Trash Can Turkey

The first time I was introduced to trash can turkey was on a tv show. The show was about logging so the details on how they prepared everything were never given. After a bit of exploring on the Internet my friend Ian and myself came up with our cook plan.

All the prep work is actually the most time consuming of this entire recipe. The great part is once you have completed this recipe through you never have to prep your can again. I have reused mine several times and will continue to do so until it falls apart!

Total prep time roughly 3 hours
Cook time 2 hours for 13lb bird

Things needed:

1- 10 to 15 gallon galvanized trash can (pretty much any hardware store carries them)
1- metal rod about 24 inches in length (again any hardware store will have this)
1- roll of aluminum foil. I used reynolds wrap heavy duty 18" (walmart)
1- 16lb bag of Kingsford charcoal (and lighter fluid)
1- 13lb turkey (thawed) your bird will cook about 9 minutes per pound in the can, if you bird is over 13lbs cook accordingly
1- bag of potatoes (optional)
  - butter
  - salt & pepper as well as any spices you like on your turkey
  - garlic
  - fire pit
  - small rack that will fit in the diameter of your can or one time use pie pans
Step 1:

The first thing you will need to do is burn your galvanized trash can to get the galvanization off. If you skip this step it will make all of your food taste like metal. To do so I got my fire pit burning hot and simply placed my trash can on top of it as shown below.

Every 15 minutes rotate the can about a 1/4 turn. Be sure to keep the opening facing up. In time the inside of the can will turn white hot. I burned my can for about 2 hours to ensure any treatments done to it were burned off. The inside of your can should look like mine pictured below.

Once burned I placed my can on the concrete to cool down. After it sat for about 30 minutes I rinsed it off with the hose to clean all the soot off from the fire. Your can is now ready!

Step 2:

Prepping your cook site. BEWARE ANY GRASS UNDER THE SPOT IN YOUR YARD YOU CHOOSE TO PLACE YOUR COOK SITE WILL DIE!! With that said you will want to place aluminum foil on the ground to make for easier cleanup as well as catch drippings from the bird. The diameter of your can is roughly 15" and the coals will add another 6" to that so you want to make sure you place a large enough square of foil down. As pictured below

In the center of your foil square is where you will steak the metal rod into the ground. Depending on your bird you will leave about 12" of rod above ground. I then wrapped the rod in foil. your cook site is now ready!

Step 3:

I made baked potatoes with my turkey that is an option left for you. To prep the potatoes I made small cuts width wise added a little butter, salt, and garlic then wrapped them in foil. Note if you are doing these you will need to leave a little space under the bird for them to sit. As far as the bird place it on the rod then add salt and pepper to your liking (and any spices you like). If making the potatoes with yours your final product should look as pictured below.

If not making the potatoes the bird should rest on the rack. If you can't find a small rack to use a throw-away pie pan will work just fine. Cut a small hole in the center to fit the rod and place it upside down under the bird. The rack or pan is to elevate the bird and cook it more evenly all around. If the wings of your bird are loosely hanging use tooth picks or string to secure them tight to your bird. This will keep the wings from burning. Your bird is now ready to cook!

Step 4:

Place your trash can over the bird like a large cover. Be sure to center the trash can as best you can to evenly cook the bird. There should be roughly a 4-5 inch gap from the top of your bird to the bottom of the can again to ensure even cooking.

Once placed flat on the ground push down on the can to create a more air tight seal to the ground. The idea behind this is sort of like a pressure cooker/smoker.

Step 5:

Add your coals tight around the bottom of the can as pictured below. You will also want to add coals on top of the can as well to have heat from both ends. NOTE no coals are placed inside the can!! You can preheat your coals as we did or simply light them once they are around the can.

If your bird is over 13lbs you may need to add additional coals for a longer cook time. We did not add the entire 16lb bag of coals at the beginning so add them as needed. Once your coals are started and burning (once they start to turn white) start a timer for 2 hours. Do not open or check on the bird once you have started the timer. All you need to do is keep the coals hot.

Step 6:

After the 2 hours is up your 13lb bird is ready! If your bird is more then 13lbs cook accordingly to ensure your bird is done! Start by moving coals and ash away from the can as well as from the top. This is to keep the ash off of your food.

 



Once cleared your can should look as pictured below.

It is now time to remove the can. THE CAN WILL BE EXTREMELY HOT so with hot pads or grill gloves remove the can by carefully lifting straight up. The can may be stuck to the foil on the ground from turkey juices so a shovel may be needed to help separate the two.

Your finished bird should be nice and golden brown and piping hot! Remove the bird and place onto a large plate. NOTE the bird will easily fall apart from tenderness. You are now ready to carve and serve! ENJOY!

If you have any questions please feel free to ask!