# How to roast a 37 pound turkey



## bigknitwit (Sep 2, 2004)

I came home from my local farm with the smallest turkey they had left - 37 pounds!!! Dos anybody have any tios on how to roast such a huge bird? I don;t even have a pan big enough for it. Thanks!


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## Throkmorton (Jun 30, 2003)

Buy one of those huge tinfoil pans from the dollar store.









Consider chopping your bird in half and saving half for Christmas. That is what we did one year. Stuffing was never easier (we split it straight down the breast, and roasted it on it's side)

If you leave it whole, don't stuff it. it will take forever to get up to temp. If you don't already have one, invest in a meat thermometer to make darn sure it's cooked.

Oh, and you will have to put some foil over it so the drumsticks don't burn before it's done.

ETA: I asked mom, and she said you will need about 20 minutes per lb, and to cook until a meat thermometer in the thigh measures 170 degrees.


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## cristeen (Jan 20, 2007)

I'd butterfly a bird that big. Or cut it into pieces. A bird that size will be overdone in the breast long before the thigh is done with regular roasting methods.


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## jeanine123 (Jan 7, 2005)

Butterball has a turkey hotline 1-800-BUTTERBALL open from 10am to 7pm Central Time if you want to give them a call for another opinion/thought. I know one year my mom roasted a turkey (ours were about that size but she usually cut it in half since that was the only way it'd fit into anything) in our wood cookstove which probably isn't any help. Tasted WONDERFUL but you sweated bullets in the kitchen even with the door and windows open in Northeastern WI, it also ended up being T-giving supper instead of dinner/lunch.







Another year she roasted it in grandma's huge Nesco roaster but again, she had to lop off parts of it and redistribute it to get it to fit. Not sure how long she roasted it at or what temp though, sorry.


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

I'd cut the legs, thighs and wings off and leave the breast whole.


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## amcal (Jan 13, 2003)

Wow, that's one huge bird. It will take hours and hours and hours to cook. I would definitely break it down and oven roast it in pieces.


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## Sol_Solved (Aug 18, 2005)

Maybe you should start cooking it tonight, so that it's done on time!







:

Now being serious, I like the idea of cutting it in half.


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## Mama Dragon (Dec 5, 2005)

Noooo not 170!! Cook it to 161 degrees and let set 15 minutes, it'll continue to cook while it sets. Don't overcook your turkey! I'd probably half it as well.

I think I've linked this recipe 10 times the past couple days but it's just sooo good:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci...6_8389,00.html


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## bigknitwit (Sep 2, 2004)

I'm wondering about cutting of the legs/thighs and wings, and then roasting with the breast intact. I think it would maybe fit in a roasting pan. I don't know how to judge the roasting time then, unless I just re-weigh the breast portion and base my cooking time on that. I f I could find a large roasting rack, I would maybe attempt to cook it whole - but it's going to take something on the order of 12ish hours lol. I would definitely put foil overtop of the breast. I've had god success with that in the past. I've also had good success cooking a (smaller) bird 1/3 of the time on it's side, then 1/3 of the time on it's other side, and then 1/3 breast up. That's not going to be a option though with this monster lol Thanks for the tips


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## Throkmorton (Jun 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Synthea™* 
Noooo not 170!! Cook it to 161 degrees and let set 15 minutes, it'll continue to cook while it sets. Don't overcook your turkey! I'd probably half it as well.

That might explain my mom's turkey.







Actually, it's not too bad, as long as it isn't a 99c/lb store turkey.


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