A traditional Puerto Rican Thanksgiving meal includes American favorites with a Puerto Rican twist and several classic Puerto Rican holiday dishes. This page provides ideas on how to make a delicious Puerto Rican Thanksgiving dinner.
Introduction
A Puerto Rican Thanksgiving dinner kicks off the start of the holiday season. Many Puerto Rican families in the continental U.S. and Puerto Ricans on the island prepare a Thanksgiving dinner that usually includes a roast Turkey (Pavochon), although some prefer a roast suckling pig (Lechon) or roast pork shoulder (Pernil). Side dishes sometimes include arroz con gandules, mofongo stuffing and tostones with mojo.
Step 1: Things You'll Need
- For the Turkey:
- Adobo Seasoning
- Sazon
- Fresh Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Mofongo stuffing:
- 6 large green platanos
- 1/3 cup of chicken broth
- 4 tsp of chopped garlic
- One pound of bacon chopped and cooked
- 3 sweet chili peppers (chopped)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Step 2: Roasting the Turkey (Pavochon)
There are several ways of seasoning the turkey before roasting; this recipe uses Sazon, but it can be left out depending on your preferences. (Sazon is the seasoning mix in the orange packets.)
- Defrost the turkey
- Prepare in advance
- The day before Thanksgiving, season the turkey with a rub. The turkey rub is made by combining 2 heads of garlic (crushed), 4 tablespoons of olive oil and at least 2 packets of Sazon and about 2 tablespoons of Adobo.
- Season the turkey
- After washing the turkey, separate the skin from the meat using your hands. Spread the rub between the turkey skin and the meat and over the outside-skin of the turkey. After the turkey rub, you can sprinkle another packet of Sazon and more Adobo.http://www.recipelink.com/mf/31/35003
- Roast the turkey
- Time varies depending on the weight of the turkey
Step 3: Favorite Puerto Rican Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Mofongo Stuffing
- To make mofongo stuffing, combine the chopped bacon, garlic, olive oil and chopped peppers. Next, using a pilon (like a mortar and pestle), mash the platanos with the olive oil mixture. Finally, add chicken broth to your mofongo for moisture and you are ready to stuff the turkey.http://globalgrind.com/content/1102885/Making-a-Traditional-Boricua-Thanksgiving-Meal/
- Tostones
- Heat oil in a large skillet and place plantains that have been cut into about 1" thick circles into the oil and fry for about 3 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove the plantains and press them flat using a plate. Dip the plantains in water and fry again for one more minute. Remove the plantains and sprinkle with salt.http://allrecipes.com/recipe/puerto-rican-tostones-fried-plantains/Detail.aspx<ref>
