Just the thought of Thanksgiving makes Mexican American chef Aarón Sánchez remember that special moment as a kid when he was able to first take part in preparing the family’s annual feast.
“I grew up in New York City, my mom’s a chef, and I remember when I was first allowed to touch the turkey,” Sánchez tells TODAY.com.
After learning the tricks and tips for preparing a Thanksgiving feast from his mother, Zarela Martinez, the Food Network star now has others turning to him for suggestions on how to make a spread that guests will be idly daydreaming about for days afterward.
Sanchez, who hosts the new online series “La Comida del Barrio” on WeAreCocina.com, shared some of his favorite Thanksgiving recipes with TODAY.com as well as a simple trick for a perfectly golden bird.
A 5-Minute Hack for Crisp Turkey Skin
While you don’t want the chewy “Christmas Vacation” turkey that deflates in a heap of steam, Sánchez does recommend a simple maneuver to retain some tasty texture on your turkey.
“With the turkey, the key is, if you umbrella it with the aluminum, it negates all of that crispy skin,” Sánchez says. “I still do that, but I then turn on my oven really high at like 450 or 500 F, right before I serve it.”
Sánchez recommends taking the foil off the turkey and popping it back in the hot oven really quick before serving it.
“All those juices have gone in, and then I just crisp up that skin a hot oven for like five minutes to get that texture back in there,” he says. “That would be a little hack for everybody because you need those juices to go back inside.”
Simple Ways to Add Mexican Flavors to Thanksgiving
If you’re looking to add Mexican flavors to your traditional Thanksgiving favorites, Sánchez offers a pair of simple recipes: chorizo and cornbread stuffing, and a Brussels sprouts salad with butternut squash and charred jalapeño vinaigrette.
Chorizo and Cornbread Stuffing by Aarón Sánchez
“I believe in having a Thanksgiving that has some traditional sort of elements, but the real showstopper is my chorizo and cornbread stuffing,” he says. “You have the fattiness and spice from the chorizo, and that cornbread, that sweetness, that sort of balances in everything.
“And then of course, the mirepoix,” he says in reference to a base of diced carrots, celery and onions. “I like steak in mine, a little bit of caraway seed. I just like to have fun with it.”
The Brussels sprouts salad is a light and elegant complement to the turkey.
Brussels Sprouts Salad With Butternut Squash and Charred Jalapeño Vinaigrette by Aarón Sánchez
“Those two are the most approachable,” he says about the two recipes. “I just think that they have a lot of that flavor.”
Turkey Sandwiches for Thanksgiving
Another dish that gets some real estate on Sánchez’s Thanksgiving table is panes con pavo, which is a staple of his wife’s family from El Salvador. It features mouth-watering marinated turkey in a sub-style sandwich bread.
“It’s this turkey that has a tomato-based cooking situation with peppers, and it kind of cooks in its own little juices,” Sánchez explains. “It’s shredded with a little bit of the sauce that renders and a little bit of curtido, a type of marinated cabbage, to make sandwiches of all things. That’s definitely going to be on the table.”
Turkey Carving and Gravy Tips
Sánchez wouldn’t be a chef if he didn’t have an opinion on how to properly carve a Thanksgiving turkey.
“I think a lot of people have trouble carving the turkey,” he says. “I think what you need to focus on is important. Go down the middle, get the breast out, do all that good stuff, and don’t forego the little nubs in the back. They’re like halibut cheeks — you don’t ever want to mess those up.
“Go through the bottom of the breast, (and) separate the thigh from the leg,” he continues. “I think that’s really important because it just makes it a lot easier to kind of shave off that meat and have it be obvious what’s dark meat and the white meat.”
Sánchez also offers a quick tip for preparing the turkey gravy.
“I think what people do wrong is they’ll make a gravy with just the turkey necks and the vegetables,” he says. “But roast those vegetables alongside the turkey necks and then put them in with a really good chicken stock so now you’ve fortified that turkey broth with a lot more oomph.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
