My exboyfriend’s mom and her sister both made amazing turkey. It was not like American turkey at all. She used bacon or pancetta, butter, salt, garlic, paprika, not sure what else. When they cut it, they cut it in chunks not thin slices. It was served with rice, no gravy. It was delicious.
When I was dating him turkey was one of the things they would serve at family parties throughout the year. Turkey sometimes and other times roast beef. From what I understand, in Ecuador it was typical to serve turkey throughout the year.
I never could make it like them, I wish I could.
I have had turkey made many different ways by Americans for Thanksgiving (deep fried, brine, slow roasted, marinated, also very basic, and by gourmet chefs) and nothing is like what that Ecuadorian family made.
My husband doesn’t like turkey very much, and I don’t like dealing with a raw turkey, so I usually don’t deal with it. My husband would much rather have chicken. We turned down a free turkey this year.
When my parents come for Thanksgiving I make a turkey breast and we have ham also.