Stuffed Turkey, Cuban Style (Pavo Relleno)
Servings Prep. Time Cooking Time Calories % from Fat Fat Sodium Carbohydrates Protein Cholesterol
10 to 12 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A


INGREDIENTS:
one 12 to 14-pound turkey, washed inside and out and dried with paper towels salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 to 5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup sour orange juice or 1/2 cup sweet orange juice mixed with 1/4 cup each fresh lime and lemon juice 1/4 pound (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature FOR THE STUFFING:
1/2 cup pure Spanish olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 pound ground pork 1 pound ground ham
1 pound ground beef round 1/2 cup drained and chopped canned whole tomatoes, or prepared tomato sauce 1/2 pound slivered blanched almonds
1/2 cup dark raisins 1/2 cup finely chopped drained pimiento-stuffed green olives 4 large eggs, hard-boiled and finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 teaspoons Spanish paprika or mild paprika



1 In a nonreactive pan, season the turkey liberally with salt and pepper inside and out. In a mortar, crush the garlic into a thick paste and rub it over the turkey, inside and out. Pour the orange juice over the turkey, and set it aside.
2 To prepare the stuffing, heat the oil over low heat in a large skillet until fragrant. Cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the pork, ham, and beef, raise the heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes, until the meat is cooked through, breaking up any chunks with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, 20 minutes.
3 Preheat the oven to 325 F. Fill the turkey cavity with the stuffing, packing it loosely, rub the butter into the turkey's skin, and close the cavity with trussing skewers or sew with a trussing needle and thread. If there is any stuffing left over, place it in a baking pan and bake it, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Place the turkey breast-side up in an aluminum-foil-lined roasting pan, cover loosely with foil, and pan juices. Remove the aluminum foil and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. The turkey is ready when a roasting thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170 F to 175 F and the thigh juices run clear yellow when pierced with a skewer.
4 When the turkey is done, transfer it to a serving platter and allow it to stand, covered loosely with foil, 30 minutes at room temperature before carving. Remove the stuffing and serve it along side the carved turkey, on the serving platter.

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