Pavochon with Mofongo Stuffing

The Pavochon is laid on a platter on top of green banana leaves

Pavochon with Mofongo Stuffing

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Puerto Rican/Hispanic

Keyword: plantains, turkey

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 4 30

marinating time: 2

Total Time: 2 4 50

Servings:

Calories: 539kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

Pavochon is a popular Puerto Rican version turkey that's seasoned like a roast suckling pig (or lechon) and roasted before being filled with a garlicky, mashed plantain and pork rind stuffing.

Print Recipe

Equipment

large roasting pan with rack
dutch oven for frying
meat thermometer

Ingredients

For the Pavochon Marinade

16 cloves (1/3 cup or 25 grams) garlic peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons (23 grams) kosher salt
1 tablespoon (3 grams) dried oregano
1 tablespoon (5 grams) granulated onion
2 teaspoons (7 grams) sazón
1 teaspoon (2 grams) black pepper
1/4 cup (60 grams) sofrito

For the Pavochon (begin 1-2 days ahead)

12 pound (5 1/2 kilograms) turkey thawed with giblets and neck removed
1/2 cup (125 milliliters) distilled white vinegar or lime juice
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) achiote oil
2 teaspoons (7 grams) adobo optional
fresh banana leaves soaked for 15 minutes (optional)

For the Monfongo Stuffing

vegetable or peanut oil for frying
4 large (545 grams) green plantains peeled and cut into 1-inch thick chunks and soaked in salted water
10 ounces (227 grams) pork rinds or 2 5-ounce bags
8 cloves (3 tablespoons or 13 grams) fresh garlic peeled and mashed to a paste
2 teaspoons (1 gram) dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
kosher salt to taste
chicken stock as needed to moisten the mofongo

Instructions

Prepare the Pavochon Marinade (1-2 days ahead)

Use a pilón (or mortar and pestle) to crush the pavochon marinade's garlic cloves with the salt, dried oregano, oregano leaves, granulated onion powder, sazón, and black pepper until you create a fine paste.
Add the sofrito to the paste in the pilón and use the pestle (or a spoon) to stir these together to make a loose marinade.

Marinate the Turkey (Up to 2 Days Ahead)

Give the turkey a quick wash under cold water before "washing" it again with white distilled vinegar.
Leave the vinegar on the turkey for 10 minutes before rinsing the turkey and drying it thoroughly with paper towels.
Put the turkey on a half-sheet pan.
Separate the skin from the flesh by using your fingers to scrape away the connective tissue (or fibers) that hold the skin to the flesh.
Do this all over the breast of the turkey. Try to get as much of the back skin separated from the back of the turkey. Because this is a bonier part of the turkey, you may not fully separate the skin from the flesh.
Don't worry too much about the drumsticks or the wings.
Carefully piercing the meat with a thin boning knife. Try to avoid damaging the skin.
Once the skin is separated from the flesh, rub the pavochon marinade over the outside of the turkey, under the skin, and inside the cavity.
Before putting the turkey in the fridge, wrap it tightly in plastic.
Wrap two layers of plastic wrap tightly around the turkey, followed by a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Put the turkey back onto the sheet pan to catch any spills, then allow the turkey to marinate in the refrigerator for 12-48 hours.
Alternatively, you can leave the turkey in the pan and cover the turkey loosely in plastic wrap. The meat won't be as flavorful, though.

Roast the Turkey

Remove the foil and plastic wrapping after marinating the turkey. Set the bird into a lightly-greased rack inside a large roasting pan.
Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Lower the middle rack one level.
Allow the turkey to warm up for at least 1 hour at room temperature while the oven is heating up.
Before roasting the turkey, pat the skin down with paper towels. Next, use a pastry brush to brush the achiote oil over the entire surface of the turkey.
Sprinkle a generous amount of adobo onto the surface of the turkey.
Cover the pavochon with clean, damp banana leaves, securing the leaves with butcher's twine or the ribs of the banana leaves.
Roast the meat for 2 1/2 hours or according to its size and corresponding time on the chart in the post or in the notes section below.

