Turkey help!

I feel really dumb saying this... but I can't cook turkeys correctly. It seems like no matter how long I leave the silly birds in the oven, they always come out not quite done. I've tried using a thermometer, and when it beeps at 161° I take the turkey out, let it sit for 15 minutes, start carving... it's pink. This time I skipped the thermometer and roasted it for 3 hours (it was an 11 pound bird), and it's still pink! Argh!

I brined it MaVie Rose-style first. Then I put it in the oven at 500° for half an hour, took it out, covered it with a foil tent, and popped it back in at 350° for 90 minutes. Took it out, turned it around (cuz the inside leg always seems to get really brown), and cooked it for another half hour. Checked it... not done. Put it back in for another half hour. So that's 3 hours in total. I took it out, let it sit, started carving.. (big sigh...)

I don't mind so much this time, because I'm only cooking it for us. I freeze the meat for meals (so it does get cooked the rest of the way before we eat it!) and cook the carcass down for broth. But someday I might be cooking it for company and I don't want to kill my potential guests.

So... What am I doing wrong???

This message was edited Nov 21, 2008 10:48 PM