1. Do you have a pan that is big enough for the bird?
2. Will the bird in the pan fit into the oven?
3. Is the rack inside the oven strong enough to hold the bid, pan and stuffing?
4. Check the with the rack pulled out and the bird setting on it that the oven doesn't tip over. Most ovens and not hooked to the floor and this size and weight is close to the limits of most residential ovens.
5. Get yourself one of those meat thermometer that allows you to monitor the temperature from outside the oven, it's a pain to have to pull the bird halfway out to check the progress.
And then all the fun begins on cook day. Go to bed early if you plan on eating early the next day.
Wash and stuff the bird, rub down the skin with oil, install remote meat thermometer and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Add 3 cups of water into pan
Hour 0 - preheat oven to 325 and put it in oven.
Hour 4.5 - reduce oven to 275, meat should be 110
Start basting every hour, putting juices into stuffing, helps keep the bird from drying out
Hour 5.5 - reduce oven to 250, meat should be 150
Hour 7.5 - meat should be 160
Hour 9.0 - meat should be 170
Hour 10.5 - uncover, increase oven to 325
Hour 11.0 - done when meat is 185
Remove from the oven, cover tightly and let rest for 1 hr.
Location:On the farm
