Cook_s_Country_-_October_2019

18 COOK’S COUNTRY • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

Braised

Turkey

Tacos

Roasting isn’t the only

way to prepare this

versatile bird.

by Natalie Estrada

AMERICANS CONSUME ABOUT
222 million pounds of turkey each
Thanksgiving. But the classic method
of cooking a turkey—roasting—is just
one way to prepare it. I wanted to
create a recipe that would employ an
alternate cooking method and high-
light the versatility of this inexpensive
ingredient by using it in a crowd
favorite: tacos.
I started my research south of the
border in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula,
where domesticated turkey has been
eaten for centuries. It’s added to soups,
folded into tacos, and drenched in
mole sauce, but one specific recipe,
pavo en escabeche (turkey marinated in
vinegar), caught my eye.
This dish calls for marinating turkey
in vinegar and then braising it in a
mixture of onions, warm spices, and
broth. The flavors sounded promis-
ing. I decided I wanted to braise dark
meat from the thighs (dark meat takes
well to braising and creates soft, juicy
shreds) with a similar mix of flavors.
Early research suggested that
marinating in vinegar produced a
too-pungent result, so I set the vinegar
aside for now. (I’d circle back to it later,
making quick-pickled onion as an ac-
companiment to the tacos.)
Instead I focused on the other ingre-
dients. I started by marinating 4 pounds
of turkey thighs with oregano, garlic,
cumin, and cinnamon. But when I went
to brown the marinated thighs to cre-
ate a flavorful fond (a step common
in many classic braises for developing
meatier, more savory flavors), the garlic
and oregano burned. I knew I wanted
those ingredients in the mix, but the
browning step was making it tough.
Could the solution be just season-
ing the turkey with salt and pepper,
quickly blooming the spices in a
Dutch oven, and then adding the rest
of the ingredients to braise without
browning the turkey at all? I was skep-
tical at first, but a side-by-side test
quelled my doubts.

My tasters preferred the sample that

broke with tradition; the browning step

just wasn’t adding enough flavor. This

unorthodox solution was a surprise

to me, but I was elated to learn that

I could skip the browning and stream-

line the recipe.

This dish had a great flavor, but

something was missing: acidity. Nix-

ing the vinegar earlier in the process

had created this shortcoming. I decid-

ed to add orange and lime juices for

brightness. These two citruses gave

the braising liquid a hint of sweetness

and piquancy without the abrasiveness

of vinegar. What’s more, I tried the

recipe with chicken thighs (in case the

supermarket’s out of turkey thighs)

and it worked just as well.

What is the benchmark of success

in the test kitchen? When the entire

team can’t speak because our mouths

are too full. These turkey tacos were

a success.

BRAISED TURKEY TACOS

Serves 6 to 8

We developed this recipe using an

enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. If you

are using a stainless-steel Dutch oven,

the liquid will take up to 15 minutes

to reduce in step 4. Use the visual

cues in the recipe as your guide. Serve

with Pickled Onion (recipe follows),

if desired.

4 (14- to 16-ounce) bone-in turkey

thighs, trimmed

2 teaspoons table salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped fine

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth

1⁄3 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes),

plus lime wedges for serving

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Thinly sliced radishes

Fresh cilantro leaves

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position
   and heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle
   turkey with salt and pepper. Heat oil
   in Dutch oven over medium-high
   heat until shimmering. Add onion
   and garlic and cook until softened,
   4 to 6 minutes. Add oregano, cumin,
   pepper flakes, and cinnamon and cook
   until fragrant, about 30 seconds.


2. Add tomato paste and cook until
   fragrant and darkened in color, about
   1 minute. Stir in broth, orange juice,
   and lime juice, scraping up any browned
   bits. Nestle turkey into liquid and bring
   to simmer. Cover, transfer to oven, and

cook until turkey is fork-tender, 1 hour

45 minutes to 2 hours.

3. Transfer turkey to plate and let cool,
   about 15 minutes (reserve liquid in pot).
   Shred meat into bite-size pieces using
   2 forks; discard skin and bones. Return
   meat to pot.


4. Bring turkey mixture to simmer
   over medium-high heat, reduce heat
   to medium-low, and cook until liquid
   is slightly thickened and just coats
   turkey, 3 to 5 minutes for enameled
   cast-iron pot or up to 15 minutes for
   stainless-steel pot. Serve with tortillas,
   radishes, cilantro, and lime wedges.

PICKLED ONION

Serves 6 to 8 (Makes about 1½ cups)

For more spice, add 1 thinly sliced jala-

peño chile to the onion before pouring

over the vinegar mixture.

1 small onion, halved and sliced thin

1 cup white wine vinegar

5 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon table salt

Place onion in medium bowl. Bring vin-

egar, sugar, oregano, and salt to simmer

in small saucepan over medium-high

heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until

sugar is dissolved. Pour vinegar mixture

over onion, cover loosely, and let cool

completely, about 30 minutes.

Mexican flavors and a refreshing hit of citrus take turkey in an unexpectedly delicious direction.