STEP BY STEP
Brining your Turkey
is recommended, but optional.
How to Brine
A brine is simple a seasoned salt-water bath that the turkey soaks in for 6-12 hours prior to cooking. The brine
adds some flavor, but most importantly provides a chemical method to keep the meat tender and juicy while cooking.
Ingredients
Raw whole turkey
5-gallon bucket
3-pound
box of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
2 gallons chicken broth (water mixed with bouillon cubes
is fine
1-gallon ice water
1 whole bunch fresh thyme, torn roughly
1 whole bunch fresh oregano, torn roughly
1 whole bunch fresh sage leaves, torn roughly
1 whole bunch fresh marjoram, torn roughly
To Make...
1. Clean the raw turkey and remove the neck and giblets.
2. In the bucket, combine the cooled (room temperature) broth with the ice water, salt, pepper and fresh herbs and mix well.
3. Place the turkey in the bucket, breast side down and cover the bucket. Leave it sit somewhere cool.
4.
After at least 6 and no more than 12 hours, and prior to cooking your turkey, remove the bird and rinse it with cool water,
then proceed with your cooking prep.
Sometime during
the brining process, prepare your outdoor cooking area.
Find a flat place away from flammable materials.
Lay
down aluminum foil as your cooking base in 3 layers, one on top of the other. Your aluminum foil cooking base needs
to be larger than the perimeter of your trash can. Foil should extend beyond the perimeter of your can approximately
2 feet. This is where you are going to place your charcoal.
Place your turkey cannon in the middle of your aluminum foil base. Turkey cannons are designed to naturally
lay at a 45 degree angle. You want to use your fire proof bricks to prop it up to a 90 degree angle. (straight
up)
Place your turkey on the turkey cannon neck
side up, legs down, by inserting the cannon into the turkey cavity.
Secure turkeys position with the bricks making certain it is securely standing upright.
At this time you may add optional "marinade" such as beer, wine
or a liquid herb mix through the neck cavity of the turkey. This will fill the turkey cannon and enhance the flavor
and tenderness of your bird.
Another thing you can
do is pull back the skin of the bird and place your seasonings directly on the meat of the bird.
This is done best when seasonings are in a liquid form, such as herbs melted in butter.
When completed, put skin back in place.
Place your trash can over the turkey.
Take the top layer of your aluminum foil base and roll it up against the trash can to prevent any seepage of lighter
fluid etc, from getting inside your trash can.
Option: You can start the charcoal seperately to reduce
the risk of any lighter fluid contamination to your turkey. Just shovel charcoal into place when they are ready.
If you do this, add 10 minutes to the actual cooking time. Cooking time starts when the pre-lit charcoal is completely
placed around your trash can.
Leave the
lower 2 layers of your aluminum foil cooking base flat.
Place an entire 20 pounds of Kingsford charcoal briquettes around your trash can on your exposed aluminum foil
cooking base, leaving a few briquettes for placement on top of your trash can.
(You can cook side dishes on top of the trash can such as vegatables wrapped in aluminum foil)
Do not place any briquettes inside your trash can.
Saturate briquettes with an entire can of Kingsford charcoal lighter
fluid being carefull not to allow any lighter fluid inside the top layer of foil rolled up against your trash can.
Light
Charcoal.
Cook for 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Remove trash can with heat resistant gloves.
Remove turkey from cannon after 10 minutes.
Place on carving dish and
allow to cool for an additional 10 minutes.
Carve and enjoy!
