Archive for the ‘Tailgating’ Category
Don’t have time to deep fry a turkey on Thanksgiving Day? Want to have deep fried turkey at a tailgate but don’t want to lug a deep fryer to the stadium? You can always get out your turkey fryer ahead of time, deep fry your bird, store it in the refrigerator, and then reheat the turkey when the time is right.
Reheating directions for deep fried turkey:
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator or cooler 3-4 hours before reheating to allow it to come to room temperature. This will decrease the amount of time it takes to reheat your bird. Place the turkey in preheated 250 degree F. oven or grill for 30 minutes for a 10-12 lb. turkey. (Time may vary depending on size of turkey)
For microwave re-heating:
Remove any foil from around the turkey. Place a damp cloth around the bird and heat for 10-15 minutes. If the turkey is already sliced, place in microwave safe dish and place loosely crumpled damp paper towels on top of the turkey. (Time may vary according to size of turkey and microwave wattage)
Of course reheating is never the same as right out of the fryer, but it’ll do in a pinch.
As the lesson on turkey fryers comes to a close, we now come to the safer fryer. These are larger outdoor propane deep fryers that you can fry many things, but if so inclined, you can deep fry a turkey. Two companies that manufacture these type of fryers are R & V Works who make the Cajun Fryer, and Bayou Classic that make the Bayou Fryer. Both are quite similar in design, a V shaped bottom with a squared cooking compartment made of steel.
What makes these fryers safer, is that unlike the open exposed flame and pot of bubbling oil of a traditional turkey fryer, these units have a self contained flame. The ignition port is usually at the side or the back of the unit. The flames run through the oil in the cooking compartment in self contained metal tubes. As the metal heats, it in turn heats the frying oil. And, yes it does get hot enough to heat the oil to deep fry anything you want, even a whole turkey. Any spillage, bubbling oil or splash back that may occur would come out of the front of the unit, not down the side, or out of the back, therefore no hot oil and flame should ever come in contact. Thus, a safer fryer.
The V shaped bottom helps to keep the oil fresher longer. The oil below the tubes tends to stay much cooler. Any food particles that may fall to the bottom are not in hot, scorching oil. The food particles won’t burn, therefore keeping the oil from getting that burned carbon flavor.
You can recoup the investment of your cooking oil in no time, by filtering your oil after about every 5 uses. All of the units come with a drain valve to aid in this purpose. A piece of radiator hose from the auto parts store and an appropriate fitting attached, will help you filter your cooled oil back into the original containers, allowing you to strain out any food particles as well. If you don’t have a proper oil filtering and straining system, take your time with a funnel and a coffee filter and you are good to go. If you are tailgating, and don’t have time to let everything cool down properly, the use of metal Jerry cans can aid in this purpose. Before you go into the football game, carefully drain the hot oil into metal Jerry cans and place them off to the side or away. This will also help the deep fryer to cool down quicker so that people walking through the parking lot to get into the stadium will not be bumping into a hot metal fryer.
The safer fryers come in many sizes, from 2 1/2 gallon all the way up to a large 17 gallon fryer that is technically two 8 1/2 gallon fryers welded together on one stand. You can not cook a whole Thanksgiving bird in a 2 1/2 gallon unit though. Any unit ranging 6 gallons and up though, would be perfect for turkey. There are even specially modified frying baskets that help fit a turkey into a 6 gallon Cajun Fryer or larger.
If you love deep fried turkey, but don’t want to deep fry a bird in the house in a counter top deep fryer, or have a roasted turkey in an oil-less “turkey fryer”, and are still leery of the conventional turkey fryer, than a safer fryer is for you. You can deep fry everything from apple fritters to zeppoles in these fryers. Great for tailgate parties, camping, a Friday night fish fry at the church, or even for starting up a mobile catering business. Just spray down the inside of the unit with some spray cooking oil when not in use put a cover on it and store it in the garage or shed.
