Thanksgiving Pavochon Cooked In A Pizza Oven

For those California barbecue vibes

Thanksgiving is in 25 days and it’s still mostly sunny and clear skies here in Northern California. It’s not uncommon for the weather to remain so even into late November. While there might be a slight chill in the air, it’s shouldn’t be enough to prevent you from trying out this pizza oven roasted Pavochon.

I originally altered the cooking technique for Ooni, but I used the same flavors from my Pavochon recipe featured in Bon Appetit, but combined with the Ooni outdoor oven for an amazing smoky flavor.

Olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, adobo and sazón get rubbed on the inside and the outside of the skin, making sure there’s deliciousness in every nook and cranny well before the meat is slow roasted.

There are a few techniques you’ll need to master for this recipe when it comes to spatchcocking and fire maintenance. I’ve got guidance for both below, and I’ll walk you through the steps of how to spatchcock, a process of removing the backbone of a whole chicken so that it lays flat, resulting in a juicier turkey. 

Our first tip? For best results, marinade the turkey overnight to infuse flavor. But, if you’re short on time, it’s not necessary.

PAVOCHON ROASTED IN A PIZZA OVEN

Yield: One 4 to 6 pound turkey breast

Prep Time: 12 hours

Cook Time: 3.5 hours

One 4 to 6 pound (2 to 3 kg) turkey breast, patted dry

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, quartered

1 tablespoon salt-free sazón

3 tablespoons salt-free adobo

1 tablespoon oregano (or sage, if you have it)

Salt, to taste

1 large yellow onion, halved

5 garlic cloves

2 celery stalks

This is for a whole, bone-in, breast. If you purchased a breast that’s boneless, bypass this step. Place the turkey breast-side down on your cutting board with the backbone facing toward you and grab your kitchen shears. 

Tip: Using kitchen shears makes this task a lot more manageable, but you can also use a sharp chef’s knife.

Place the tip of the shears or knife at the top of one side of the spine and cut or slice down the side of the backbone. Cut through the ribs and down the spine until you reach the end of the turkey breast. Repeat the same cut on the other side to release the backbone completely. Remove the backbone and the wishbone, a V-shaped bone at the top of the breast. 

Slice through the center until you’ve gone as far as you can. Flip the turkey over so it is breast side up, then press hard on the breastbone to flatten the ribcage as much as you can. You want it to lay flat so that all parts cook evenly. 

Tip: Press hella hard. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the breast meat, keeping the skin connected to the meat but opening up a cavity between the skin and meat. Rub the turkey all over with olive oil and lemon juice (reserve the lemon skins). Repeat this process with your seasoning mix of sazón, adobo, sage and salt. Make sure to cover both on top of and underneath the skin with your marinade.

Let sit in the fridge overnight.

The next day, place the turkey breast on a sheet tray that will fit in your Ooni oven. Place the onion, garlic, lemon skins and celery stalks on the sheet tray, followed by your turkey. Set aside while you bring your oven up to 500°F (260°C), checking the temperature with an infrared thermometer. 

Roast your turkey breast, uncovered, until the crust gets golden brown. This should take between 10 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it throughout the cook.

The temperature of the oven will naturally decrease once you put the turkey in (even without adjusting the wood or gas). If the temperature doesn’t drop as much as you’d like – shoot for 360 to 400°F (180 to 205°C) – simply remove the turkey from the oven, wrap it in foil and put it back in the oven.

Tip: Your oven will fluctuate in temperature over a long bake. Don’t worry about maintaining an exact temperature. If cooking with wood, keep an eye on the flames and temperature of your oven, adding thin pieces of hardwood and lumpwood charcoal to the fuel tray throughout the bake to maintain a temperature in the range of  360 to 400°F (180 to 205°C). Lumpwood charcoal is a great base as it will keep a stable temperature longer than wood.

Roast for 1 to 2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breasts registers 155 to 160°F (68 to 71°C).

Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. The temperature should increase to 165°F (74°C) during the resting of the turkey.

Slice. Serve.

I served the turkey breast with white rice, gravy (made from the pan drippings) and green beans with kale and butternut squash.

FOR THE VISUAL LEARNERS

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