Caldo de Pescuezo de Guajolote Hidalguense

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-quart olla de barro or heavy stockpot
• •Cast iron comal or heavy skillet for toasting chiles
• •High-powered blender
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Kitchen twine for the poleo bundle
• •Deep barro cazuelas for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Sear the turkey necks

   Heat a heavy 8-quart olla de barro or stockpot over medium-high. Working in batches so you do not crowd the pot, brown the turkey neck sections on every side, about 8 minutes per batch. The skin should turn deep golden and stick a little before releasing. Those browned bits at the bottom of the pot are the foundation of the broth. Do not skip this. A pale turkey neck makes a pale caldo, and a pale caldo dishonors the bird.

   Turkey neck has a particular flavor that pork or chicken cannot replicate. If your butcher does not carry pescuezos, call ahead. In the Altiplano, families raise their own guajolotes for this caldo. You are looking for that taste.
2. 2

   Build the broth

   Add the turkey wings or backs to the pot. Cover everything with cold water by three inches, about 4 quarts. Add the halved onion, the halved head of garlic, the bay leaves, and the salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Skim the gray foam that rises in the first 20 minutes. Cold water draws the flavor out slowly and keeps the broth clear. A rolling boil gives you a cloudy pot and tough meat.

3. 3

   Add the poleo

   Once the foam stops rising, lower the heat until you see lazy bubbles every few seconds. Drop in the tied bundle of poleo. Cover partially and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. The poleo is what makes this Hidalguense. It is a wild pennyroyal that grows on the highland slopes around Real del Monte and Pachuca, and the women who carry it down to the Tianguis de Actopan will tell you it cannot be replaced with regular mint or with hierbabuena. If you cannot find poleo fresh, find it dried. If you cannot find it dried, you are making a different soup.

4. 4

   Toast and soak the chiles

   While the broth simmers, heat a dry comal or heavy skillet over medium. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles separately, about 20 seconds per side. They should puff and smell sweet, never blacken. On the same comal, char the tomatoes and the 3 reserved garlic cloves until the tomato skins blister and split, about 6 minutes total. Place the toasted chiles in a heatproof bowl and cover with hot tap water, not boiling. Soak for 20 minutes.

5. 5

   Blend and fry the chile base

   Drain the chiles. Transfer them to a blender with the charred tomatoes, the charred garlic, and 1 cup of the turkey broth. Blend until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids. In a small skillet, melt the manteca over medium heat. Pour in the strained chile puree. It will sputter. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the puree darkens and the fat separates at the edges. La manteca es el sabor. This step deepens the chile and is the difference between a thin caldo and a serious one.

6. 6

   Combine and add the rice

   Remove and discard the spent onion, garlic head, bay leaves, and the bundle of poleo from the broth. Stir the fried chile base into the broth. Add the rinsed rice, the carrots, the chayote wedges, and the sprig of epazote. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chayote yields to a knife. Taste for salt now. The rice absorbs flavor as it cooks, so the broth needs to be assertive before it goes in.

7. 7

   Finish and serve at the table

   Crumble the dried oregano between your palms over the pot and stir once. Ladle the caldo into deep barro cazuelas, making sure each bowl gets a section of turkey neck, a piece of carrot, and a wedge of chayote. The eater is expected to gnaw the meat off the neck bones at the table. That is part of the dish. Set the cilantro, diced onion, lime, toasted chile de arbol, and warm tortillas in small platitos around the table. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.

   At Hidalguense weddings the caldo is served as the morning-after dish, the consuelo de boda, to fortify the families before the long day of celebrations. If you are serving it that way, double the recipe. Nobody eats one bowl.

Chef Tips

• •Find a butcher who carries turkey necks, not just turkey breasts. In the United States, Latin and halal butchers often have them, and they will sell them by the kilo at a fraction of the price of any other turkey cut. If your butcher does not stock them, ask them to order. The neck is the recipe.
• •Poleo is the heart of this caldo. Fresh is best, but dried poleo from a Mexican mercado or a serious herb supplier will work. Do not substitute hierbabuena, spearmint, or peppermint. Those are different plants with different oils and they will give you a caldo that does not taste Hidalguense.
• •The chayote is traditional in the Altiplano version. If you cannot find it, calabacita criolla works as a compromise. Zucchini from the supermarket is a poor third option but will not ruin the pot.
• •The caldo is better the next day. The poleo deepens, the chile settles, and the broth gels from the collagen in the necks. Reheat gently. Boiling will break the rice.

Advance Preparation

• •The turkey broth and the fried chile base can be made one day ahead and refrigerated separately. Combine, add the rice and vegetables, and finish on serving day.
• •The whole caldo keeps refrigerated for three days and the flavor only improves overnight. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating to loosen what the rice has absorbed.
• •Do not freeze. The rice turns to paste and the poleo loses its character.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 550g)