Trivet

Working back from the time you want to eat: when the roast goes in, when it comes out, the temperature to cook it to, and when to start thawing if it's still frozen. So dinner lands hot and cooked through, not an hour late.

What you're cooking

A whole turkey reads from the USDA size chart. Stuffing inside the bird adds a little time, and the stuffing has to reach 165 F too.

When you want to eat

Resting lets the juices settle and the roast keeps cooking a few degrees while it rests. Leave the rest blank to use the usual time for this roast.

The time tells you when to start. The thermometer tells you when it's done.

Minutes per pound and the USDA turkey timetable are good for working out when to put a roast in, but ovens and joints vary, so the only sure test of a cooked roast is its temperature in the thickest part: 165 F for poultry, and at least 145 F with a rest for a whole cut of beef, pork, lamb or veal (160 F for anything minced). A roast carries on cooking a few degrees after it leaves the oven, so Trivet has you pull it out a touch early and rest it, which also lets the juices settle so it carves cleanly. If it's frozen, the real countdown starts days earlier, because thawing in the fridge takes about a day for every four pounds. Start on the early side: a roast that's ready too soon holds happily in a low oven, but one that's late holds up the whole table.