Pernil: The other turkey

I am absorbed in pernil. Not because I am Puerto Rican, either. Who does not like sweating with its own juicy tenderness by opening the oven door and peering into the golden meat? Is there anyone who can withstand a piece of fillet, a sweetness of salty skin, and a thick lining on the other side?

When I finally ate pernil - my Titi Maria's pernil, exactly (in my opinion, the only person worth having pernil) - I was in a late summer family gathering. After sucking the second pernil and arroz congandules, I made an avid comment: "Now we have to wait until Thanksgiving to eat this again."

The shock of memory hit me. We make traditional American cuisine, and Thanksgiving has turkeys. Do not get me wrong. I like the food of all the birds baked in the oven, but the candle without wings can be a beautiful pernil

Immediately I felt full of anger. Perhaps my impressed thrill of delicious pigs flowing around my body. Why do you want to eat turkey for Thanksgiving? I asked. Most of my family likes Pénir - except for those who do not know anything - so why can we become Thanksgiving instead of usual birds?

We do not know who said that we must eat turkey on Turkish day. Of course, I think that turkey is part of the unique tradition of the United States, but if America has unique one, tradition is constantly removed, re-created, adapted to the character of the new person living in a new era doing.

Pilgrims who eat turkeys on the first Thanksgiving Day are good for them - indeed, some historians think that there may be every forest creature in addition to the turkey now at the first meal. But my ancestors were not on the first Thanksgiving Day; I also told that my ancestors were not in the top 100 of Thanksgiving. If so, they may lechón instead of a turkey

Still, my traditional dinner at Thanksgiving is not traditional. My mother 's family was originally from the rural area of ​​Honduras, transplanted to Humboldt Park, made a lot of arroz con gandules, ensalada de repollo, and fresh wakamore. The American calls it "Lompope" and the Puerto Rican call it "Coquito", but unlike the other versions, Honduras' Lompopo must be made of Guarro - or catrachos " It is called guaro. But most people know that this is an aguardiente (similarly, this family usually eats torrejas on Christmas morning, and many Americans suffocate the fruit cake).

Importantly, as a Latin American, our meals and celebrations during the US holidays may not be normal. So why are most of us still claiming turkeys during Thanksgiving?

Furthermore, whether this is a turkey or ham or a hot dog, this holiday should thank friends, family and everything we have. If you have a shoulder of 25 pound pigs gazing at my face, I will be more grateful to eat in front of me.

By exchanging turkeys with Penil on Thanksgiving Day, my Latin American family will continue to be a true American tradition that adapts to American traditions to suit our taste.

However, the turkeys received some transformations. Everyone who has tried lechón or pernil (baked shoulder meat) is familiar with the exciting mix of oregano and garlic, so the meat becomes juicy and juicy. About twenty years later, entrepreneurs who ordered the order also thought of the idea of ​​exporting turkeys. It worked. Today pavochón (pavo is a Spanish turkey) not only eats at Thanksgiving, but also eats all year round. Therefore, at my Long Island house this year, the turkey America, which is raised on a farm, free-standing and kept locally, will have a distinct Latin flavor. It tastes like a house

When I was in elementary school, I thought that most 'traditional' Thanksgiving dinners usually do not contain pork or chicken. If our family is very ambitious, fold Ayaka (or corn meal) while watching the Thanksgiving parade. Thanksgiving of the Latin American family, especially if you were born in America in the first generation, it does not look like your typical universal TV version holiday. This is my favorite thing. Thanksgiving means different things for different people. No matter how many traditions you combine, you can spend the most holidays in the USA. There are several things that differ in Thanksgiving in Latin American families.