Another question arrived via e-mail. Ted says his turkeys come out great but this year, it's a 20-pounder!
Cook's Illustrated did an article on large turkey roasting. Normally, they recommend choosing one under 14 pounds and for a crowd, making two turkeys, but they later developed methods for larger birds. I did this two years ago.
I just reviewed their article (Nov 2002) and gave Ted the following suggestions:
- I hope the bird was brined. If not, too late now — be extra careful about the temperatures.
- They recommend, and I do this, drying the bird overnight in the refrigerator to dry the skin.
- Start in a high oven, 425 degrees F. Brush with butter, cook breast down for one hour (I gave it an hour and 15 minutes). Use a pan with a rack.
- Remove from oven, set to 325. Turn turkey breast up (use a turkey lifter or your hands, with a handful of paper towels or a pot holder in each hand).
- Return to oven. Monitor internal temps. They say to cook until the thickest part of the thigh is 170-180 but that seems high to me. I would still shoot for the temps on my turkey page, 150-155 breast and 160-165 thigh. Leg joint should be loosening up.
- After you remove it from the oven, a large bird will rise a bit more than a smaller one, so I am pretty sure ending at those temperatures will reach the final target of 160 breast and 170 thigh. They say this second time in the oven will be two hours; I am guessing it will be less. When I did this, it an hour and a half).
- If the temperatures overshoot, not a problem for a brined bird.
- Rest 45 minutes at least.
- Carve in the kitchen. If there are some undercooked areas (a little pink is OK), zap those bits in the microwave.
You can see the full article online in Cook's Illustrated (use their 14-day free trial to gain access).
Anyone done a big bird? Tell us about it in the comments!
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