Cooking Instructions - Highlights Only
(see cooking instructions- full details below)
Select cook site:
Site should be well away from flammable material, and sheltered from steady wind.
Prepare cook site:
Remove flammable ground cover and stones under and near planned fire locaton.
Prepare charcoal:
Empty all 10 pounds of charcoal into a pyramid shape pile, and light. Let coals turn gray.
Prepare turkey:
Defrost turkey completely, rinse with water, and ties legs together with baking cord, etc.
Prepare hickory wood stick:
Drive stick into the ground. Leave top of stick high enough to just allow bucket to be lowered over the stick.
Place aluminum foil:
Roll aluminum cooking foil onto the bare ground all around the stick to form a ~ 3'x3' foiled area.
Impale turkey on hickory wood stick:
Slip the turkey over the stick and down to the aluminum foil. The trukey's rear end (narrow end) does down.
Cover turkey and stick with plain steel bucket:
Invert 5 gallon plain steel bucket and lower same over turkey down to the aluminum foil.
There should be no handle, no paint, and no galvanizing on the bucket.
Load charcoal coals onto bucket:
Using the garden shovel, carefully move the hot gray charcoal coals from the pile to the bucket.
Pile a layer two coals deep onto the top. Place the balance around the perimeter of the bucket at its base.
Cooking times - Standard Bird:
10 pounds charcoal
10 pound turkey = cook 1 hour 45 minutes (Approx. time for golden brown bird)
Cooking times - Nonstandard Bird:
10 pounds charcoal = all sizes
~ 8 pound turkey = cook 1 hour 30 minutes (Approx. time for golden brown bird)
~12 pound turkey = cook 2 hour 00 minutes (Approx. time for golden brown bird)
~14 pound turkey = cook 2 hour 15 minutes (Approx. time for golden brown bird)
Reduce cooking time for less well done.
Increase cooking time for windy or very cold weather conditions.
Block wind from cooking bucket with nonflammable material if needed.
DO NOT CHECK BIRD DURING COOKING PERIOD
(It's still in there and it's ok…)
Remove charcoal coals from bucket:
Using the garden shovel, carefully remove the hot charcoal from the bucket.
Remove the bucket from the turkey:
Lift the bucket straight up and off the bird.
Remove the turkey from the hickory wood stick:
Using the two barbecue forks, pick the turkey from two sides and carefully lift the turkey up and off the stick.
Don't forget the coals:
A responsible person should maintain a fire watch , the coals may remain lit for several more hours!
ENJOY YOUR TURKEY UNDER A BUCKET!
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Cooking Instructions - Full Details
(see cooking instructions - highlights only above)
Select cook site:
Site should be near emergency water supply for suppression of unintended fire.
Site should be well away from flammable material.
Site should be sheltered from steady wind.
Site should be well away from areas where people, pets, vehicles, wood and pvc siding, etc. which may be disturbed or damaged by smoke, sparks, and radiant heat from the fire/coals.
Site should be open, and at least 10'x10' to enable access to all sides of the fire/coals.
Prepare cook site:
Remove flammable ground cover (grass, leaves, pine needles, etc.) from the area immediately under the planned location of the fire/coals as discussed below.
Remove all adjacent flammable materials that could ignite unintentionally after being blown, jarred, or otherwise unintentionally moved near the fire/coals.
Remove any stones directly below the planned location of the fire/coals that may “pop” or explode during cooking.
Prepare charcoal:
Empty all 10 pounds of charcoal into a pyramid shape pile.
Locate charcoal pile ~ 4' from the planned hickory wood stick location.
Check that emergency fire suppression water supply is available.
Using the butane barbecue lighter (and lighter fluid as required), light charcoal per manufacture's instructions.
A responsible person should maintain a fire watch at all times when the fire and or coals are lit.
Leave charcoal undisturbed until all coals are ignited and turn gray in color.
Prepare turkey:
Defrost or thaw frozen turkey completely before this process begins.
Unpack the turkey and remove all internal body parts for use elsewhere or disposal. Rinse, etc. the turkey body as usual.
Using the baking cord, heavy string, or bare copper wire, tie the legs of the turkey together. This will keep the bird from contacting the sides of the bucket during cooking. It will also help keep the bird in one piece while it's being removed from the stick after cooking.
