Holding temp on a Thanksgiving Turkey

[fatguyputter]

Hello all! It has been awhile since my last post, but I always come here to read and get new ideas. I didn't find a great thread to help me with this topic, so I am throwing it out to all of my Brethren peers for some advice.

I am in charge of smoking a turkey for Thanksgiving and feel comfortable with that process. But, my dilemma is transporting it to my in-laws (which is 3 hours away). I know about the holding various things in foil in a cooler with blankets and such, as I have done it often with Pork Butt, Brisket, Ribs, etc. My concern is that I am going to completely lose the skin for sure, and also worried about the turkey getting mushy.

First do you agree with my concerns? Second, if so, is there a better method?

Other random thoughts.....would a spatchcocked bird work any better? Could I crisp up the skin somehow when I got there? Maybe the cooler will be just fine? Does parchment paper breathe better than foil? Would that work better? Any thoughts and advice on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[fatguyputter]

Another thought occurred.....what about doing it the night before, refrigerating it, and travel with a cold bird and reheat when there? If you all think this is the best method, how long will a reheat take? And what are the advantages/disadvantages of this method?

 

[tom b]

Your gonna loose the skin for sure with that long of hold, a spatchcocked bird for me takes less than 3 hrs. Why not get there early and cook on sight?

 

[fatguyputter]

I thought of that too....But to be honest, I would have to spend more time with my in-laws that way! :loco::loco:. Just kidding, I really didn't want to have to drag my smoker along.....All my FIL has is a gas grill.

Would Broiling it for about 5 minutes in the oven salvage the skin?

 

[kls44]

"All my FIL has is a gas grill."
I cooked turkey for several years on a gas grill. Indirect with small wood chunks in foil over the burner.

 

[WeberWho]

I've injected and traveled with a turkey and I've never had an issue. The skin won't stay crispy but I've never found the bird to be dried out. I'm sure injecting helps.

 

[patrickd26]

Go skinless!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUqk4OdsBNM

 

[dsp2]

Good question and good ideas. I'm not an expert, so I'm mostly here to learn from your thinking, experiment, and what others have to say.

That said, I wonder if just transporting in a pre-warmed cooler....maybe wrapped in butcher paper so it can breath more?....then maybe like 20 min in a 425* oven? Or 10 min?

I'm thinking of recipes where you slow cook something for hours, then roast at a high temp to crisp up the outside and generally tighten things up.

I'm thinking you'd be smoking to 160* or whatever. Then, with the wrap and the rest, you'd be decreasing to somewhere between 140-160* over that time frame.

And it might further tenderize during that time.

So....some more time in the heat could crisp the skin and tighten things up.

I'd wrap in BP with some butter in there for that 3 hour tour.

 

[oldgfbbq]

I would cook, transport in insulated box, then crisp skin on gasser over indirect heat, or in convection oven