Pavochon in NYC: A Puerto Rican “Staffsgiving” Turkey Feast

“Are you Canadian?” the butcher asked me when I ordered a fresh, 16-pound turkey in October.

I shook my head.

“Then why a turkey so early in the season?” he pressed.

I told him I was cooking for a special occasion — the annual “Staffsgiving” at Chef’s Dinner Table, the private dining venue I co-own with my husband, Ronnie, 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.

But not just any turkey is fit for such an occasion. Staffsgiving calls for a pavochon.

Pavochon is Puerto Rico’s favorite style of the bird, and more than 30 years ago, while visiting with my husband’s 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’s pavo (turkey) seasoned like the island’s 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.

I’ll never forget that first encounter with pavochon, which I wrote about nearly a decade ago in the Wall Street Journal. We were at cousin Glori’s house when a family friend — the chef Alfredo Ayala — 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, who slow-cooks turkey on a spit over coals at La Ranchera in Aguas Buenas. Though local lore suggests that Apa’s 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 Riqueño, the island’s earliest-known cookbook.

I’ve never seen it stateside outside my own kitchen, which is why I never tire of sharing its charms. Year after year, whether I’m serving pavochon for Staffsgiving or at my own Thanksgiving table, I revel in seeing faces brighten upon first bite. One Chef’s Dinner Table staffer, weary of dry and boring birds, called it a “game-changer.”

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.

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’s mofongo stuffing or chef Jose Santaella’s avocado and papaya salad. No matter where or how it’s 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.

Ready to Make Flavor-Packed Thanksgiving Pavochon?

Pavochon in NYC: A Puerto Rican Thanksgiving Celebration

Recipe by Kathleen Squires

5.0 from 3 votes

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings

10 to 12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups canola or grapeseed oil

• 1/2 cup achiote seeds (also called annatto seeds)

• 1/4 cup salt

• 1/4 cup fresh oregano

• 1 bunch recao (culantro), stems removed, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups, loosely packed)

• 1/2 cup aji dulce or other sweet pepper, with seeds, chopped

• 1/3 cup crushed garlic

• 1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 16 lbs whole turkey

Directions

• 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.
• In a food processor or blender, purée 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.
• 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.
• Remove turkey from fridge and preheat oven to 350°. Place turkey in a roasting pan, cover with aluminum foil and roast in oven until golden, about 2 hours. Remove cover.
• Increase oven temperature to 425° 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°.
• Remove turkey from oven and let rest 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to carve.

Notes

• 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.