Living in a Puerto Rican household, there is something that I can always count on, and that is the simple fact that anything cooked in my house is going to be amazing. So we are always looking for an excuse to cook something over the top, and Thanksgiving is the ultimate excuse. While we do not celebrate Thanksgiving for its genocidal roots (the invasion of Europeans to America and basically eradicating an entire people) we do take this day to recognize all the things that we are grateful for in our lives. One of the main things for me is the food, culture, and people that comes with being Puerto Rican. This article is to showcase what I eat on Thanksgiving!1. Turkey - While this is a Thanksgiving classic, you can rest assured that this bird is beautifully seasoned with Sazon, Adobo, and a million other things. And if you do not know what those two spices are then I truly feel sorry for you.
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2. Stuffing - Another Thanksgiving classic. Because we put this inside the seasoned Turkey, you already know that the stuffing is just going to give high fives to each and every one of your taste buds. The perfect combination of moisture and crispness, this is one of my favorite side dishes.
3. Mashed potatoes - I mean you really can't go wrong with this. Like, literally there is nothing negative about this food, unless you cook it from anything but fresh potatoes.
4. Pernil - Now this is where it get pretty beautiful. Pernil is roasted pork shoulder, but such a description doesn't truly capture the awesomeness of this dish. This pork shoulder is given a beautiful marination of the full range of seasonings, not only on the outside but inside as well. We slice deep cuts into this beauty to make sure that the succulent juices within the meat are made to perfection. We let this thing sit in the fridge for a whole 12 hours before we let it in the oven to cook. And when it comes out there is no other feeling like it. The crispiness of the skin, the juiciness of the meat...It's like nothing else.
5. Arroz con gandules - This is a Puerto Rican staple. Yellow rice and pigeon beans is something that goes with any meal so it is no surprise that it ends up on the Thanksgiving food celebrity list. A pretty simple dish to make, but also an easy dish to mess up. Thanksgiving isn't the same for me without it.
7.Gravy - My nickname used to be Gravy in some social circles and that should be enough evidence as to why it is on this list.
8. Raviolis - My uncle is Italian and knows how to make these things from scratch so I'm also blessed because of that.
9. PASTELES - EXCITEMENT CANNOT BE CONTAINED FOR THESE THINGS. A COMBINATION OF YUCCA, POTATOES, PLAINTAINS, PORK, RAISINS (tbh i don't know why). THESE THINGS ARE COVETED THROUGHOUT THE PUERTO RICAN WORLD. ABEULAS ONLY START MAKING THEM FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON TO THE END OF THE YEAR SO THESE ARE A RARITY AND A DELICACY.
So there you have it, a list of my 9 favorite things I eat on Thanksgiving. While your list might look different, I do hope that it brings out the same reaction in you as it does for me.
