During my student days in the United States, I looked forward to the midterm breaks in Easter and Thanksgiving. That meant most of the students going home to various states to be with their families and experience a festive meal. But to us, foreign students, it meant we had the whole dorm to ourselves, and we, too, had our own special dinners.
For Thanksgiving, it meant a whole plump Roast Turkey with all the trimmings. I love how this almost boring-looking huge bird can be transformed into the center of attraction for the annual special American family gathering. The dish is so popular that some restaurants serve it all year round.
Many US celebrations have been adopted by Filipinos. And many homes also celebrate Thanksgiving, which I believe is on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, we would celebrate it sometime in October. But most people just want to celebrate without going through the trouble of preparing this heavy feast.
There are a few dining places that can save us from the agony of preparation. I remember a friend who made one of the best-tasting stuffings I have tried. Carla Reyes Tengco made her roast turkey and the stuffing with castañas or chestnuts. That is one turkey dish that jumps out every time I think of it.
Another is Bob and Ninay’s Roast Turkey. To me, the stuffing and gravy distinguish this dish. I love how it brings me back to the feast I would experience every year as a student. I have tried many versions, and this, to me, is what I crave for.
The bird is huge with a perfectly roasted crust, delicious stuffing and gravy that binds all these together. The gravy is made from the drippings and the insides of the turkey like the liver, gizzard, etc. Stuffing is either sausage cherry or chestnut apple. The dish is served with cranberry and mashed potato on the side. With creamy mashed potato, the turkey will take the diner to a whole new level. I am so hungry and craving for this roast. It’s cheaper than many restaurants that offer it.
Porketta
Another festive dish is Porketta. Ram Jorge makes the most delicious, crispy, moist, authentic Italian Porketta. He calls himself the Porketta Man, in fact.
The Italian dish is rolled-up pork belly or liempo, slow-roasted until the skin is so crispy it pops. What happens in this slow process is the fat between the crunchy skin and the tender and moist meat melts and drips all over the roast. The result is a dish I have seen and tried in many places, but never this level.
Seasoned perfectly, rubbed and stuffed with herbs, Porketta is a foodie’s dream. There is a salsa verde that goes with it. One way to serve it is sliced on grilled ciabatta bread with the sauce and eaten as a sandwich.
It is also okay to serve it with garlic rice. I would slice a piece, complete with the crunchy skin and the moist meat, and have it as is without the sauce. I enjoy eating it so much, I can’t stop. I hardly eat pork, but this Porketta is an exception.
As soon as I got this roast, I traveled from Rockwell to Katipunan because I wanted to eat it while it was still crunchy. But don’t worry; if it gets cold, you can preheat the oven at the highest temperature and put in the Porketta for eight to 10 minutes at the highest rack, uncovered, until the skin becomes crunchy again.
This coming Thanksgiving or even this Yuletide, check out these two dishes.
(Bob and Ninay’s Thanksgiving Turkey, tel. 9840065 or 0918-9098850; Italian Porketta made by “Porketta Man” Ram Jorge, 0917-8102218)
Charity food event
Tomorrow, I and other chefs and personalities will be at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City for an event called “Lifestyle Network’s Around the Philippines in Small Plates.” We will be in our own booths serving dishes that will make you dance in satisfaction. This will be a charity dinner event for the benefit of ICanServe and survivors of Typhoon “Yolanda.” Trust me, you cannot imagine how delicious the food in the various booths will be. This happens Nov. 22, 7-11 p.m. See you there!
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