Deep fried turkey has become an American passion. If you have been thinking about getting a turkey fryer, do your research before you decide what fryer is right for you. You don’t just have to buy a traditional turkey fryer. There are lots of different options out there. Become informed and whatever you do go with, remember to read your manual, follow the directions, be safe, and use sober, common sense.
PS. Always remember to have an extra tank of propane on hand. You don’t want to run out in the middle of deep frying your Thanksgiving dinner!!
So, now we get to the traditional turkey fryer. A stock pot, a jet cooker, and a propane tank. Simple, yet many people are frightened by them.
As long as you read the instructions, follow what they say, use sober, common sense, and have a bucket of sand and/or an all purpose fire extinguisher handy, everything should be fine. Oil and water don’t mix!! There is no need to be a hero either. If you find yourself in a situation that is out of your hands, call the local fire department.
Reading about other peoples bad experiences with traditional outdoor propane deep fryers can be good, but can also be bad. If you read them in order to find out what not to do, that is fine. But if you read them and they just make you more opposed to cooking this way, then you will want to go with a safer outdoor propane fryer, or go oil less.
As long as you follow certain guidelines, you can have a perfect, crispy, & juicy fried turkey in about a third of the the time it takes to roast the same size bird in your oven. Imagine having a fully cooked 14 lb. turkey in less than an hour as compared to taking more than 4 hours to roast the same bird.
Safety is the main thing with this style of fryer. It must be used outdoors, and not inside of your garage or on your wooden deck right next to your house. You want the unit away from buildings and combustible materials.
It should be placed on a sturdy level section of ground or concrete.
You want a good distance between your propane tank and your cooker. But you also want to make sure that the hose between the tank and the cooker are not in a walk through area.
Make sure that the kids, your buddies and the dog all have some place else to play. That goes for after you are done cooking as well. It will take quite a while for the frying oil to cool down once you are done.
If there is any wind the day you are cooking, place your LP gas on the upside of the wind so that the heat of the burner is blowing in the opposite direction.
Make sure you are properly dressed. You want long sleeves, shoes, and pants. Shorts and flip flops are not a great idea here. You also want to have on a pair of protective gloves, preferably ones that can handle high temps. Safety goggles are not a bad idea either.
You want an oil with a high smoke point. For more on smoke point and cooking oils, see our past blog on Frying Oils.
Having all of your equipment right on hand is important. You want to have your thermometer to constantly monitor your temp. A conventional turkey fryer does not have a temperature gauge that will shut off when it reaches the desired temperature. It does not a safety shut off, or breakaway cord like a counter top deep fryer. You must constantly monitor an outdoor propane deep fat fryer. DO NOT EVER LEAVE THE FRYER UNATTENDED. Have your lifting hooks and everything right where you can get at them. If possible, have a friend that can assist in raising and lowering your turkey into the hot oil.
Make sure your poultry is fully thawed!!! Ice crystals and hot oil do not mix!
I like to start at about 400 degrees. Even though your bird should be at room temp. for about an hour before you fry it, the oil temp. is still going to drop down. Starting a little higher than optimum temp. will help speed temp. recovery time. When the oil has reached optimum temp. you want to raise and lower the bird into the hot oil just like a dunking tea bag. The oil will spit and bubble at this point. So take your time getting the turkey settled in before placing the lid on the unit. If you are worried about hot oil and flames coming in contact, shut the burner off while you are lowering the turkey into the pot. Once everything has settled, immediately turn your burner back on. Remember to monitor your temps. You don’t want the temperature too low, or too high.
Remember to let the unit cool before attempting cool filter and store your oil for future use.
Now, I can never stress the fact enough that a traditional turkey fryer is the perfect piece of outdoor cooking equipment for tailgaters, campers, and even the backyard social butterfly.
This unit not only deep fries. You can steam, boil, and stew with it. You can steam corn on the cob while you are grilling steaks in your back yard. You can have a whole Low Country Boil or New England Style Clam Bake at the beach. You can make beef stew for that cold weather tailgate, or a huge pot of hot chocolate, hot cider or mulled wine. Deep fry a huge mess of Buffalo wings for the Superbowl. Have a Friday Night Fish Fry at church. You can even make corned beef and cabbage for a Half Way to St. Patrick’s Day party at your fire department or in the stadium parking lot at a Notre Dame game. Menu options are endless.This kind of cooking equipment is a tailgater’s best friend.
