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Trash Can Turkey

Recipe #69818 | 6 hours | 4 hours prep | SERVES 8 (Change Servings)

RECIPE BY: FloraandMerriwether

A whole turkey roasted upright on a stake under a metal trash can. The moistest, tastiest turkey I've ever eaten. This is a Boy Scout Recipe. It's just great!

Posted on: Aug 27, 2003

Ingredients

  • tablespoons poultry seasoning
  • tablespoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • tablespoon dry mustard
  • tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 (12 lb)  turkey, thawed if frozen
  • tablespoon olive oil
  • Directions

    1. 1
      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.
    2. 2
      20 Lbs. Charcoal.
    3. 3
      Mix poultry seasoning, salt, mustard, pepper and garlic powder in a small bowl and stir to mix.
    4. 4
      Remove giblets from neck or body cavity of the turkey and set aside for use another time (or gravy).
    5. 5
      Remove and discard the fat just inside the cavities of the turkey.
    6. 6
      Rinse turkey inside and out under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels.
    7. 7
      Season the bird with the rub, placing 1 TBS into the neck cavity and 2 TBS int0 the body cavity.
    8. 8
      Brush or rub the outside of the turkey all over with the olive oil and sprinkle it with the remaining rub.
    9. 9
      Put covered into refrigerator and let cure for 4 hours or overnight.
    10. 10
      Clear a 4 foot circle on the ground, using a shovel (do this on dirt, not your grass).
    11. 11
      Cover the circle with heavy duty aluminum foil.
    12. 12
      Drive the stake into the ground in the center of the circle, so it sticks up about 16" above the ground.
    13. 13
      Light the charcoal in a grill.
    14. 14
      Holding the turkey with the neck end at the top, lower it onto the stake.
    15. 15
      The tail end of the bird should be about 6" above the ground.
    16. 16
      Place the trash can over the turkey, keeping the bird in the center and resting the trash can on the ground.
    17. 17
      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.
    18. 18
      Cook the turkey until cooked through (1 1/2- 2 hours).
    19. 19
      Using a shovel, remove the coals and ash from the sides and top of the can.
    20. 20
      Lift the can off the turkey- CAREFUL- The can will be HOT!
    21. 21
      Transfer the turkey to a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
    22. 22
      Let it rest for 10- 15 minutes, then carve and serve.

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    Featured Reviews for This Recipe

    From: Craig Bond

    On Nov 25, 2003

    With the addition of the veggies in the first review, a great recipe. All these ingredients fit well into most troop truck/trailer outfits, so Goomba is off base, here. We had three turkeys at our camporall two weeks ago and they were delicious!

    1 person found this review helpful

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  • From: Goomba Monaco

    On Aug 30, 2003

    Don't mean to be harsh, but all the trouble and mess! This recipe will not produce anything different than any number of standard oven or grill recipes. If anything, it's novel. Boy Scouts wouldn't be equipped to carry a turkey and all the required paraphernalia around.

    0 people found this review helpful

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  • From: Audrey M

    On Aug 28, 2003

    I have made these recipes over the years. I was an Occupational Thereapist at a nursing home and we would have a pig roast and I would do a turkey this way. It is also great with just vegetables. Corn is on the bottom lined up and then other vegetables topped with cabbage. I do have to do you MUST HAVE A GALVANIZED TRASH CAN chemicals from the can aren't absorbed by the food.

    4 people found this review helpful

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  • From: John Fischer

    On Dec 4, 2003

    I have tried variations of this method several times and it has always produced the best turkey I've ever eaten including peanut oil fried turkey! Maybe it had something to do with long cold days with crazed Boy Scouts and being ravenously hungry. Ya think? Anyway, try this method. I think this is best: http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/skills/cooking/trash_can.htm As for Mr Goomba... obviously he has never been on a BoyScout outing. They are experts at lugging around way too much paraphernalia just to make bacon and eggs at 6 in the morning.. and then spend 3 hours cleaning it up. (sorry if this is second occurance of this posting.. something went wrong with my machine)

    1 person found this review helpful

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  • Read all 4 reviews
    Nutrition Facts

    Serving Size 1 (691g)

    Recipe makes 8 servings

    Calories 1118
    Calories from Fat 511 (45%)
    Amount Per Serving %DV
    Total Fat 56.8g 87%
    Saturated Fat 15.7g 78%
    Monounsaturated Fat 21.3g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 13.8g
    Trans Fat 0.0g
    Cholesterol 463mg 154%
    Sodium 2187mg 91%
    Potassium 1844mg 52%
    Total Carbohydrate 2.1g 0%
    Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2%
    Sugars 0.3g
    Protein 139.7g 279%
    Vitamin A 73mcg 1%
    Vitamin B6 2.8mg 141%
    Vitamin B12 2.7mcg 45%
    Vitamin C 0mg 0%
    Vitamin E 2mcg 8%
    Calcium 125mg 12%
    Iron 10mg 58%

    detailed view...

    how is this calculated?

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