Beer and food are a natural pairing and as much as we love to drink beer while eating, it’s also great to cook with and is always nice with poultry. This recipe is a perfect way to cook your turkey with your favorite ale.
Ingredients
- 1 (12- to 18-pound) turkey, thawed, giblets removed
- Stuffing, optional
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 2 (12-ounce) bottles pale ale
Methods
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Gather the ingredients.
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Adjust the oven racks so the turkey will fit in the oven and preheat to 325 F.
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Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels.
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Season both the inside and outside with salt and pepper.
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Stuff the bird, if desired. If you are not making stuffing, insert something into the body cavity that will flavor the meat. This can be a halved lemon or orange, a stalk of celery, a few garlic cloves, halved onion, or some bay leaves. A compound butter of herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme is an excellent option as well.
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Place the turkey in a roasting pan.
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Melt the butter and stir in one bottle of ale. Pour the butter-beer mixture over the turkey.
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Cook an un-stuffed bird for about 15 minutes per pound, cook a stuffed bird for about 20 minutes per pound.
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While roasting, baste the turkey every 20 minutes or so with the beer-butter and pan juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the roasting pan. About halfway through the cooking, pour the remaining bottle of beer over the turkey and continue basting.
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Cover the breast and drumsticks with foil if they start browning too early.
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When a meat or instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers at least 180 F, the turkey is done. If stuffed, the stuffing should register at least 160 F.