And that’s not all. There are still at least 100 more applications that a turkey fryer can fit into. You can use them to can beets at harvest time. You can cook down maple sap to make syrup in the spring. Tie die shirts with the kids on a summer afternoon. There is no reason to pack your fryer away just because Thanksgiving is over.
As I have said before, if you are frightened of these wonderful cooking apparatuses due to past horror stories, then this cooker may not be for you. But, if you are willing to get out there and experiment, the options of this versatile piece of cooking equipment are astounding.
Moving on to the great outdoors. There are a few different types of outdoor turkey fryers. Some are electric, some are propane. Some that are traditional deep fat turkey fryers, and some that are oil free or oil less “turkey fryers“.
I wanted to touch upon the later two as they are made by very respectable companies. They are safe, easy and cook great. The thing is, is that they really are not deep fryers. They technically roast the bird using radiant heat or infrared heat.
Some of these units actually have the option of adding wood chips for a smokey flavor.
A few of the upsides here are less mess, easier clean up, less of a fire hazard, other cooking options, etc.
Obviously, you have a virtually splatter free cooking unit, as you have no oil to spit, pop, or boil over. This makes clean up much easier as you do not have to wait for frying oil to cool down. You don’t have oil to filter and store. You still need to wait for the unit to cool down before clean up and storage, but this will take considerably less time than a unit full of hot oil. Some of the pieces of these units are dish washer safe, therefore also saving time. Though, certain parts must be 
hand cleaned and should never be submerged in water.
These units are safer as there is no hot oil that can come in contact with open flame, which could pose a potential fire hazard. Safety precautions should still be taken though. No pets or kids, of any age, running around the unit all willy nilly. Remember that you still have either an electric cord or a propane tank hooked to a hot container that is full of hot food. The sides of the unit will be hot. Make sure that you have appropriate protective gloves and your handling equipment on hand. Even though there is less of a potential for fire, etc, you should still keep a constant eye on any outdoor cooking equipment.
Using no oil is a healthier option compared to deep fried foods. Less calories and no oil, but still having crispy yet juicy turkey is a definite up point.
Another positive point to these units, as compared to a conventional turkey fryer, is you can use seasoning rubs. You can still use injectable seasonings, but rubs that would normally boil right off in hot frying oil, will now be a tasty and crispy part of the outside of your bird or other meats and vegetables that can be roasted in these units.
Now for the down sides. As I said, these units do not technically deep fry. You cannot make traditional french fries or doughnuts in an infrared cooker. You can smoke food but you cannot out and out deep fry. A traditional turkey fryer, you can also boil, steam and stew. This is not an option here.
These units are portable enough, especially the propane units, but if you are tailgating or camping with an electric unit, having a generator is a must. You can roast and smoke all sorts of meats and vegetables in one of these oil less fryers, which is nice for different menu options at the stadium or at a campground get together. But having a traditional fryer that has a stock pot that you can stew chili in, steam corn and lobster in, or deep fry chicken wings is a much more versatile piece of cooking equipment for people that use outdoor cooking equipment all the time.
These radiant heating units are great. They are cleaner and safer than traditional turkey fryers. The infrared heat seals in moisture for crispy, juicy, less fattening and flavorful food. If you have been looking for a turkey fryer for the holidays, but been hesitant to buy for safety issues, than this may be an option for you.
It’s that time of year again. People start trying to remember where they packed the turkey fryer away. Is it in the garage, the shed, the attic?
I know that some people use their turkey fryers year round, for all sorts of applications, like canning vegetables at the end of the summer or making chili for the tailgate. But, most people only use their stock pot and propane cooker for one thing, Thanksgiving. I just don’t understand why this versatile piece of cooking equipment would only be used for one holiday a year. The traditional turkey fryer can be used to steam, stew, and boil, beside being able to deep fry anything, like wings, fries, onion rings, etc.
