If the current news cycle makes you want to run screaming into the woods for Thanksgiving, we understand. The upshot? If you know what you’re doing, you can cook a turkey over a campfire.
Especially if you follow Steven Rinella’s advice. An expert outdoorsman and hunter, Rinella is also a damn good cook. He’s the author of six game and wildlife cookbooks. He has a new book coming out on November 20 called The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook: Recipes and Techniques for Every Hunter and Angler.
But first, a caveat: Rinella doesn’t actually eat turkey on Turkey Day. “The first Thanksgiving was described as an impromptu affair,” says Rinella, who is based in Bozeman, Montana. “They would have eaten whatever they had on hand. ” The time to hunt wild turkeys—the only kind of turkey Rinella eats—is in the spring. It doesn’t make sense to freeze a bird for six months when there are so many other things that can be harvested in the fall. Take, for example, venison, “which was surely on the original Thanksgiving menus,” Rinella says.
He says, “But I’ve cooked a boatload of turkeys.” He also tells us that his new book has a lot of great recipes for wild turkey. Also, the recipes below can be used for chickens and turkeys that have been tamed. Just make the cooking time longer because tamed turkeys are usually bigger than wild turkeys.
Before diving in, consider this advice from Rinella. Lose any notion of cooking the bird à la Rockwell—that is, intact. He says, “That would be like flying a helicopter.” He means that you’d have to work so hard to make sure the turkey cooked evenly on all sides that it would stress you out. “Lower your expectations. ”.
Cooking a juicy perfectly roasted turkey in a fire pit may seem daunting, but with proper preparation and technique you can master this fun and flavorful cooking method. Whether you want to add rustic flair to your Thanksgiving gathering or impress your friends at the next camping trip, cooking turkey over an open fire pit results in a tender, smoky bird that you can’t achieve in the oven.
Gather the Right Supplies
Successful fire pit turkey cooking starts with having the right gear Here’s what you need
- Turkey – Choose a 12-18 lb fresh or completely thawed turkey. Allow 1.5 lbs per person.
- Fire pit – Opt for a sturdy, well-constructed fire pit at least 30 inches across. This provides enough room for indirect cooking.
- Fuel – Hardwood logs like oak or hickory are ideal. Avoid softwoods like pine which produce excess smoke. You’ll also need charcoal to maintain consistent heat.
- Dutch oven – A heavy cast iron Dutch oven with legs holds the turkey. Choose an oven at least 12 inches wide and 8 inches deep to fit a medium turkey.
- Poultry shears – Cutting shears make spatchcocking the turkey easier.
- Basting brush – Use a heat-resistant silicone brush to baste the turkey.
- Meat thermometer – A reliable food thermometer ensures the turkey is fully cooked.
Prep the Turkey
Proper prep ensures moist, flavorful meat. Follow these steps
- Spatchcock – Removing the backbone and flattening the bird promotes even cooking. Use shears to cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Spread the turkey flat.
- Dry brine – Pat the turkey dry and let it rest uncovered in the fridge for 8-24 hours. The outer skin dries out helping create a crispy skin.
- Season – Rub the turkey generously with dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage. Salt and pepper the cavity. Stuff with lemons, onions, apples for moisture and flavor.
- Truss – Use butcher’s twine to secure the legs and tie the wings back to hold everything together.
Build the Fire
Your fire needs to burn down to hot embers perfect for indirect cooking:
- Construct a teepee fire with kindling and hardwood logs. Use enough wood to sustain heat for 3-4 hours.
- Let the fire burn until the wood collapses into red hot embers. This takes 1-2 hours.
- Push the embers into an even layer. Scatter unlit charcoal briquettes over the embers to maintain consistent heat.
Cook the Turkey
With prep complete and embers ready, it’s time to roast:
- Place the Dutch oven legs-down in the fire pit, centered over the embers.
- Put the seasoned, trussed turkey in the Dutch oven, breast-side up.
- Position the lid on the Dutch oven, with the handle facing away from the fire.
- Shovel hot embers up the sides of the Dutch oven to surround it with even heat.
- Maintain a consistent fire, adding fresh charcoal every 45-60 minutes.
- Check the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh after about 2 hours. Turkey is done at 165°F.
- Rotate the Dutch oven and baste the turkey every 30 minutes to ensure even cooking.
- Allow the turkey to rest 15-20 minutes before carving for juicy results.
Handy Tips for Fire Pit Turkey Success
- Allow at least 5-6 hours total cooking time for a 12-15 lb turkey.
- Keep an oven thermometer inside the Dutch oven to monitor temperature.
- Use foil wraps or a diffuser if fire is too hot.
- Let fire die down completely before removing Dutch oven to avoid burns.
- Have a spray bottle on hand to tame flames if needed.
Make It a Feast
Completing your wilderness turkey feast:
- Sides – Cook potato rounds wrapped in foil right in the embers. Grilled veggies are easy too.
- Gravy – Use the turkey drippings for rich, savory gravy.
- Cranberry sauce – Packaged cranberry sauce cooks easily in a pot on the fire pit grill.
- Pumpkin pie – Pre-make pie and reheat gently, wrapped in foil on the grill.
With the right preparation and equipment, cooking turkey in a fire pit results in smoky, juicy flavor you don’t get from an oven. Tend the fire carefully, rotate and baste the turkey, and use a thermometer for perfect doneness. Your patience will be rewarded with a truly memorable Thanksgiving meal cooked over a crackling fire.
Choose Your Adventure
There are two ways to cook a bird over a fire. The first is to spatchcock it. To the uninitiated, spatchcocking means butchering a bird so it lays flat. Basically, you cut down the backbone with kitchen shears, then either break or remove the breastbone. Rinella says that patchcocking turns something 3D into 2D, which makes it much easier to cook everyone the same amount of food. If you want to serve your Thanksgiving meal as One Big Bird, choose this route. The other option is to cut your bird into pieces. Rinella likes to butcher a raw turkey into two breasts, two bone-in thighs and drumsticks, and two wings. The benefit here is that you can cook each piece for exactly as long as needed.
For a Spatchcocked Bird
Place it over the grate, skin side down. (Don’t remove the skin before cooking for either of these methods. Skin keeps the bird moist, and it’s delicious. ) After about four minutes, give the turkey a light baste with clarified butter, then turn it over. You’ll keep basting and turning every four minutes or so as it cooks. Your turkey will not cook evenly, no matter what you do. “So you’re going to eat in stages,” Rinella says. In old Westerns, they cut off small pieces of meat and eat them while the big piece of meat keeps cooking. That’s exactly what you’ll do with this method; you’ll bast and turn the meat as you eat it. As long as you have a lot of wine, eating a few bird bits at a time feels festive and social, and you won’t feel bad about not having a full, sit-down meal. If your bird is big, you might have to wait 40 minutes to an hour before you can start digging in. (Its done when a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees and the juices run clear. ).
Cooking a Whole Turkey Over a Campfire | Off-Grid Camping Adventure
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