I have a 20# boned and rolled turkey w/butter and spices in the middle. It is in a vacuumed sealed bag. Please help me with temperature and time
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It’s somewhat problematic to have an entire turkey cooked this way. The light meat and dark meat are often better when treated differently. When i do turkey for thanksgiving or Christmas, I’ll cook the dark meat at 150°F for 12 hours, then lower the temperature to 131°F, added the breasts, and cook it all for another 12 hours. Not sure if that will help or not. Let us know what you end up doing, and how it comes out.
Lew, at that size its not a product that lends itself to SV cooking. I would not attempt it because it’s unsafe and you are not revealing sufficient details for us to accurately guide you.
You don’t disclose if it is a mix of light and dark meat which would determine cooking temperature nor it’s thickness which will determine cooking time. Out of interest it would also be helpful to know if it is frozen or not because that impacts cooking time too.
First, you should be aware that SV cooking times are dependant on shape and thickness, not weight. So just how thick is it?
Second, always presume poultry products are generously contaminated with Salmonella and probably one or more strains of E. Coli both being significantly heat resistant. Even a few bacteria per gram can make you very unpleasantly ill for several days. For young children, the elderly, or those with compromised immune systems consumption of contaminated food can be fatal. Therefore you will probably want to cook your turkey to achieve Pasteurization and as quickly as possible. Since it has been boned and rolled it’s been extensively handled so you can consider the turkey to be heavily contaminated throughout. That means right to its centre.
And that presents you with a significant challenge. You are confronted with a virtual race between sufficient heat above the thermal death point of bacteria reaching the interior of the turkey before the growth of pathogens becomes overwhelming in number. That’s why i wouldn’t do it.
I suggest you unroll it and separate the light and dark meat so they can be SV cooked to optimum temperatures. That’s about 145F or 63C for white meat and 150F or 86C for the dark meat.
Please refer to Doug Baldwin Table 4.1 to calculate pasteurization times for poultry. Consider 25mm to be the equivalent of an inch.
http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html
You also might find it useful to read the entirety of his excellent work.
Do well.