Place the turkey onto the baking pan or tray for movement to the cook site.
Prepare hickory wood stick:
Wait until the charcoal coals all turn gray before this process begins.
Using the small sledgehammer, drive stick into the ground. Locate the stick ~ 4' from the pile of charcoal. Leave top of stick high enough to just allow inverted bucket to be lowered over the stick without interference.
Do a trail fit of the bucket over the stick before proceeding.
Place aluminum foil:
Roll aluminum cooking foil onto the bare ground all around the stick to form a
~ 3'x3' foiled area. Hold down foil against wind temporarily with twigs.
Remove any splintered wood from the hammered end of the stick and the foil.
The hickory wood stick will char on the end near the top of the bucket during cooking. This will give the meat a hickory smoke flavor!
Impale turkey on hickory wood stick:
Slip the turkey over the stick and down to the aluminum foil.
The rear end does down, this is narrow end, the end nearest the tied legs.
Cover turkey and stick with plain steel bucket:
Invert 5 gallon plain steel bucket and lower same over turkey down to the aluminum foil. There should be no handle, no paint, and no galvanizing on the bucket. Removing the handle eliminates it being hung up on the bird during bucket removal. The paint or other coatings are obvious toxins. The pant should be removed and the bucket fired for an hour or more before using it to cook a bird. Galvanizing must not be present on the bucket to avoid zinc narcosis.
Load charcoal coals onto bucket:
Using the garden shovel, carefully move the hot gray charcoal coals from the pile to the bucket. Pile a layer two coals deep onto the top. Place the balance around the perimeter of the bucket at its base.
If wind is light but steady, roll excess aluminum foil up onto the coals to direct and retain as much heat as possible within the bucket.
If wind is heavy, block wind from cooking bucket with nonflammable material.
A responsible person should maintain a fire watch at all times when the fire and or coals are lit.
See cooking times below.
Cooking times - Standard Bird:
10 pounds charcoal
10 pound turkey = cook 1 hour 45 minutes (Approx. time for golden brown bird)
Cooking times - Nonstandard Bird:
10 pounds charcoal = all sizes
~ 8 pound turkey = cook 1 hour 30 minutes (Approx. time for golden brown bird)
~12 pound turkey = cook 2 hour 00 minutes (Approx. time for golden brown bird)
~14 pound turkey = cook 2 hour 15 minutes (Approx. time for golden brown bird)
Reduce cooking time for less well done.
Increase cooking time for windy or very cold weather conditions.
Block wind from cooking bucket with nonflammable material if needed.
DO NOT CHECK BIRD DURING COOKING PERIOD
(It's still in there and it's ok…)
Remove charcoal coals from bucket:
The cooking time indicated above should elapse before this process begins.
Using the garden shovel, carefully remove the hot charcoal from the bucket and pile charcoal coals back in the adjacent location where it was first lit.
Remove the bucket from the turkey:
So as not to disturb any charcoal dust on or around the bucket, using the oven mittens or steel pliers, slowly lift the bucket straight up and off the bird. Place the bucket out of the way.
Remove the turkey from the hickory wood stick:
Using the two barbecue forks, pick the turkey from two sides and carefully lift the turkey up and off the stick. Keep the baking pan as close as possible to the stick, the turkey will likely fall apart if moved too quickly or too far.
Don't forget the coals:
A responsible person should maintain a fire watch at all times when the fire and or coals are lit. The coals may remain lit for several more hours!
Cleanup:
Remove any charred wood and meat from the hammered end of the hickory wood stick. The steel bucket and hickory wood stick should be scrubbed clean with water. Completely air-dry both immediately to avoid flash rust and bacteria. After drying, cover the stick with aluminum foil and store in a clean dry location. The steel bucket does not need to be completely degreased - let the inside “season” like cast iron cookware.
Before next use:
Brush loose rust from the steel bucket. Inspect bucket for holes.
The steel bucket and hickory wood stick should be rinsed clean with water. Completely air-dry both immediately to avoid flash rust and bacteria. Inspect for any suspicious fouling that indicate replacement of the bucket or stick.
ENJOY YOUR TURKEY UNDER A BUCKET!
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