Roasted Turkey ala Pioneer Woman's Method

By Diherbert

This is the best way to roast a turkey. My family loves the PW's method of brining and roasting the turkey, which always turns out perfectly.

Ingredients

• 1 whole Fresh Turkey (I Use A 20-lb. Turkey) - Brined for 16 to 24 hours (see recipe for Pioneer Woman's Turkey Brine
• 1 stick Butter

Preparation

Step 1

After the turkey has slurped up all of the wonderful flavor of the brine for 16-24 hours remove it from the brining bag and rinse the turkey thoroughly again inside and out. Soak the turkey in a sink full of fresh water for 15 to 20 minutes. Pat dry. Discard brine.
Now tuck the legs and wings however you like to tuck them and place bird, breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover the turkey tightly with heavy-duty foil. Make sure it is entirely covered (cover over the bottom edges of the pan. Place in a pre-heated 275 degree oven and walk away. The rule of thumb now is to roast the turkey at 275 degrees for about 10 minutes per pound. So for a 20-pound turkey, roast it at 275 degrees for about 3 ½ hours. (For a 15-pound turkey, roast it for 2 ½ hours.) Note: there’ll still be more cooking time after this, but it’ll be at a different temperature).
When it’s time to remove the turkey from the oven, melt one stick of butter in a bowl. Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees. Remove the aluminum foil and set aside. Brush 1/3 of the butter all over the skin of the turkey. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint. Place the turkey uncovered back into the oven. Continue roasting the turkey, basting with butter every 30 minutes until the thermometer registers 170 degrees and until the juices are no longer pink.
Remove from oven, cover with foil until you are ready to serve it.