Make the Mofongo Stuffing While the Pavochon Roasts

Heat vegetable or peanut oil to 350°F (177°C) in a large cast-iron dutch oven or pot.
Drain the brine-soaked plantain chunks, then pat them dry.
Add the plantain chunks in small batches or 6 or 8 pieces to the oil once it reaches temperature.
Fry the plantains in the oil for 3-4 minutes or until a knife pierced into its center meets no resistance.
Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove the plantains from the oil and drain them on a bed of paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Continue frying the rest of the plantains until they're all cooked.
Once the plantains are fried, begin mashing them in batches: 5 or 6 chunks of plantains with a handful of pork rinds, 1 teaspoon of garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, and a pinch of pepper.
The mofongo should have the consistency of thick mashed potatoes after smashing it.
Add a 1/2-1 cup of room temperature chicken stock to the mofongo if it's too dry.
Set the mofongo aside until the turkey comes out of the oven.

Stuff the Pavochon, then Finish Roasting It

Remove the turkey from the oven one hour before it's finished. See the notes section or the post for cooking times.
Unwrap the turkey (if you've covered it in the banana leaves) and use a large spoon to stuff it with the prepared mofongo.
Use the spoon or a turkey baster to ladle any pan juices over the turkey and mofongo.
Return the roasting pan with the turkey to the oven and continue to roast for 45 minutes-1 hour, basting the turkey after 30 minutes.
Insert a thermometer probe into the turkey breast's thickest part to ensure it's ready. The internal temperature of a fully cooked turkey is 165°F (74°C).
Once the pavochon is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

You can use a disposable aluminum roaster instead of a roasting pan if it's more convenient.
Wrap the roasting pan in heavy-duty aluminum foil if you can't find banana leaves.
You can replace the pork rinds in mofongo with fried chicken skins or omit them altogether.

Tips and Techniques:

A general guideline for roasting time for all meats can be found on the FoodSafety.gov website.
Use 1 plantain per diner if you want a lot of stuffing, or reduce it to half per person.
If you have a potato masher, you can add everything to a 4-quart mixing bowl and use it to mash everything for the mofongo together at once.
If you find that your turkey wings or breast are growing too dark in the oven, cover them with a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
When checking the temperature of any large piece of meat, it's essential to ensure that your thermometer's probe is not touching bone. Bones register higher temperatures than flesh does.
The final rest period allows the meat's juices to settle back into the meat, so they don't run out when you cut it, which dries out the turkey.
Use a carving knife for carving your pavochon. This type of knife has a thin blade, which gives you those pretty slices.

Buying Chart:

An 8-pound turkey feeds 8 people. This is likely only a turkey breast, as most turkeys weigh more than 8 pounds. Because turkey breasts are usually boneless, estimate 8 ounces of turkey per guest.
A 10-pound turkey feeds 15
A 12-pound turkey feeds 18
And a 15-pound turkey feeds 22 people.

Roasting Chart:

8-12 pound turkey: 2 hours 30 minutes
12-14 pound turkey: 3 hours 30 minutes
14-18 pound turkey: 4 hours
18-20 pound turkey: 4 hours 30 minutes

Carving Instructions:

Find the center of the breast and make a deep cut into it down to the bone.
From there, cut 1/4-inch slices on both sides of that dividing line.
Turn your carving knife horizontally and cut along the breast bone to release the breast slices.
Slice the wings and drumsticks from the turkey, then remove the thighs at the hip joint.
Thinly slice the thighs before serving. Serve the drumsticks and wings straight off the bone.

Storage and Reheating Instructions:

Store leftover pavochon with mofongo in food storage containers in the refrigerator for 72 hours.
To reheat leftover pavochon: put the meat in a covered container in the microwave or in a skillet with a small amount of water or turkey stock. Reheat until warmed through.
To reheat the mofongo, add a small amount of chicken stock to its container and reheat until warm.
To freeze leftover pavochon:
1. Cool the meat completely before transferring it to a freezer storage bag.
2. Freeze the meat for up to six months.
3. To thaw frozen turkey meat, put it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours or until it has thawed completely and reheat as instructed above.

Nutrition