Planning For THANKSGIVING and looking for a suggestion

SmokeyLosAngeles

So I am making the turkey this year.  Only hurdle is we are eating at someone else's house.  I was planning on spatchcocking a turkey and serving that.  Works so well with chicken.  The issue is how do I keep the Turkey good between the time I leave my house and then the time we would like to eat.  Maybe 5 hours?

Advice please.

PigBeanUs

You dont

Might have to cook, cool, carve, transport, reheat

even traveling across town for an hour with it in a cooler, for example, would cause crispy skin to not be crispy when you got there. 

WeberWho

5 hours could be tough. I've done 3 hours but the skin won't be crisp if you're worried about it. I also inject. No sure if that helps any but I've never had a dry bird when traveling with one. 

lousubcap

What type cooker is at your destination?  The easiest may be to just cook it there and not sweat the hassle of trying to deliver one finished five hours in advance.  Besides, once everyone hits it with gravy...

danhoo

I don't have any real good advice on the turkey, yet 



Several bottles of red wine will smooth out any rough spots. 

Langner91

Five hours makes me think you would be better off picking up Chinese Carry Out.  You are not going to be happy with a five hour old turkey.  Unless you turn it into turkey and noodles before you leave.

Can you rent a trailer and take your egg there the night before?

Fred19Flintstone

I cook on Wednesday.  Sometimes in that hot boxy thing in the kitchen.  I cook it, rest it & carve it.  I put the meat in an aluminum roasting pan with drippings (without the fat) and turkey stock and shove it in the fridge.  On Thursday, Wilma takes out the pan at halftime of the Detroit Lions Follies and reheats it.  By the end of the game, it’s hot and I’m a little toasty too.  The meat is pre-carved and ready for the buffet line or the table.  A whole lot less stress and all it really cost me is crispy skin.

SmokeyLosAngeles

THANKS ALL FOR THE ADVICE...  Although not what I was hoping for...  

@lousubcap at the destination is an oven and a standard BBQ. 

@Langner91 Hilarious.  Thanks for the reply.  

SmokeyLosAngeles

OK So I have a large egg and an XL egg.  How big of a turkey do you all think I can get on a large egg if I want to go spatchcock?

SmokeyLosAngeles

To be clear Im thinking I will use a pot lifter to get the egg in the back of an SUV.

lousubcap

I have done a 17lb one spatched but a variable is the body structure of the bird.  If you don't mind being stared at, you know the width you can accommodate, take some string to the grocery store and measure the circumference of the birds.  Take around an inch or so off for the backbone and there you are.  You can get a larger turkey going with the non spatch, especially if you remove the fire ring.  FWIW-

danhoo

Gulfcoastguy

SmokeyLosAngeles said:

OK So I have a large egg and an XL egg.  How big of a turkey do you all think I can get on a large egg if I want to go spatchcock?

You can cheat and put the turkey on a rib rack(inverted V). Without it a 16 pounder is easy.

SmokeyLosAngeles

OK this is great.  NEW Plan is to travel the large BGE in the back of the wife's SUV.  Now I just need to let her know.  

SmokeyLosAngeles

I wonder if I need to take the stand I have or can I just set the egg on the concrete?  No as perfect but for one cook I think it would be fine.  Or maybe I put it on a couple bricks.

danhoo

You are more adventurous than I am transporting a large for one cook at a friends.  If you have room, bring a stand... 

caliking

SmokeyLosAngeles said:

I wonder if I need to take the stand I have or can I just set the egg on the concrete?  No as perfect but for one cook I think it would be fine.  Or maybe I put it on a couple bricks.

I like this new plan

Should be fine setting it on concrete for one cook. But, setting it on a couple bricks is easy, so why not?

danhoo

Do you have your original feet? 

SmokeyLosAngeles

I cant find the feet.

WeberWho

SmokeyLosAngeles said:

I cant find the feet.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pennington-1-5-in-Terra-Cotta-Clay-Pot-Planter-Feet-Set-of-3-100012662/300067986

fishlessman

i used to raise the egg with an inverted milk crate and a paver stone and you can used the milk crate to pack things in. about 15 bucks at home depot.  my egg just sits on the ground now, its not that hard to get by without a stand

RyanStl

The standard bbq at the destination. To me that would mean a Webber kettle.  You can do a turkey on a regular kettle that will still turn out great. A gasser, maybe not.  Maybe I'm just lazy, but transporting a large egg to cook at someone's house sounds crazy.

Photo Egg

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https://youtu.be/mEofA0SvS1k

Made Turkey this way several times. Once people stop making jokes about serving pressed turkey out of a can they are amazed at how good it is. I highly recommend trying. If you don’t have a SousVide, this alone makes the purchase worth it!

We have used the oven broiler, frying pan and deep fry to crisp the skin at the end. All were winners. But the best was deep fry at the end after a couple full turkeys. But these were still better than even the fried turkey. Takes a little time to prep but you can do this the day before so no rushing on the big day. It’s also travel friendly.

lkapigian

Last time I was Heck Bent at BBQing a turkey a long ways away, I bought a Weber 22 so it was ready when I arrived for pick up 1500 miles away, put it together there, cooked an awesome meal and left them with a parting gift