REASONS FOR MEXICANS TO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING Part 1: Maru's roasted turkey.
Guest contributor: Maru Salazar
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When things around us say division, especially when it comes to politics (no matter the context, this idea applies anytime, anywhere), food always gives us a good reason to get back into the chair, make amends, and enjoy our dinner in peace (yes, in peace, finally!). The beginning of winter just marked the end of the year’s harvest, and, after a necessary period of mourning and honoring the pixanes of those who no longer habitate in this realm, now is time to celebrate those who still do, and to be thankful for them and for us and for the here and the now after a specially challenging year. We deserve it.
To me Thanksgiving dinner is like an altar but to the living, says Maru Salazar —our contributor this week— who’s been asked more than once why she celebrates a gabacho holiday so religiously, being a Mexican.
Maru grew up on the El Paso-Juárez border: My grandmother and some aunts lived on the American side, and my family and other aunts lived on the Mexican side. Thanksgiving was the day that we would cross the border to have dinner all together. I awaited every last weekend of November anxiously when I was little. I would imagine my grandmother the day before, rubbing the turkey with butter… She made a salt and pepper scrub and then injected it many times with white wine, beer, and orange juice. My aunts would take care of the rest: the mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sauteed broccoli, apple and grape salad with cream, buttered green beans, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and my mother’s carrot cake could not be missed […] Sadly, as we became older, we were able to get together less and less frequently but this tradition remained in my heart and I take it with me everywhere I go.
I met Maru through a friend in common while we were both college students in Monterrey, we not only became friends right away but also roommates, and family.
Living in the north of Mexico drastically changed my perception about my country, even more so than it did living in the south (which I also did in Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula) where ethnic diversity is a lot more pronounced. Northern identity, on the other hand, might seem less contrasting at first sight but it’s much more complex to define. It kind of pushes you to question the validity of geographical borders and the meaning of nationality: where does it begin and where does it end? why is it so rigid and powerful when used as a political tool and yet so ambiguous and controversial in terms of meaning? Political scientist and historian Benedict Anderson dedicates his book Imagined communities (1983) to the analysis of this concept, its historical development, and significance, which seems to be, even for theorists and academics, sort of a “dead-end street” as Anderson points out: nation-ness is the most universally legitimate value in the political life of our time. But if the facts are clear, their explanation remains a matter of long-standing dispute.
Multi-cultural inclusive traditions like Thanksgiving can show us, in a way, how simple but essential human activities and values —like spending time together and sharing food— can somehow manage to overcome these political limitations. I like Thanksgiving because it is a non-religious specific holiday and there are no material gifts involved, it’s just about giving love and being thankful for life in general, Maru concludes.
Living in the north of Mexico not only made me more aware of how nationalities and identities are never static, but that families aren’t either. I came to love Thanksgiving because of Maru, our time in Monterrey, and the alternative but fairly functional family-system we created to take care of each other (of course, things are never just bread and cakes when you have five opinionated women living under the roof, but to me, it was as perfect a family as it could have been). Maru’s Thanksgiving came with great timing each year since it happened right before we all went back to our hometowns for Christmas. It was a perfect way to say goodbye. I have to confess, though, I always got a little stressed out with the preparations. You see, I am the kind of neurotic cook that cleans as she goes, and Maru, well, she’s exactly the opposite. But in the end, it was completely worth it, Maru always managed to make our dinners very special and I learned to control my OCD. Now I can just hope that I can stuff her delicious turkey again someday, complain about her mess in the kitchen, drink many glasses of wine, and spend precious time together.
Maru graduated from law school in Monterrey and now lives with her husband and two daughters in Rome, Italy, where she continues to charm people with her sparkling personality, hospitable nature, and delicious Thanksgiving dinners. Here, she shares with us the recipe for the most delicious turkey I’ve ever eaten (really).
*All photos were provided by Maru.
MARU’S FAMILY ROASTED TURKEY
Every year I cook a big juicy turkey for the people I love and invite them to my home to give thanks for what we have and to have each other, just like I learned from my grandmother. I hope my daughters, Isabella and Valentina, continue with this tradition.
You’ll need:
*The quantities depend on the size of the bird so we’ll leave that to your preferences, number of guests, and cooking intuition)
A whole turkey, a lot of butter, white wine, orange juice, beer, herbs (any combination you prefer), onions, shallots, some stems of celery, assorted vegetables (like the ones you would use to make broth), grounded meat (you can use Maru’s combination of beef, pork, and lamb, or do your own), bacon, more carrots and shallots, salt and pepper.
Preparation:
I rub the turkey with butter one day ahead and scrub it with salt and pepper; then I inject it with white wine, orange juice, and beer, and stuff the inside of the bird with an onion and rosemary sprigs. I cover it with foil and let it rest for 12 hours.
The following day, I cook the turkey for around 3 hours, at maximum temperature, still covered so it does not dry. I also add more white wine to the tray, and the assorted vegetables and herbs.
While the turkey is cooking, I prepare the filling with 3 types of grounded meat: beef, pork, and lamb, that I sautée with chopped shallots, carrots, and bacon.
Before the turkey is completely cooked, I take out the onion and the herbs and spoon the meat filling inside the turkey. Then I cover it with its juice and let it cook without the foil so it browns on top.
I serve it with mashed potatoes, sautéed broccoli, cranberry sauce, green beans, and sweet potatoes.
I will be posting more delicious Thanksgiving recipes from friends and family during the following weeks, so keep tuned…