Cooking a turkey in a sun oven

[Toni]

Our oven doesn't work. All we have is a toaster oven and a sun oven.

Has anyone cooked a turkey in a sun oven? If so, how do you do it? I really don't want to cut up the turkey and boil it. I've been searching on the internet, but have only found how to cook pieces of turkey (like the legs, etc.)

[GAMom]

I just did a search on this and found this site with an answer:www.sunoven.com/archives/2685
Basically it sounds like you'd cook it in an oven roasting bag the same as you'd do in a regular oven. Hope you have a sunny day to do this.

[Julie]

What's touchy about this is keeping the temperature constant. I always worry about samonella with turkey.

[Julie]

You ought to try smoking it. We are having ours smoked this year - neighbor has a smoking pit out to his fields.
Here's a recipe.


1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1 (20 pound) bag high quality charcoal briquettes
hickory chips or chunks

Directions

Place the charcoal into the bottom pan of the smoker. Light the coals and wait for the temperature of the smoker to come to 240 degrees F (115 degrees C). Lightly oil grate.
Rinse turkey under cold water, and pat dry. Place hickory chips into a pan with water to cover.
Place turkey onto the prepared grate. Add 2 handfuls damp chips at start of cooking, then a handful every couple of hours during the cooking process. Leave the lid on - DO NOT keep looking at turkey, or you will let the heat out! Continue smoking until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches180 degrees F (82 degrees C), or keep going until the coals die out.

[Toni]

I just did a search on this and found this site with an answer:www.sunoven.com/archives/2685
Basically it sounds like you'd cook it in an oven roasting bag the same as you'd do in a regular oven. Hope you have a sunny day to do this.

Thanks, I'll check it out. I'm hoping for a sunny day, too.


What's touchy about this is keeping the temperature constant. I always worry about samonella with turkey.

That's my concern. That's why I posted. I didn't want to make us sick, or worse. If it comes down to it, I can cut it in small pieces and fry it like chicken or put it in our toaster oven in small bits.

A smoker sounds good. I don't know anyone who has one, though. I'll keep the recipe, though - just in case.

[iggy]

Have you tried replacing the oven element?

[Toni]

It's a gas stove. I don't know anything about them. Our manager/acting owner has been fighting cancer so I haven't told him about it.

[Justme]

I would be wary of cooking it in a sun oven because of the salmonella issue also. I lived without an oven for three years and I am sure we had turkey for Thanksgiving but for the life of me I can't remember what we did. However even after we got an over I know my husband barbecued one year and used a dutch oven another year. He also used another kind of portable convection oven and all of those methods worked well but since you may not have access to any of that equipment I suggest finding out if anyone in your ward has one of those large portable roasters that are always on sale this time of year. Several people in our ward have them as they use them a lot at ward dinners and funeral luncheons. My sister does her turkey in one quite often.

Wish you were closer, you could come to my house, though I am still contemplating just going to eat at my mom's assisted living instead of cooking at home. The downside to that is not having leftovers at home which are the best part of Thanksgiving.

[Toni]

A roaster! I didn't think of that. My sil might have one. I'll have to ask her. Thanks.

[Toni]

I just called my sil. She threw her roaster away, but she told me of someone who smokes turkeys for people; he puts them in a large pit at the school. If it's okay with him, that's what I'm going to do. Thanks, all, for your ideas and help.