Tabasco Turkey in Banana Leaf (Mone de Pavo)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large tamalera or deep stockpot fitted with a steamer rack
• •Comal or gas flame for softening banana leaves
• •High-powered blender or molcajete for the achiote recaudo
• •Kitchen twine or banana leaf strips for tying the parcel
• •Low clay cazuela or hand-thrown Tabasco red-clay platter for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the turkey

   Pat the turkey pieces dry and season them all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt. Use dark meat. Turkey breast dries before the leaf has done its work, and this dish needs bones and collagen to give the parcel body. Let the turkey sit while you make the achiote recaudo.

2. 2

   Blend the achiote

   In a blender, combine the achiote paste, naranja agria juice, garlic, black peppercorns, Mexican oregano, 2 tablespoons of the melted manteca, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth and brick red. Rub this paste into the turkey, working it into every cut and around the bones. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight if you have the time.

   If you cannot find naranja agria, mix 1/4 cup fresh orange juice with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice. It is a compromise, not an upgrade. The bitterness of real naranja agria belongs to the Gulf lowlands.
3. 3

   Make the masa sauce

   In a bowl, beat the fresh nixtamal masa with the broth, the remaining 2 tablespoons melted manteca, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt until it looks like thick cream. This is not tamal dough. It should spread and settle into the leaf, because its job is to catch the turkey juices and thicken them into sauce. La manteca es el sabor.

4. 4

   Soften the leaves

   Cut the banana leaves into four large sheets, each about 18 by 24 inches, plus a few narrow strips for tying. Pass each sheet over a gas flame or hot comal for a few seconds per side until the leaf turns glossy and flexible. Do not skip this. Raw banana leaf cracks when you fold it, and a cracked parcel leaks. Wipe the hoja de momo clean and keep the leaves whole.

5. 5

   Build the parcel

   Line a large steamer basket or wide cazuela with two layers of banana leaf, crossing them so the edges hang over the sides. Lay 6 hoja de momo leaves across the bottom. Spread half the masa mixture over the momo leaves. Scatter on half the tomatoes, onion, and chile dulce. Arrange the marinated turkey on top, scraping in every bit of achiote paste from the bowl. Add the chile amashito if using, then cover with the remaining tomatoes, onion, chile dulce, masa, and hoja de momo.

6. 6

   Fold it tight

   Fold the banana leaves over the filling from one side, then the other, then fold the ends underneath to make a tight packet. Tie it with banana leaf strips or kitchen twine. The parcel should feel firm, not strangled. The women who taught me this in Tabasco checked the corners first, because that is where lazy hands reveal themselves. No me vengas con atajos.

7. 7

   Steam the mone

   Set the parcel in a tamalera or large steamer with water below the rack, never touching the packet. Cover tightly and bring to a steady simmer. Steam for 2 hours and 15 minutes to 2 hours and 45 minutes, adding hot water as needed so the pot never runs dry. The turkey is done when the thickest piece reaches at least 175F and the meat pulls from the bone with a spoon. For turkey, 165F is safe, but dark meat tastes better when it goes farther.

8. 8

   Rest before opening

   Turn off the heat and let the parcel rest, still closed, for 20 minutes. Then open the banana leaf carefully and pull back the hoja de momo. The sauce should be red-orange, glossy from the manteca, and thickened by the masa. If it looks loose, spoon the juices over the turkey and let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes. The masa will keep drinking.

9. 9

   Serve in the leaf

   Lift the open parcel into a low clay cazuela or serve it straight from the steamer insert set on the table. Spoon the achiote-masa sauce over the turkey. Serve with warm hand-pressed corn tortillas, arroz blanco, and lime halves. This is food for sharing, not individual little plates. Asi se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Hoja de momo is also sold as hoja santa or acuyo. Look for it fresh or frozen in Mexican, Central American, or Caribbean markets. If you cannot find it, do not pretend parsley or basil will do the same work. Make the dish with banana leaf and epazote as a compromise, but know that you have stepped away from Tabasco.
• •Chile dulce tabasqueno is a small mild sweet chile, not a bell pepper with a fancy name. Outside Tabasco, use aji dulce or cubanelle as the closest practical substitute. The flavor should be green, sweet, and gentle.
• •Chile amashito is Tabasco's little wild chile, sharp and hot. Use it whole or bruised so it perfumes the parcel without taking over. Mone de pavo should taste of achiote, momo, and turkey first.
• •Banana leaf is not decoration. It seasons the food and controls the cooking. If the leaf is brittle, warm it more. If it tears, patch it with another piece. The parcel must hold.
• •Use bone-in turkey thighs and drumsticks. A whole turkey looks impressive until the breast turns dry and the dark meat is still working. The senoras of the market would tell you the same thing.

Advance Preparation

• •The achiote recaudo can be blended up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in a covered jar.
• •The turkey can marinate overnight. That is the best version. Keep it refrigerated and bring it out only while you prepare the leaves.
• •Banana leaves can be rinsed, softened, folded, and refrigerated one day ahead, wrapped in a clean towel.
• •Cooked mone reheats well inside its leaf packet. Set it back in a steamer for 25 to 35 minutes, until the sauce loosens and the turkey is hot through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 470g)