Cooking a turkey over a fire

suggest either the dutch overn or the pit method, but to prevent it from drying out, the night before (I take it you will be at the Creek or somewhere with a car since there is no way someone is packing in a turkey withoout arririos; is to brine it overnight in 2 boxes of ve=gatable stock, one bottle of red wine and a bouquet garni (take a cheese cloth and wrap parsley, rosemary and thyme into it and add it to the brine along with celery and carrots. If you can brine it overnight, all the better. Then strain the brine, and if you reduce it down as the bird is cooking, you can marinade the bird with the reduction fior extra flavor

that or I go with a smoked turkey since cooking isn't so regorous.,

meant if you brine it over 2 days all the better....

Cook it at home and heat it up at camp. You can eat an animal without being an animal.

Maybe the OP who asked the question almost 6 years ago found the answer before now?

The trashcan method:

https://www.google.com/search?q=trash+can+turkey&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS738US739&oq=trashcan+t&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l5.9435j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Make sure you use a  piece of rebar instead of a wooden stake, put an empty soup can on top of the rebar so the turkey can't slide down. Cooked many a big bird in J-tree and Indian creek this way.

Julian H wrote: That is pretty much the perfect dirtbag way to cook turkey. Hopefully you find a new trash can without any nasty chemicals like galvanizing. That when heated release zinc fumes

Zinc is one of essential minerals. Helps prevent colds, supposedly.

Marc801 C wrote: Maybe the OP who asked the question almost 6 years ago found the answer before now?

Sshhhh! I'm hoping the OP will stumble across this thread, forget that he was the one who started it, and tell us all how to cook a turkey. With any luck he'll be an expert by now.

hey someone's gotta give the necro police something to do.

(Thanksgiving 2012, Klamath Falls, KOA Campground, OR)

(Thanksgiving 2014, J-Tree)


(Creeksgiving, 2016)


(Moabsgiving, 2017)

How to actually cook said turkey: find Jeff, buy him a beer, pick his brain.

PWZ wrote: hey someone's gotta give the necro police something to do.

Hey, I don't mind thread resurrection if the necromancer knows s/he is doing so (and acknowledges it). The annoyance is when a long dead question is answered as if it were asked yesterday in an active conversation!

Best turkey I ever ate we deep fried during a snowstorm at the Watchman campground in Zion.

Cooking a big whole bird on a grill would probably have a terrible result, IMO. Pit cooking sounds great (I've done a pig so why not a turkey) but involved. Plus, what if you can't dig that big of a pit because of rocks, sensitive soil, whatever.

Whole Foods pre-cooked and reheat in foil near the fire would be the other best option. 

Señor Arroz wrote: Best turkey I ever ate we deep fried during a snowstorm at the Watchman campground in Zion.

Deep fried turkey is great! Dealing with the oil, huge pot, 30K or higher output jet burner....... not while camping for me!

Whole Foods pre-cooked and reheat in foil near the fire would be the other best option. 

This ^^^

You could cut the turkey in half or quarters, brine + vacuum & sous vide it at home, cool, then reheat over a fire. It'd be the easiest method to get bomber results, IMO. Dry brine it for 6-8 hours, sous vide at 150 for 6 hours, cool in an ice bath, remove and clean up a bit, reseal & pack. Make your fire, crisp up the skin, good to go. Super super easy once you get outside and guaranteed incredible results.

If you want to be even fancier.. cut the bird into quarters, bone-in. Two-bone in & wing on breasts and two bone in thigh/leg portions. Dry brine the breasts with rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper 6 hours. Dry brine the thighs with cumin seed, fennel seed, caraway, bay leaf, salt, brown pepper for 12 hours. Vacuum seal separately. Cook the breasts at 147 degrees for 6 hours. Ice bath. Cook the thighs at 152 degrees for 24 hours. Ice bath. Once fully cooled remove from bag and remove any congealed fat; ie.. just make them look pretty. Reseal.

Then you just throw them on a fire until the skin is crispy, meat should be heated by the time skin is crispy. Melt some butter with garlic & fresh herbs to baste the turkey with for extra points. You'll be a hero.

Jeffrey K wrote: You could cut the turkey in half or quarters, brine + vacuum & sous vide it at home, cool, then reheat over a fire. It'd be the easiest method to get bomber results, IMO. Dry brine it for 6-8 hours, sous vide at 150 for 6 hours, cool in an ice bath, remove and clean up a bit, reseal & pack. Make your fire, crisp up the skin, good to go. Super super easy once you get outside and guaranteed incredible results.

Damn. I want to camp with you.

Jeffrey K wrote: You could cut the turkey in half or quarters, brine + vacuum & sous vide it at home, cool, then reheat over a fire. It'd be the easiest method to get bomber results, IMO. Dry brine it for 6-8 hours, sous vide at 150 for 6 hours, cool in an ice bath, remove and clean up a bit, reseal & pack. Make your fire, crisp up the skin, good to go. Super super easy once you get outside and guaranteed incredible results.

If you want to be even fancier.. cut the bird into quarters, bone-in. Two-bone in & wing on breasts and two bone in thigh/leg portions. Dry brine the breasts with rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper 6 hours. Dry brine the thighs with cumin seed, fennel seed, caraway, bay leaf, salt, brown pepper for 12 hours. Vacuum seal separately. Cook the breasts at 147 degrees for 6 hours. Ice bath. Cook the thighs at 152 degrees for 24 hours. Ice bath. Once fully cooled remove from bag and remove any congealed fat; ie.. just make them look pretty. Reseal.

Then you just throw them on a fire until the skin is crispy, meat should be heated by the time skin is crispy. Melt some butter with garlic & fresh herbs to baste the turkey with for extra points. You'll be a hero.

When I initially read this, I was concerned about salmonella contamination. BUT it turns out the 165º cooking recommendation is an outdated/oversimplified concept designed more for McDonalds fry-cooks https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html#temp

I like the recommendation - I'll have to try it out!

Cook it at home
Reheat in those cheapo turkey foils doubled up.
Ask any Chef It’s all about the prep.
Brining is solid beta

We always just bought some sliced turkey breast at the deli, some instant mashed potatoes, a can of cranberry sauce, a can of gravy and called it Thanksgiving. Alternatively if we were going to be way out in the boonies we would make turkey jerky out of the sliced turkey breast from the deli in the dehydrator and then bring it on the trip.

Capital resurrection.

Glad to see this thread is alive and well!