Barded Turkey

An old-fashioned method found at the blog Cooking, Dunkin Style - originally from Cook's Country magazine. You will need about 2 yards of cheesecloth for this recipe.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 15 mins
• Yields: 1 turkey

Ingredients

• 4  cups cold water
• 1  turkey, 12 to 14-pounds
• 1  lb salt pork, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Directions

1. For the turkey: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove cheesecloth from package and fold into 18-inch square. Place cheesecloth in large bowl and cover with water.
2. Tuck wings behind back and arrange turkey, breast-up, on V-rack set inside roasting pan.
3. Prick skin of breast and legs of turkey all over with fork, cover breast and legs of turkey with salt pork, top with soaked cheesecloth (pouring any remaining water into roasting pan), and cover cheesecloth completely with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
4. Roast turkey until breast meat registers 140 degrees, 2½ to 3 hours. Remove foil, cheesecloth, and salt pork and discard. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Continue to roast until breast meat registers 165 degrees and thigh meat registers 175 degrees, 40 to 60 minutes longer.
5. Transfer turkey to carving board and let rest 30 minutes.