By Post-Thanksgiving. The week of leftovers. The week where the refrigerator is a jigsaw puzzle of foil-covered bowls and ziplock bags of turkey meat and a three-quart container of gravy and half a pumpkin flan (the other half having been consumed standing up in the kitchen on Friday morning by me and Eduardo, while I was making coffee and he was reading the paper, and we each had a fork, and we did not speak).
Monday I made turkey sandwiches with the last of the pavochón. Pan sobao, mojo mayo (mayonnaise whisked with garlic mojo), sliced turkey, a slice of Swiss cheese, pickled onions. Toasted on the griddle. Hot, crackling, the leftover turkey tasting better cold-then-hot than it did on Thursday. The sandwich is the magic trick of Thanksgiving. You did not cook the turkey for Thursday. You cooked the turkey for Monday's sandwiches. Thursday is a dress rehearsal.
Eduardo ate two sandwiches. Mami ate one. She said, "The pavochón is better the second week." She is right. The slow roast at that size needs to settle. The spices keep developing. I have known this for thirty years and I do not talk about it because it is a family secret, but I am telling you now, mi amor, because you read my blog and you deserve the truth: pavochón sandwiches are the best argument for hosting Thanksgiving. Cook the bird. Then the sandwiches are yours.
Tuesday Mami had a harder day. She was quiet. She ate half a sandwich. She did not want coffee after, which is a first — she always wants coffee after — and she asked me to drive her home early. I did. I sat with her in her apartment for an hour and watched her doze in her chair. I did not turn on the television. I just sat. Eduardo picked me up at 8 PM and drove me home and did not ask me about it and I did not tell him. We do not always need to talk. He knew.
Wednesday she was better. Thursday she was worse. Friday she was fine. This is how it goes now. The fog comes and goes. The good days happen. The bad days happen. We do not predict them. We just receive them.
Thursday at work I had my official thirty-four-year anniversary. The staff made a small cake — a sheet cake from the cafeteria bakery, chocolate with white frosting, the words "34 years" in piped script — and I ate a piece and I thanked them and I did not tell them I was retiring in the spring. I will tell them in January. I am giving myself two more months of people not knowing, because the moment people know, the dynamic changes, and I want the dynamic to stay normal a little longer. Wepa.
I told you the secret — pavochón sandwiches are the whole point — and now I want to give you a way to make them any week, not just the one after Thanksgiving, when the bird has had its time to settle and the spices have done their quiet work. This pulled turkey tenderloin gets you there on a Tuesday, no thirty-pound roast required. Slice it thin, pile it on pan sobao with mojo mayo and pickled onions, press it on the griddle until it crackles, and tell me I’m wrong. You won’t.
Pulled Turkey Tenderloin
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs turkey tenderloin (1–2 tenderloins)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- For serving (optional): pan sobao or soft sandwich rolls, mayonnaise whisked with garlic mojo, pickled onions, sliced Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Make the spice rub. In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to form a paste.
- Season the turkey. Pat the tenderloin(s) dry with paper towels. Rub the spice paste all over the meat, coating evenly. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes while you heat the pan.
- Sear. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the tenderloin(s) and sear for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown on all surfaces.
- Braise. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar into the pan around (not over) the turkey. Cover tightly and cook for 20–25 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the thickest part registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Rest and pull. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Use two forks to pull the meat into shreds, then return it to the pan and toss with the remaining pan juices.
- Build the sandwiches. Split and lightly toast the rolls on a griddle over medium heat. Spread mojo mayo on both sides, pile on the pulled turkey, add a slice of Swiss cheese and pickled onions, then press the sandwich on the griddle for 1–2 minutes until the outside crackles and the cheese melts. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 42g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 380mg