Zest up your Thanksgiving turkey with Mexican chilies, au jus
The only rule Carlos Falcon’s mother enforced at the holiday table was: “You have to be on time, or you eat on the porch!”
In the Falcon family, the porch was the equivalent of the kiddie table at Thanksgiving — and certainly not where the entrepreneurial child and the youngest of seven wanted to land.
Falcon grew up in Veracruz, Mexico. His father died when he was 4 years old. To help his mother, he started working as a shoeshine boy at age 7. By age 14, Falcon had his own taco stand.
“I would push a little cart along the side of the road, and it was very successful,” Falcon says.
As the chef/owner of Jarocho Pescados y Mariscos, a Mexican seafood restaurant with a location in Kansas City, Kan., and another scheduled to open before the end of the year on State Line Road in south Kansas City, Falcon continues to be successful.
To show his gratitude, he and his Japanese-born wife, Sayaka Gushi Falcon, and their toddler son, Issey, plan to celebrate a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for his cooks and restaurant staff at his house, and spend the day of with their “American family” in Springfield.
Not surprising for those who have eaten one of his creative multi-course omakase seafood dinners, Falcon can also impress with poultry. One of his favorite ways to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey reflects the delicious flavors of Mexico.
His turkey is rubbed with a paste of dry peppers that have been reconstituted and mixed with oregano and cinnamon. Unlike many popular turkey recipes that hit the heat first then roast the bird at a lower temperature, Falcon’s turkey stays moist in a braising liquid of chicken broth and orange juice at low heat, then is roasted on high heat toward the end. Bonus: Use the leftover pan jus as a stand-in for gravy.
Guajillo-Rubbed Turkey
Look for guajillo peppers in the dried spice section of the supermarket. The spice level on guajillo peppers is a 3 out of 10.
Makes 1 (10- to 15-pound) turkey
For the brine:
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 whole allspice berries
1 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
5 dried bay leaves
2 gallons water
1 (10- to 15-pound) turkey
For the rub:
10 dried guajillo peppers
1 1/2 to 2 cups water
1/2 onion, diced
5 garlic cloves
1/2 cup white vinegar
5 whole allspice berries
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1/2 cinnamon stick
Salt to taste
For the turkey:
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart orange juice
For the brine: In a large stockpot, combine all brine ingredients with water. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. (It takes awhile for a pot this big to cool; plan to make brine several hours before you need to begin brining.)
Wash and dry the turkey. Make sure to remove the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the cooled brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled with water and the entire bird is covered. Place the stockpot in the refrigerator overnight or up to 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the turkey, carefully draining off the excess brine, and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
For the guajillo rub: Snip the stems of the dried peppers off with a pair of kitchen scissors. Using the scissors, slit the peppers and remove all the seeds and veins. Place peppers in a saucepan and cover with 1 1/2 -2 cups water, then bring to a boil for 5 minutes; remove the peppers with a slotted spoon and reserve cooking liquid. Place peppers and the rest of the ingredients in a blender and add 1 cup of the cooking liquid used to boil the peppers. Blend to a paste and rub it on the turkey inside and out.
For the turkey: Place the turkey in a roasting pan and add the stock and orange juice, then cover with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours. Boost the oven temperature to 425 degrees and roast for 30-45 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh reaches 165 degrees. Keep in mind that brined turkey cooks 20-30 minutes faster than non-brined turkey. Allow turkey to rest 30 minutes to reabsorb the juices before serving.
Reduce pan jus over low heat in a saucepan to desired consistency and serve in place of gravy.
Per serving: 301 calories (44 percent from fat), 15 grams total fat (8 grams saturated), 84 milligrams cholesterol, 34 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein, 851 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.
This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Zest up your Thanksgiving turkey with Mexican chilies, au jus."