How will you prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey - RV-Dreams Community Forum

RodnReal · RV-Dreams Family Member

How will you prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey

JLitton65 · RV-Dreams Family Member

I am purchasing a few of those boneless breast from Butteball and cooking them on the grill. Have grilled them before.

http://www.butterball.com/product_category/roasts

The original has both dark and white meat. I am waiting for the cajun ones to come out. I have one in the freezoe, but needed 1 or 2 more. The cajun one seems to be all white meat.

-- Edited by JLitton65 on Monday 26th of October 2009 10:31:59 AM

island girl · RV-Dreams Family Member

This is not a suggestion but your question brought to mind a thanksgiving many years ago when we were camping in the back country. My mother and stepfather were in a truck camper and my mother had brought along a turkey for thanksgiving. She hadn't thought about the fact that they had no oven in the camper....we rigged up a rack over the stove burners and made an oven out of a roast pan and some tin foil. It turned out great! It is amazing what you can do if you want to badly enough!

HapyKamper · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hi Connie,

We have cooked Turkey in a Trash Can several times and just love it. It is lots of fun to do and very easy. Each year, more and more people join us for dinner.

You will need the following:

20 pound turkey (should not be a self basting turkey ..like Butterball)
20 pounds of charcoal
New metal trash can
Bundt pan
Foil
Charcoal chimney
Thick work gloves
Small shovel
Large metal or wood stake. (You will want a long enough stake to suspend the turkey. It should not touch the ground)
Timer
Camera
Lawn chairs
Beverages

Pre-burn the inside of your trash can before using. It might be helpful to do this prior to the event. This is done to remove the galvanized paint from the inside of the can. Wash it out completely. We keep this trash can and use it each year.

Wash turkey and remove giblets. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pre-start some charcoal in a charcoal chimney (or you can pre-start some on a large square of foil)

Place foil on the ground to extend past the trash can. Put bundt pan in the middle (this is used to collect juices from the turkey). Put stake through the hole in the bundt pan and drive into the ground. Cover the stake with foil.

Suspend bird on stake. It is quite a sight!

Place can over the bird and put some of the "hot" charcoal on the top and around the sides of trash can. Pour the rest of the charcoal on top and around the sides.

When the charcoal appears to be going well, start your timer. Relax in your lawn chairs and enjoy your beverage for exactly 1 1/2 hours. Do not peek or lift the can off. Beware...the can gets very, very hot!

After 1 1/2 hours remove the charcoal and carefully remove the trash can (use the thick work gloves)

Enjoy! The turkey will be very dark brown and crispy. Inside it will be moist and delicous.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us. Be sure to buy a big bird!

We also have a great recipie for Ham in a Hole if you are interested.

John & Carol

-- Edited by HapyKamper on Monday 26th of October 2009 07:21:27 PM

RodnReal · RV-Dreams Family Member

Julie, I went to the Grill section on the Butterball website and they have recipes for a whole turkey for whatever type of grill you have and also included are the grill recipes for the boneless breasts. Thanks !

Angela, "necessity is the Mother of Invention" LOL and sounds like it was well worth the trouble. :)

Here is what I found on the Trash Can or Tin Can Turkey:

I don't want this to happen: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/505573/trashcan_turkey/

Better results: http://www.vimeo.com/2673889

-- Edited by RodnReal on Monday 26th of October 2009 12:27:19 PM

JLitton65 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Connie,
I like the boneless breast..less mess and waste. I am not big on picking the meat off the bones. Since we will be camping..I like it a little bit simple.

RodnReal · RV-Dreams Family Member

HapyKamper, we must have been posting at the same time. Thats how I hear its done. Since you have done it more than once, I assume it was not a "happy accident" that it came out great! :) Thats really good to know. The two video's I posted, on eof them was a nightmare. LOL

Julie, if it was up to my husband it would be white meat ONLY, every year. Me, on the other hand, like the dark meat and enough leftover for sandwiches.

I may just try the trash can turkey this year. Either that, or find myself a good electric roaster oven.

I guess I don't understand why they make the ovens in an RV so dang small. I use my oven nearly 4 times a week, sometimes more. Getting used to such a small inefficient one is going to be an adjustment for me.

I'll just buy more trash cans I guess. LOL :)

two travelers · RV-Dreams Family Member

I like to cook over open fires and have a set with a spit attachment.... We are still in the brick and stick but plan to try cooking the Turkey outside this year...We have also done Deep Fried Turkeys and cooked them on the Weber Grill... I also have a large roaster oven but have never cooked a turkey in it...was wondering if I would take it for that purpose when we go FT...I have a friend who says her father used to cook the turkey in a pit when she was a kid...That I know nothing about...I am sure were there is a will there is a way...patti

sirwinston21 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ours will be prepared for us and we will have Thanks Giving dinner with a bunch of our Best Friends at the rec hall at LLano Grande Resort in the RGV. But Ginger will still cook a turkey breast and the trimmings for oursleves for leftovers.

hogans1947 · RV-Dreams Family Member

We will deep fry a couple turkeys for the family. We use the oil 3 or 4 times before tossing so it's not too expensive. After it has cooled we dump it through a strainer and back into original bottle.

thebearII · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lately, we usually do a couple of turkey breasts in the oven or on the grill.

However in the past while out RV'ing we have:

Deep Fried in peanut oil, both in a gas fryer and an electric fryer

Smoked a Turkey in a large outdoor smoker

Roasted a Turkey over a charcoal grill (in an aluminum pan, with a tent made out of foil to cover the turkey and the grill)

Buried the turkey under ground in a big cast iron dutch oven covered with coals (Wrap the turkey in 6 layers of foil, put it in the pot and bury it in the coals, then cover the pit with a metal plate, cover the plate with dirt. leaving a breathing hole and exhaust hole so the coals won't smother, we used a 4 in pipe at each end of the plate)

I would like to rotisserie a turkey over a hickory wood fire pit someday.

My favorite, so far, is the deep fried turkey in peanut oil. The turkey has such a great flavor and is really moist.

RodnReal · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for all the input everyone, I still haven't made up my mind yet on how this year's bird will be prepared.

Bear, I think you win for variety of ways to cook turkey. :)

Serengeti · RV-Dreams Family Member

This thanksgiving we are going to Jon's sisters place and we were told that we are having Ostrich for the meal.
Never had it and we are looking forward to trying it.

When we prepared Turkey before we would heat the oven to 350 degrees and cook it for about 15 minutes per pound and while through the entire cooking cycle would baste it.

The basting is made from a bottle of white wine and a melted 1/4 Lb. butter stirred in the wine and baste it about every 1/2 hour.