Yep, this was a good day. And we had a good night before. Our Sons-in-Laws boss and wife had built a new shop, well a couple of them. They are going to live in a suite in the shop that they built at the end of one of these massive barns. They own a business in our area that deals with the power sports for the human kind, that be sleds, ATVs, water sport machines, i.e., boats, you get the picture. New barns were needed to house many, many, many motorized things. It was done. Then they had the celebration of a big barn party, by invitation only. They had a most incredible band. The “before” band band, was a group, Mother, Father and Son. The Son was winner of Canadian idol and this was just the best of the best. Then a group called Mace played for the rest of the night. What a night, food, drink and dance. Danced and drank our little hearts out. Oh such fun.
The next day was good too. I spent a good deal of time prepping my part of the dinner meal. That was stuffing, a spaghetti squash dish (which I didn’t actually serve, turned out there was not enough and it would only have served to cause contention as there would not have been enough, smiling. We ate it the next day) and of course, the famous mashed garden carrots and rutabaga. And well...I guess that was it. Daughter had asked some of the women to bring a dish for the dinner that was made of turkey. That surely saved a whole lotta work for everyone to have time to play more.
Lovely. Family and friends, oh so nice. About 20 folk came and gorged.
The best part of the entire meal was the turkey. Which was cooked outside in a tall garbage can. The original garbage can turkey cooked here was small and could fit sideways. When the Mamma (that be be) came into the picture a couple of years ago, bigger turkeys were brought for the garbage can cooking. The holder for the bird had to be revamped. Well, not really the holder, but how the bird sat on the rack. He changed the way the turkey holder worked. Now the bird stands upright, or should I say downright? Depends on what is up and what is down.
I went to a farm locally, about an hour away, where I have purchased their free range birds before. These birds are the big white ones, but they free range. This dude was 21 pounds, a decent size. I would have preferred a bigger one, but they were sold out of that size, so went for the biggest left they had. I gave my name for an order for a bigger one for Christmas, smiling. Done deal. One day, one fine day, I again will have turkeys that I grow myself, for our dinner tables, I know that day will come. I will manifest it, smiling. It will come.
Yes. So the turkey was not stuffed nor seasoned (not my way, but I think the seasonings would have ran off anyways being on the angle the bird was). The coals were lit and made very hot. Then the turkey was put within. A probe to tell temperature was inserted and the gauge put on the ground to watch. After two hours this 21 bird was done, perfect temperature, and oh so moist and tender. The outside crispy, just how younger Daughter likes it. Son-in-Law warned others that when the bird goes into the house, if they like skin as much as younger Daughter does, better get in quick, cause she will suck all the skin right off the bird, smiling. She really does like the skin, he full well knows that. Others went in at the same time the bird did. Wondered what they were doing.
A 21 pound bird, done is two hours. Now that brings to question the heat inside that garbage can. I would venture well over 400 degrees. When I cook a turkey in an oven, I cook only 15 minutes per pound, as I know the bird continues to cook as it cools. In an oven, that bird would have cooked no less than 4 hours. Think this FAST cooking sears the outside and makes moisture stay in. The drippings drip out the end of the bird, be that neck or backend, think it was neck up and are contained in a dripping pan and the gravy made. I don’t think there was any fat on this bird. Seriously. The gravy looked like it was all drippings not fat drippings. Good. Even more reason to have birds that have exercised before their life was gone, lean birds.
I cooked the bones of this bird yesterday and removed the meat. The broth was such a beautiful dark broth. Attribute that alot to the dark skin that was so nicely darkened. Yes. Pretty impressed with that garbage can turkey. Have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.
The dude before he went into the garbage can
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Ta da, big browned bird
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The next day was good too. I spent a good deal of time prepping my part of the dinner meal. That was stuffing, a spaghetti squash dish (which I didn’t actually serve, turned out there was not enough and it would only have served to cause contention as there would not have been enough, smiling. We ate it the next day) and of course, the famous mashed garden carrots and rutabaga. And well...I guess that was it. Daughter had asked some of the women to bring a dish for the dinner that was made of turkey. That surely saved a whole lotta work for everyone to have time to play more.
Lovely. Family and friends, oh so nice. About 20 folk came and gorged.
The best part of the entire meal was the turkey. Which was cooked outside in a tall garbage can. The original garbage can turkey cooked here was small and could fit sideways. When the Mamma (that be be) came into the picture a couple of years ago, bigger turkeys were brought for the garbage can cooking. The holder for the bird had to be revamped. Well, not really the holder, but how the bird sat on the rack. He changed the way the turkey holder worked. Now the bird stands upright, or should I say downright? Depends on what is up and what is down.
I went to a farm locally, about an hour away, where I have purchased their free range birds before. These birds are the big white ones, but they free range. This dude was 21 pounds, a decent size. I would have preferred a bigger one, but they were sold out of that size, so went for the biggest left they had. I gave my name for an order for a bigger one for Christmas, smiling. Done deal. One day, one fine day, I again will have turkeys that I grow myself, for our dinner tables, I know that day will come. I will manifest it, smiling. It will come.
Yes. So the turkey was not stuffed nor seasoned (not my way, but I think the seasonings would have ran off anyways being on the angle the bird was). The coals were lit and made very hot. Then the turkey was put within. A probe to tell temperature was inserted and the gauge put on the ground to watch. After two hours this 21 bird was done, perfect temperature, and oh so moist and tender. The outside crispy, just how younger Daughter likes it. Son-in-Law warned others that when the bird goes into the house, if they like skin as much as younger Daughter does, better get in quick, cause she will suck all the skin right off the bird, smiling. She really does like the skin, he full well knows that. Others went in at the same time the bird did. Wondered what they were doing.
A 21 pound bird, done is two hours. Now that brings to question the heat inside that garbage can. I would venture well over 400 degrees. When I cook a turkey in an oven, I cook only 15 minutes per pound, as I know the bird continues to cook as it cools. In an oven, that bird would have cooked no less than 4 hours. Think this FAST cooking sears the outside and makes moisture stay in. The drippings drip out the end of the bird, be that neck or backend, think it was neck up and are contained in a dripping pan and the gravy made. I don’t think there was any fat on this bird. Seriously. The gravy looked like it was all drippings not fat drippings. Good. Even more reason to have birds that have exercised before their life was gone, lean birds.
I cooked the bones of this bird yesterday and removed the meat. The broth was such a beautiful dark broth. Attribute that alot to the dark skin that was so nicely darkened. Yes. Pretty impressed with that garbage can turkey. Have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.
The dude before he went into the garbage can
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Ta da, big browned bird
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. So, boils down to this. Still will eat the meat of a garbage can turkey and won't worry a dither nor a nither. Thanks for anyone that is concerned about this, but you're talkin' to the wrong person 
have beautiful days, CynthiaM.