If you don’t already own a turkey fryer but have been thinking about getting one, which one do you choose?
There are so many types of “fryers” to choose from on the market now. There are indoor electric counter top fryers that can hold a small turkey. There is a larger counter top model by Masterbuilt & Butterball that have made turkey frying more convenient and use less oil too. There are the traditional outdoor propane turkey fryers and larger outdoor professional style deep fryers that you can deep fry turkey in. There are outdoor electric turkey fryers, and “oil-free” turkey fryers. Which one is right for you?
Now that we’ve talked about indoor fryer safety, it’s time to move outdoors.
Having a turkey fryer or any outdoor propane deep fryer is fun. It adds flavor to your holidays. It’s an extra versatile cooking appliance for backyard barbecues, and a great added piece of cooking equipment for tailgaters. You can deep fry, steam, boil, simmer, and stew with a traditional turkey fryer. When it comes to hot oil and flames, always remember…safety first. This goes for any outdoor cooking equipment, but especially when frying oil, flames, and propane tanks are involved.
Now as I said having an outdoor fryer is fun, but it is also a serious business. Caution and common sense play a big role here.
Wearing appropriate clothes, like having shoes and sleeves are a great idea. Having all of the proper tools from your fryer kit right on hand is a necessity. You don’t need to search for the grab hook or basket lifter when the time comes to use it. Other important equipment to use and have on hand when using any outdoor propane deep fryer, are heavy duty long gloves, safety goggles, a bucket of sand and an all purpose fire extinguisher. Remember…water and hot oil don’t mix. A hose used on any grease or oil fire can just make matters worse.
Always use your propane fryer outdoors. An open area is best, away from houses, garages, wooden decks, trees, and shrubs. Find a nice, flat, level piece of ground. Make certain that children and pets have another area to play in. You also want to be certain that your deep fryer will not be in a walk through area. Always make sure that there is at least 2 feet of space between your propane tank and the fryer burner. Make sure that no one is going to try to walk between the tank and the burner. Place your tank and fryer so that any wind will blow the heat of the burner and fryer away from your LP gas tank. Keep in mind that there are some outdoor electric fryer units on the market. The same goes for these units. They are intended for outdoor use, not in your kitchen or on your wooden porch or deck. You also want to make sure that your cord will not get walked into, yanking the cord out of the wall or flipping your fryer over.
Never leave the fryer unattended. This goes for any type of deep fryer, indoors or outdoors. You always need to keep a careful watch during the deep frying process. If a grease fire occurs, turn off the gas immediately and cover the stock pot with a lid. Sand and again an all purpose fire extinguisher are great to have on hand. Also if your oil begins to smoke badly, immediately turn off the gas.
Being sober while deep frying is pretty important. You will have time afterward when the cooking is done and the oil has cooled or been stored away. Keeping your friends that are partying, safe and away from the hot oil is important too. Just like the kids and the dogs, make sure that any rowdiness, rough play or an over zealous drinkers have there own place far from gas tank lines, burners, and hot oil.
Make sure that your stock pot or Dutch oven is properly centered over your burner. You don’t want food or hot oil upending because the pan just wasn’t centered.
Remember to use the tea bag dunking method. Any time you add something in to hot oil, it is going to bubble and spit. Just dropping a turkey or whatever you are frying, right in to the stock pot is just asking for trouble. This will result in a major boil over and a possible fire hazard. If you are really worried, when the time comes to put the turkey in the pot, shut the burner off for a couple of minutes until your bird or other food, is safely nestled in the pot. Then turn the burner back on.
Always give your fryer proper time to cool down before straining or disposing of the oil. Even though the unit is turned off, the oil will remain hot for quite a while. You still need to keep the kids, big and small, and dogs away from it while it cools. With a traditional turkey fryer, get a battery operated pump or enlist a friend or two to help strain and funnel the oil. The oil can be used again if stored properly. Once the oil is cooled, you can strain and funnel the oil into storage containers with ease. If tailgating, funnel empty warm oil into clean, metal Gerry Cans. The cans will still be hot but they may be stored out of high traffic areas. The fryer will cool down quicker allowing you to put it away sooner. That way you may enter the stadium and enjoy the game, without the danger of someone stumbling into your hot fryer while you are away from it.
