]

SS,

Is there a specific reason for the bacon? The girlfriend doesn't usually do bacon and I was wondering if it was a fat thing or a taste thing.

Thanks for all the advice...I'm going to see if this is possible to do!


Freepop...thanks as well. I'm really trying to not go out and buy anything else for this weekend though.. :)


Well, it's supposed to be 15 tonight up in the mtns of NC, so let's hope I can keep a nice, big fire going!! :D :D brrrrr.....

[Big Frank 25]

I have done some large chickens by putting a stick of butter and a nice big onion in the cavity. season the outside as you will. Wrap well with foil, seal it up good! Double triple wrap. Bury it into the hot coals with coals on top. When you smell the onion cooked nice and sweet, EAT!

[Salmonsmoker]

Markfaz,

During the cooking process, the bacon slowly released the fat, keeping the outside of the bird moist and sealing in the natural juices. Once you are done cooking, the bacon can be discarded.

Otherwise, you will need to open the oven several times to baist the bird from the juices that cook out of it.

Thus, the bacon is purely a functional item. If you skin the bird prior to eating, the salts fromt he cure in the bacon will be gone with the skin. But the meat will be moist.

I use a lot of bacon in my DO just for this reason - never eat any of it. Even a venison roast will be naturally baisted if wraped in bacon prior to cooking.

Hope this helps.

Salmonsmoker

[Markfaz]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will let you guys know how the turkey turns out. Hey SS, have you ever done this with the turkey filled with stuffing as well? Does it cook normally as it does when doing it in a conventional oven?

Thanks again...


Mark

[trout]

Girlfriend?
Thats easy then ........
Hand her the bird and say "here honey cook it" :)
Cook it at home and warm it back up while it is wrapped in foil, or in a roaster. :)

[Salmonsmoker]

Markfaz,

Stuffing a turkey adds to the cooking time because it prevents the heat from flowing into the body cavity. When cooking in a camp environment, temperature control is much more difficult than when cooking in the kitchen. The longer the DO has to be hot, the more chance for burning the food on the bottom. So, I would not put the stuffing inside the bird. Maybe put a small apple inside for flavor while leaving room for the heat to circulate.

I have found that doing a sample batch of something is a good safeguard. While you are at home, try cooking a roast, or other item approximately the same size as the turkey, and using the same technique that you will use in camp. This will give you an idea of how many coals to use at any time, to maintain a good cooking temperatue without burning the food. Be sure to use a trivit in the bottom of your DO, and (to prevent any hot spots) turn the DO 1/4 turn every half hour, then turn the lid 1/4 turn in the opposite direction.

I do believe that, for our ancient ancestors, finding food was much more of a limiting factor than their ability to cook it. Campfire cook is lots fo fun, and produces some excellent meals for my family and our guests. It is something that I have been doing for 30+ years, and still learning about everytime I cook a meal.

Trout listed two other options in the post immediately above :).

Let us know how it turns out.


Salmonsmoker

[Markfaz]

Ok...so here is the scoop:

I already had a 12" DO, but on your advice SS, I went out looking for a deep one that could hold a turkey. I ended up not finding one, so the next step was to get a SMALL turkey for Kym and I. The smallest we found was a 6 lb bird, so I figured that was going to have to do.

Fast forward to Thurs night....


I found that the turkey was still a little to tall for the DO, so the decision was made to cook it without the trivit. I knew I would probably have some burn issues, but it was the only way to make the turkey fit. I ended up baisting the bird as Kym doesn't like bacon and the turkey turned out great!!! It took just a couple of minutes under 2 hours to cook, and it was probably one of the best tasting turkeys I've ever eaten!

Just a couple of quick notes:

- When camping in the mtns of NC and it's only 11 degrees outside, I found that preparing a great Thanksgiving dinner for your significant other has a way of inspiring them to say thanks in many inventive ways... :D :D

- I ended up cooking the stuffing inside the turkey, and luckily, it worked fine. I didn't get your message SS, until we had gotten back.

- We had an incredible weekend of mtn biking in the mtns of Pisgah National Forest, which is the same mtn range as the Great Smokey Mtns. Talking about some incredible views!!!

- Since I wasn't able to use the trivit, I ended up with some turkey burnt to the bottom. I seem to remember someone once telling me not to use brillo type scrubbies on a DO. Is this true? Do you have any suggestions for getting it clean?

Thanks again to everyone who gave some advice. You made our weekend much more enjoyable and reminded me how much fun and how good DO cooking is. I did a lot of it when I was back in Boy Scouts, but it has been about 10 years, and I was definitely a bit out of practice!! :)


Anyway, thanks again and I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday!!


Mark

[Salmonsmoker]

Markfaz,

Glad things turned out so will. Sounds like a good time out in the natural world.

Definately do not use a brillo type cleaner. Such a cleaning procedure will remove some or all of the cure and also add a soapy taste to the DO. Just put some water in the bottom, bring it to a boil, and most of the burnt-on stuff will come off. If some pieces are still stuckp-on, use the edge of a plastic spoon to gently remove them. Once the bottom is clean, I dump the water outside in the driveway, then put the DO back on the burner and heat-dry it. Then reapply a thin coat of lard or vegetable shortening. Let the DO cool, place a piece of paper towel between the DO and the lid, then put it away until your next use - which sounds like it may be soon.

[Markfaz]

Thanks again SS for the tips....I thought you weren't supposed to use abrasive stuff!!


Take care and I will talk with you when I need more DO saving help!! :D :D

Mark