When it comes to American traditions Thanksgiving is my favorite. This day, unique to our culture, celebrates the people and things in our lives and makes a feast out of it. Today we want to share our family recipe for turkey, which basically is an adaptation of a pork recipe served in our native Barranquilla, Colombia. The stuffing is especially different from the traditional American stuffing, but I find it superior (more so if it\’s cooked by my mom).
The marinade
3 yellow medium onions
2 green bell peppers
4 garlic big cloves
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 tbs yellow mustard
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
Put it on a blender for 2 minutes or until everything is liquid and marinate your turkey with it, making sure to spread it inside and outside, bellow the skin (don’t take the skin off, just separate it from the flesh and put the marinade there). Use a marinade injector to place the marinade inside slots cut on the flesh with a sharp thin knife. You can also stuff the cuts with garlic cloves. Marinate on the fridge for at least 12 hours. (This marinade is also good on pork and chicken).
The stuffing
1 lb. of ground pork meat
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 celery sticks
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of green olives
1 tsp of capers
1 tbsp of yellow mustard
1 tsp fresh sage
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh parsley
1 egg, beaten
1 slice of white bread, soaked in milk
Salt and pepper to taste
In a big frying pan brown the meat with 1 tbsp of butter, then add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and celery and brown some more. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper and mix well. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit. Add the raisins, olives, capers, and mustard and mix some more. When it\’s at room temperature add the egg, bread, and mix well until you have a paste. (You can cook this ahead of time and put it covered in the fridge until is time to bake).
The turkey
Preheat the oven at 325 F. Remove the marinade from the turkey and dry it well with paper towels. Mix 1 stick butter (room temperature) with 2 tbsp each of fresh sage, parsley, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the turkey with the butter being careful not to tear the skin. Place the butter on top of the skin and between the skin and the flesh. Stuff the turkey. Place the turkey in a baking pan, preferably on top of a rack. Cover the turkey with aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes per pound if the turkey weighs less than 16 pounds, 12 minutes per pound if its heavier. When the meat thermometer reaches 160 F in the breast meat, remove from the oven and let it rest 15 minutes before carving.
Serve and be thankful!
¡Feliz Thanksgiving!
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