Don’t be scared of your deep fryer. Have fun with it! Just use caution, think safely and use sober, common sense.
This is a perfect time of year for a turkey fryer. Well, any time of year is a great time for a turkey fryer as you can use them for almost anything.
Fall, besides the obvious Turkey Day, is full of tailgating, canning, festivals, fairs, and football. Having a turkey fryer, a stock pot and outdoor propane cooker, can be handy for all sorts of fall festivities!
A traditional turkey fryer not only deep fries food, it can also steam, simmer, boil, & stew. A tailgate crew with a turkey fryer kit has it going on. You can steam corn, boil potatoes, deep fry turkey or Buffalo wings, make chili or have a Low Country Boil. Menu options are endless!
If you are an avid gardener, being able to cook down tomatoes or berries, without having to heat up the kitchen in those warm early fall days is great. Set up your stock pot and cooker outside and start the canning process on the patio. This goes the same for apple sauce, beets, blanching a ton of green beans, whatever. You can also cook down your maple sap in the spring to make syrup.
Fall festivals are great places for turkey fryers. Most Autumn fairs are held outdoors. Sometimes electric is not an option. Having an outdoor propane deep fryer can come in quite handy. Having mulled wine or hot
cider for fair goers on a cold Autumn afternoon is a great way to make some cash. Cooking up corned beef and cabbage for your local fire department’s Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day fund raiser, having a turkey fryer or 5 is a must! Tie Dying with scouts at a fall Halloween function, you need a turkey fryer stock pot. And don’t forget the football. A huge stock pot full of HOT chocolate or hot cider at an away night game. What could be better? Besides having a turkey fryer around for Thanksgiving is a must. Even if you are not deep frying a turkey, having a stock pot to make turkey stock with after the big day is great. A big old turkey carcass does not fit in most pans that you keep under the counter.
If you have a turkey fryer, but don’t use it that often, then it is time to get it out of the garage and dust it off. If you don’t have one, it’s time to get one. These multi-purpose cookers are a must have for any cook, be they amateur or pro.
Smoked food without a smoker you say? How do you smoke food without a traditional outdoor BBQ smoker? Why with smoker bags, smoker cans, or one of three different stainless steel “smoker” units by Camerons Cookware.
Do you live in an apartment that has rules regarding grills and smokers, but love the taste of smoked foods?
Do you tailgate often but hate having to load up a big bulky grill every time you go to the game?
Do you live alone or have all the kids finally left home?
Are you an amateur gourmet that likes to add smokey flavor to garlic, cheeses, or salts to add to your latest recipe?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then one of the Camerons products may be right for you.
With a smoker bag you can smoke a whole meal with the subtle smoke flavor of mesquite, hickory, or alder. The bags can be placed in an oven, on a grill, or even right in a camp fire. And clean up is as quick and easy as removing the food and throwing away the bag.
Feel like something different in your smokey flavor? Tired of the usual hickory and mesquite? Flavorwood cans come in the traditional flavors but you can also get, apple, peach, cherry or pecan. Good for one to 
three rounds of food smoking right on your grill, charcoal or propane.
Now we come to the smokers. These can be used on a stove top, in the oven, on your camp stove or even on a picnic table with a sterno can. In fact you can use them on any heat source – gas, electric, flat top or induction, sterno, grill or campfire. They are stainless steel, durable and easy to clean. Great for camping and tailgating. Components stack together for easy storage. Light enough and compact enough for back pack cooking equipment.
The Camerons Stovetop Smoker, Mini Gourmet and Li’l Smokey all come with a sample pack of special made, kiln dried, all natural wood chips. The flavor assortment of wood chips available contains the traditional smoke flavors as well as other hardwood and fruit woods and even a bourbon infused wood chip.
