Welcome to Part 3 of The Dining Traveler Cooking Series, where we make recipes from our favorite destinations at home. This edition is a bit different. We are "going" to Puerto Rico for all of the episodes of this edition. We also shot on location at La Cosecha, a contemporary Latin American market located in the Union Market District of Washington, DC.
For this episode, we're making Pavochón. What is pavochón? It's common to season the turkey in Puerto Rico the same way we make our lechón (roasted pork). My father, Don Gume, was in charge of the Thanksgiving turkey pretty much until he passed away six years ago. He seasoned the turkey a day ahead with a mix of minced garlic, oregano, and lots of sazón for that nice color. Because as my mom says, "a nadie le gusta un pavo hincho" (nobody likes a pale turkey).
As I went to live on my own, I wanted to replicate his recipe while adding my own flavor to it. One of the things I do a bit differently is basting the turkey with a dark beer 60-90 minutes before it is done. As an homage to my years living in Brussels, I usually use a Leffe Brune or Chimay Bleue, but any dark beer will do.
Here's the recipe & you can get the step by step instructions from the video.
This episode is brought to you by the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.
¡Buen provecho!
* 12lb turkey (if you go larger/smaller) adjust your seasonings properly
* Marinade:
* 3/4 Cup of Olive Oil
* 2-3 tbsp of dry oregano
* 2-3 tbsp minced garlic
* 2 tbsp sazón
* 2 tbsp adobo
* Kosher Salt
* Black Pepper
* 2 sticks of butter, cut into pats
* Onions, Carrots, and Celery
* 1 & 1/2 bottles of dark beer (room temperature)
Special equipment: meat thermometer
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients. The measurements are up to you. Use more or less of each ingredient depending on your taste. I personally love a very garlicky turkey.
3. Chop the vegetables into 2-inch pieces
4. Pat dry the turkey. Make sure it's fully thawed and dry.
5. With a spoon, loosen the skin from the breast.
6. With the spoon, spread the marinade between the skin and breast.
7. With a spoon or silicone brush, brush the marinade all over the turkey. Make sure to add seasoning to the cavity.
8. Add the pats of butter in between the loosened skin and breast.
9. Insert the cut vegetables inside the cavity. Make sure they fit in loosely. Don't overstuff.
10. Place turkey breast side up on a roasting pan. I make mine in a roasting pan, but a pan loosely covered with aluminum foil will do.
11. Cover and place in the oven. Set the timer for two hours. (if your turkey is larger, this will take a bit longer)
12. At the two hour mark, check for progress with a thermometer. If the turkey is less than 130 F, let it cook for another 30-45 minutes covered until it reaches this temperature.
13. At 130 F, uncover the turkey, use a baster or a spoon to pour the juices over the turkey to keep moist. Pour a bottle of beer over the turkey. Baste every 15 minutes to keep the turkey moist until it is done. For a 12 lb turkey, it should take 60-90 minutes.
14. Use your thermometer to check the turkey between the breast and thigh. It should be 165-170 degrees.
15. Once it's done, let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.
16. Enjoy your pavochon!
Video Edited by Audrey Wong (@audvisual)
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