Garbage Can Turkey Recipes

TRASH CAN TURKEY

Steps:

• Also requires: 1 Wood or Metal Stake (at least 1" thick and 20" long), Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil, 1 Clean 30 Gallon Metal Trash Can.
• 20 Lbs. Charcoal.
• Mix poultry seasoning, salt, mustard, pepper and garlic powder in a small bowl and stir to mix.
• Remove giblets from neck or body cavity of the turkey and set aside for use another time (or gravy).
• Remove and discard the fat just inside the cavities of the turkey.
• Rinse turkey inside and out under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels.
• Season the bird with the rub, placing 1 TBS into the neck cavity and 2 TBS int0 the body cavity.
• Brush or rub the outside of the turkey all over with the olive oil and sprinkle it with the remaining rub.
• Put covered into refrigerator and let cure for 4 hours or overnight.
• Clear a 4 foot circle on the ground, using a shovel (do this on dirt, not your grass).
• Cover the circle with heavy duty aluminum foil.
• Drive the stake into the ground in the center of the circle, so it sticks up about 16" above the ground.
• Light the charcoal in a grill.
• Holding the turkey with the neck end at the top, lower it onto the stake.
• The tail end of the bird should be about 6" above the ground.
• Place the trash can over the turkey, keeping the bird in the center and resting the trash can on the ground.
• Shovel 1/3 of the coals on top of the trash can and the remainder around the outside; these should come 3 to 4" up the sides of the can.
• Cook the turkey until cooked through (1 1/2- 2 hours).
• Using a shovel, remove the coals and ash from the sides and top of the can.
• Lift the can off the turkey- CAREFUL- The can will be HOT!
• Transfer the turkey to a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Let it rest for 10- 15 minutes, then carve and serve.

BEER-CAN TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium (about 350 degrees F) on one side. Pour the beer into a turkey sitter (a ceramic stand that holds liquid). Or open the beer can, pour out a few tablespoons and place in a beer-can turkey stand.
• Combine the mustard powder, garlic powder, dried onion, paprika, granulated garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
• Remove the neck, giblets and any excess fat from the turkey; discard. Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the cavity with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the spice mixture. Brush the outside of the turkey with the canola oil and place drumstick-end down on the sitter or stand. Rub the remaining spice mixture all over the turkey.
• Place the turkey (on the sitter or stand) on the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook until the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 185 degrees F and 170 degrees F in the breast, 2 to 3 hours. Carefully remove the turkey from the grill, remove from the sitter or stand, and discard the beer. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

TURKEY IN A GARBAGE CAN

Steps:

• Select some sort of stake (hammered into the ground) or more robust steel/cast iron/ whatever "stand" that can hold the turkey sort of like standing on its butt (would be interesting to do this with the "beer-butt" cooking method) .
• Place a (new) stainless steel garbage can over the bird (you could use cast iron, but if using galvanized metal, burn it out first).
• Around the sides of the can, bank with 10-12 lbs of charcoal briquettes, (fully grayed up) and cover the top of the can over with a layer or two of burning briquettes.
• Allow to cook for 1.5 hours (for a smaller bird) to 2 hours for a larger one, periodically "dusting" the briquettes and re-banking them. (No "peeking" obviously!) .
• On conclusion of the cooking period, sweep away the remaining embers and ash, and very carefully (anticipating a pretty vicious blast of hot air and steam) and test your bird that the required parameters of 160 in the breast, 180 in the thighs (okay, you can do it 10* less, as it will convect up that much, no point in it being too dry).
• If you want, there can be all sorts of "tweaks" -- you can in fact "beer butt" it, with a large soup can 3/4 full of onion soup/beer/cranberry juice/herbs/spices, pick you own poisons! You can do a rub, you can "brine" the bird, you can place cake tins of water for a "moister cook", you can toss in some wood chips (willow, alder, maple, hickory) that you cause the trash can to be a "smoker", you can inject it, you can stuff oils and herbs under the skin, fill it up with garlic cloves, stand it up a bit higher and stick in 6" of corn silks or even hay (using a bit of water with the latter) and get all sorts of different, but wonderful results.
• Of course, if, (incredibly!) your bird is "seriously underdone" you have only to cover it over with the can and stoke up the coals again -- .

TRASH CAN TURKEY

Steps:

• Start 20 pounds of charcoal on fire.
• Line ground with foil to extend 10" beyond the diameter of the trash can.
• Place the turkey on the stake so it is hanging 2" off the ground (legs pointing down).
• Rub seasonings into skin as desired.
• Place trash can upside down over turkey.
• Shovel burning charcoal around the outside of the can and also enough to make one layer on top of inverted can.
• Keep adding charcoal so can stays hot.
• Check turkey after 2 1/2 hours.
• Additional cooking may be required depending on the size and wind.
• HINT: To capture the juices, place a bundt pan under the turkey slide down the stake before putting the turkey on the stake.
• Instead of the wooden stake you can also use a steel rod that has had a cross piece welded to the top.
• It should look like a long legged T.