This past week, there was an article in the Washington Post Express called “Campfire, Rewired: Gadgets to Make Cooking While Camping A Breeze” written by Nevin Martell. He discusses some products to make camp cooking easier. Trailer camping and tailgating with grills and smokers are always an option. Tenting and hiking are a completely different entity. I mean it’s not like you can pack up a BBQ smoker in your back pack and hike into the woods with it.
One of the products featured by Nevin in his article was The Li’l Smokey by Camerons. The manufacturers at Camerons have a few products that make tenting and cooking a breeze. The Li’l Smokey, The Mini Gourmet Smoker and The Stovetop Smoker. These are stainless steel cookers that can be used outdoors using sterno, your campfire or a gas burner. Great for camping or backpacking as they are much lighter than your cast iron skillet. The lighter the better. These “smokers” can also functions as a steamer, a poacher, a roasting pan or a stovetop oven. All the components nest together inside the base for convenient storage and clean up is quick and easy.
And they aren’t just for outdoor cooking. You can use them at home as well. Apartment rules against barbecue grills got you down? With these smokers you can smoke food anytime you want.
Are you an amateur gourmet cook? Want to add some smoked garlic or smoked salts to zest up a recipe? These indoor smokers are perfect for this application.
The uses here are endless. With the specially ground, kiln dried, all natural smoking chips you can add many different flavors to whatever you’re cooking. The traditional hardwoods are available as well as some fruit woods and specialties like bourbon soaked. You can even mix and match some of the flavors to make unique flavorful blends.
Smoking foods made easy. Cooking in the great outdoors or just like the great outdoors right on your stovetop!
Well the football tailgating season has finally arrived. Be it NCAA, Pro ball, or even the local high school football team, the tailgaters are flying their team colors high. It has been a rocky start so far with Mother Nature unleashing some of her worst in many areas. Soggy games, hotter-n-heck games. We need a nice crisp, fall, sunny weekend all over America for every game. Just one weekend Mom Nature…that’s all we ask. Well…maybe more than one weekend.
For those of us hard core tailgaters, we don’t care if it’s raining or not, heck, there could even be snow! We’ll be out there. The BBQ smoker is lit, the charcoal is starting to glow in the grill, the deep fryer is bubbling and spitting, the beer is cold and our flags are blowing in the wind. We are praising our team, reliving high lights of our favorite games, eating, partying and making new memories with our bestest of friends.We prefer good weather to tailgate in, but we will still be there!!
Everyone has their own place in a tailgate. I prefer to be chief cook, but NOT bottle washer. It isn’t always about being the cook either. I like to make sure the tailgate bin is stocked with the appropriate gear and I like to plan tailgate menus. You can’t eat the same stuff week in week out. And the bin doesn’t always have everything that you need with every menu change.
I’ve been to NASCAR races where the tailgaters are all eating hot dogs and burgers. BLAH! That’s ok once in a while but you went all out and traveled far to get to this race. Why not bring out a steak or some pork chops. You brought all of your tailgate gear…make something better to eat. A football game is one day. A race is all weekend!! Take some pride in your tailgate!
I’ve been to NHRA races and other drag racing competitions. Now, these are hardcore tailgaters. They bring BBQ smokers and have rib competitions while the drag racing is going on. I’ve even seen the Philly Cheese Steak Queen bring a 60 qt. stock pot and a outdoor propane cooker and make cheese steaks for like 50 people. I’ve seen one group that brought every piece of cooking equipment that their tailgate group had. Grills, smokers, deep fryers, table top skillets. They were there for the whole weekend and had at least 25 people with them. They ate good. Ribs, wings, steaks, sausages. Why not right? (I think these people were football tailgaters too. HEY, you can do both!!!! No judging!)
I know of many football tailgaters that take pride in their party and their menu. Never just burgers and dogs and canned beer! I know of one group in Philly (big Pro Ball fans) that actually cook a meal that somehow represents the opposing team at every game. That way they eat the competition before the game even starts. Hahahha!!
Well let’s get into the full swing of the season. Bring on the football, rain or shine. Put on your teams colors and let,s get out there and tailgate!!