Thread: WILLIAM: Turkey Cooking Tips Needed?

Friends,

Ok, Ive never cooked a Turkey this big before. I think the biggest I've cooked before was around 12-14 pds.

Today's bird is 21.something pounds! I did not know about that "four days to thaw in the fridge" deal for such large birds.

Therefore, my Turkey has been sitting in cold water in the sink since around 9am this morning and I just put it in the oven at 350 degrees at 1:15pm Eastern (aka ten minutes ago)

I have the bird in a big foil pan and I have surrounded it with tin foil. I've slathered that baby in a good mix of real butter, with lots of rosemary spice, and a pinch of added salt.

To be honest, the bird was still a bit frosty in the middle but the bags with the giblets in it came out ok.

There's some strange plastic strands at one end I cut but could not get out so those are in the oven too. Isnt there supposed to be a neck somewhere? I hope the fact the bird is still unthawed in the center wont be a huge problem?

My game plan is to keep basting it every 30-40 minutes with more butter and rosemary.

I think my cook time should be a little over 4 hours and I take the tinfoil off about thirty minutes near the end for browning.

I have a meat thermometer around here somewhere and I saw some instructions online that say I should stick that in a thigh until the internal temperature deep in but not against the bone is over 165 or 180?

This is my pre-thanksgiving Turkey for me and friends and family to dine on before Turkey Day.

An warnings, suggestions, tips, observations, etc... are appreciated

W

Because of the altitude where I live, I like to roast poultry slowly at 325 and I use an enamel roasting pan with a lid. I also spray the bird's skin with a canola cooking spray. My grandmother used dry, stale bread for stuffing, and cut it up into cubes with celery, onion, an egg for binding, salt and pepper, and moistened it. I take a stuffing mix I like, but enhance it with butter, Kikoman soy sauce, paprika and black pepper.

strange plastic strands at one end I cut

The legs are usually tied down with something.

The neck is in the plastic bag.

If you place an apple sliced in half in the turkey, it helps keep it moist during cooking. Some people use an onion, but I prefer the apple. Discard and don't eat unless like stuffing you get it up to temp as well. A big bird, you might want to use two apples.

Dixie

Maybe the guy in the background on this vid can offer some advice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-kjM1asH-8

Originally Posted by Populist

Maybe the guy in the background on this vid can offer some advice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-kjM1asH-8

What in the hell is that guy trying to do to that Turkey in the background?

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Originally Posted by Populist

Maybe the guy in the background on this vid can offer some advice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-kjM1asH-8

What in the hell is that guy trying to do to that Turkey in the background?

W

Well, I doubt he was fitting them for necklesses. Seriously (sorry for the gruesomeness), these were the hapless turkeys that were not pardoned by her moments before this interview.

Ok, I double checked and this turkey is 22.24 pounds. How long should I cook it at 350?

W

Any turkey I've had had like 2 bags of innerds. One was between the legs and the other, which had the neck was in the hole where the neck was. The only thing I can think the plastic do-hickey thing is, is a little gizmo they put on in order to tuck the legs together. LOL You can really tell how good I am at this......LOL I've heard cook the turkey breast down so the breast doesn't get dry and then turn it later to brown it nice. I've only had one really turn out good in my whole life.....Betty Crocker, I'm not. LOL

I took the turkey out to baste and inspect after 45 minutes and found the neck in the other end and pulled it out. The plastic things are still in there but she's cooking without any inserts now

Im not doing stuffing inside the turkey, will prob make some instant when I work on the fixings.

I'm a big fan of rosemary spice on Turkeys

W

First thing is pull it out of the oven and get rid of all the plastic. You don't need toxic fumes as the turkey is cooking nor melting around the turkey into the gravy. As far as cooking a bird that big, I would call Butterball for advice. I am only successful in producing stuffed Cornish hens.