This was my first attempt at making Thanksgiving turkey, inspired by the Salvadoran chicken sandwich recipe I love. Honestly, I was swamped at work and didn't have time to do this completely from scratch like I would have preferred, so this is my version of making it work with what I had. I was terrified nobody would eat it, and I'd be stuck with a massive amount of leftovers. But by the end of the night, there was hardly any turkey left. I'm taking that as a sign it was a hit. The turkey came out incredibly juicy and flavorful, and I'm absolutely doing this again next year. It's a labor of love that starts two days before you plan to serve it. The brining keeps the meat incredibly moist, and the relajo marinade adds a Salvadoran twist, making this turkey anything but ordinary.
Ingredients:
1 (22-pound) turkey (scale recipe based on your turkey size)
1 package store-bought brining mix
2 turkey brining bags
4 packets relajo mix
3 large yellow onions
16 plum tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
2 green bell peppers
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons chicken bouillon
4 cups water
1 large (Costco-size) Kerry Gold butter, at room temperature
Finely chopped cilantro
Oregano
Vegetables of your choosing for roasting rack
Instructions:
Two Days Before:
Step 1: Clean the turkey and remove the neck and gizzard packet. Follow the instructions on your brining mix—typically you'll boil water, dissolve the mix completely, and let it cool all the way down. Put the turkey in a brining bag with the cooled brine and refrigerate for 24 hours.
One Day Before:
Step 2: Make the marinade. Toast the relajo mix lightly in a cast iron skillet (or whatever pan you have) until it becomes aromatic. Set aside.
Step 3: Char the onions and peppers on a cast iron griddle or skillet until all sides have some char on them. Lightly char the tomatoes—don't go too heavy on these, just a light char.
Step 4: Working in batches (I did 2, but use however many you need based on your equipment): For the first batch, add half of the charred vegetables, half the toasted relajo, 2 cups of water, and 2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon to a food processor. Blend until extremely liquefied, then strain it so only the liquid remains and discard the chunky bits. For the second batch, add the rest of the vegetables, relajo, 2 cups of water, and 2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon. Blend until liquefied but keep the seeds and chunky bits this time. (Note: You can strain all of it or none of it depending on your preference. I like mine somewhere in between so it's not too liquidy or too chunky.)
Step 5: Make the compound butter. Let the butter come to room temperature. Mix in about 1/4 cup of the strained relajo marinade, along with finely chopped cilantro and oregano. Mix thoroughly and put back in the fridge.
Step 6: Remove the turkey from the brining bag and discard all the liquid. Put the turkey in a clean brining bag and fill it with your marinade. Close it up tightly and refrigerate for another 24 hours.
Cooking Day:
Step 7: Take the turkey out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Step 8: Set up a roasting rack with leftover vegetables on the bottom and add some water.
Step 9: Take the compound butter out and let it come to room temperature so it's pliable. Using gloves, carefully loosen the skin all over the turkey and slather the compound butter underneath the skin, getting it into as many crevices as possible. This creates incredibly crispy skin and adds so much flavor.
Step 10: Place the turkey on the roasting rack and cover it completely with aluminum foil. Roast for about 4 hours, basting the top with water every hour to keep it from drying out.
Step 11: When the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, remove it from the oven and let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes before cutting into it.
