Our first Christmas in southern Mexico we were surprised more than once by the new (to us) holiday traditions, one of which was Pavo con Relleno Negro, Turkey with black stuffing.
- Surprise #1: It's more a soup than a turkey dish
- Surprise #2: It looked like mud with hardboiled eggs floating in it (see second photo below)
- Surprise #3: If you could get past the mental aversion to the black color, it really was delicious!
Pavo con Relleno Negro
Turkey with Black Stuffing… Here is how you make it.
Ingredients:
- 12-14 lb. turkey
- 1 lb. black condiment (recipe below)
- 2 bunches of epazote (an herb native to Mexico and central America)
- salt
- 3 x'catik pepers (substitute Anaheim, sweet Italian, or banana peppers)
- 4 tomatoes
- 2 white onions
- ½ cup flour
Stuffing Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground pork leg
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 white onion
- 1 cup chopped green sweet pepper.
- Salt, garlic, pepper and liquid season (such as Maggi) to taste
- 4 oz. black condiment
- 1 sprig epazote
- 16 hard-boiled eggs
Directions:
Wash and place the turkey in a turkey pan.
Mix together the stuffing ingredients (without the boiled eggs), wrap in a cheesecloth and place in turkey cavity. Cook turkey according to turkey directions. Let cool.
Take meat off of turkey. Add turkey meat and stuffing to a soup pot. Dissolve the black condiment in 4 quarts of water and add to soup pot, along with salt and epazote. Cook for about 1 hour.
Sauté the peppers, sliced tomatoes and onions and add to the broth. Mix the flour in small amount of water and add to the broth. Cook for about 10 more minutes. Serve in bowls.
Slice 1 boiled egg and add to the top of each serving.
Makes 16 1 cup servings.
Black Condiment
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. dry red chilli pepper
- 2 oz. garlic
- 2 bunches of epazote
- Salt to taste
Directions:
Wash the chilli peppers, remove veins and seeds and roast on a griddle until burnt. Blend with the rest of the ingredients and add salt to taste; add water until a fairly thick consistency is achieved.
Don't forget to check out our other Mexican Holiday Recipes and our Giveaway!