{"id":45763,"date":"2024-11-15T03:11:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T03:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/?p=45763"},"modified":"2024-11-23T04:54:26","modified_gmt":"2024-11-23T04:54:26","slug":"pavochon-in-nyc-a-puerto-rican-staffsgiving-turkey-feast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/es\/pavochon-in-nyc-a-puerto-rican-staffsgiving-turkey-feast\/","title":{"rendered":"Pavochon en Nueva York: un fest\u00edn de pavos puertorrique\u00f1o para celebrar el D\u00eda de Acci\u00f3n de Gracias"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cAre you Canadian?\u201d the butcher asked me when I ordered a fresh, 16-pound turkey in October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shook my head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen why a turkey so early in the season?\u201d he pressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I told him I was cooking for a special occasion \u2014 the annual \u201cStaffsgiving\u201d at Chef\u2019s Dinner Table<\/a>, the private dining venue I co-own with my husband, Ronnie<\/a>, in NYC. I prepare the feast each year to express gratitude to the team as they prepare for the onset of the hectic holiday season.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Pavochon
The Staffsgiving pavochon rests for 30 minutes before being carved. Photo by Elizabeth Squires<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But not just any turkey is fit for such an occasion. Staffsgiving calls for a pavochon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pavochon is Puerto Rico\u2019s favorite style of the bird, and more than 30 years ago, while visiting with my husband\u2019s family in San Juan for Thanksgiving, it became my favorite way to enjoy turkey, too. Its portmanteau name explains exactly why I love it: It\u2019s pavo (turkey) seasoned like the island\u2019s famed roasted pig (lechon), rubbed with a sofrito of onions, aji dulce (sweet peppers), garlic, oregano, achiote oil (recipe below), and copious amounts of fragrant culantro.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Pavochon
The pavochon, served with traditional Thanksgiving sides. On the island, this dish often includes arroz con gandules<\/a>, rice with pigeon peas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019ll never forget that first encounter with pavochon, which I wrote about nearly a decade ago in the Wall Street Journal<\/em><\/a>. We were at cousin Glori\u2019s house when a family friend \u2014 the chef Alfredo Ayala \u2014 served it. I had never had such an impressively seasoned bird: Savory, warm, slightly smokey, and herbaceous. I mistakenly thought that Ayala had prepared the bird himself. He had in fact picked it up from a famous lechonero, Apa Ramos<\/a>, who slow-cooks turkey on a spit over coals at La Ranchera in Aguas Buenas. Though local lore suggests that Apa\u2019s father invented pavochon in the 1940s, a turkey cooked pavochon-style (though not actually called pavochon at the time) makes an appearance as far back as 1859, in El Cocinero Puerto Rique\u00f1o<\/em>, the island\u2019s earliest-known cookbook.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Pavochon
Chef’s Dinner Table NYC co-owner Ronnie Rodriguez<\/a> sets the Staffsgiving table, in preparation for the annual pavochon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019ve never seen it stateside outside my own kitchen, which is why I never tire of sharing its charms. Year after year, whether I\u2019m serving pavochon for Staffsgiving or at my own Thanksgiving table, I revel in seeing faces brighten upon first bite. One Chef\u2019s Dinner Table staffer, weary of dry and boring birds, called it a \u201cgame-changer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pavochon tastes best on the island, however, especially when enjoyed at a roadside lechonera. And the best part about enjoying it in Puerto Rico is that it will not only continue to appear at Christmas and Three Kings Day, but many lechoneras will serve it throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Pavochon,
Chef\u2019s Dinner Table culinary director Julie Carrion<\/a> carves the Puerto Rican-style pavochon at the New York City private dining venue\u2019s annual celebration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Another beautiful thing about pavochon is its versatility at the holiday table. It cozies right up with traditional stateside trimmings, like bread stuffing and mashed potatoes, but I like it best when eaten alongside island-spun sides, such as chef Juan Jose Cuevas\u2019s mofongo stuffing<\/a> or chef Jose Santaella\u2019s avocado and papaya salad<\/a>. No matter where or how it\u2019s served, pavochon, for me, has become a symbol of gratitude and connection, conjuring the warmth of family and the beloved traditions of a floating island of delicious paradise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to Make Flavor-Packed Thanksgiving Pavochon?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\"Pavochon\t\t\t\t
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\n\t \n\t \t\n \n <\/svg>\n\t Print<\/span>\n\t <\/a>\n\t <\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Pavochon in NYC: A Puerto Rican Thanksgiving Celebration <\/h2>\n\n
\n \t\t \t\t\tRecipe by Kathleen Squires<\/span>\n \t\t\n
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  • <\/li>
  • <\/li>
  • <\/li>
  • <\/li>
  • <\/li><\/ul>5.0<\/small> from<\/small> 3<\/small> votes<\/small><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <\/div>\n\t\t
    \n Cuisine: Puerto Rican<\/mark><\/span> <\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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    <\/span>Servings<\/span>

    10 to 12<\/p>servings<\/span><\/div>

    <\/span>Prep time<\/span>

    30<\/p>minutes<\/span><\/div>

    <\/span>Cooking time<\/span>

    40<\/p>minutes<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    Ingredients<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
    • <\/span>

      2<\/span> cups<\/span> canola or grapeseed oil<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/2<\/span> cup<\/span> achiote seeds (also called annatto seeds)<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/4<\/span> cup<\/span> salt<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/4<\/span> cup<\/span> fresh oregano<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1<\/span> bunch recao (culantro), stems removed, chopped (about 2 1\/2 cups, loosely packed)<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/2<\/span> cup<\/span> aji dulce or other sweet pepper, with seeds, chopped<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/3<\/span> cup<\/span> crushed garlic<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/3<\/span> cup<\/span> yellow onion, chopped<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      Freshly ground black pepper<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      16<\/span> lbs<\/span> whole turkey<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ul>\n \t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

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      Directions<\/h3>\n\t\t\t
      • In a small pot, bring oil to simmer. Add achiote seeds, turn off heat and let rest 10 minutes. Strain, discard seeds and set achiote oil aside.<\/li>
      • In a food processor or blender, pur\u00e9e salt, oregano, recao (culantro), aji dulce aji or sweet peppers, garlic, onions, and black pepper until a thick paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in achiote oil. <\/li>
      • Remove giblets and neck from cavity. Pat turkey dry. Place turkey in a large bowl. Rub outside and inner cavity of turkey with seasoning. Cover turkey and let rest in refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 8.<\/li>
      • Remove turkey from fridge and preheat oven to 350\u00b0. Place turkey in a roasting pan, cover with aluminum foil and roast in oven until golden, about 2 hours. Remove cover.<\/li>
      • Increase oven temperature to 425\u00b0 and cook turkey until skin is golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes more. To check for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the fattest part of thigh, avoiding bone. Temperature should read at least 165\u00b0. <\/li>
      • Remove turkey from oven and let rest 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to carve.<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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        Notes<\/h3>\n\t\t\t
        • Culantro is not to be confused with cilantro, despite their similiar names. Both are bright green aromatic herbs and called for in Puerto Rican recipes. Culantro has longer leaves and a bolder flavor than cilantro, with an earthier, slightly citrusy flavor. It is used in Caribbean, Latin American, and Southeast Asian cooking.<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n \n\t\n\t\t\t