12920 Serves 8 Wed Aug 06 08:11:32 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 01:54:38 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12920 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:54:38 GMT Pepián is an ancient Mayan cooking method in which meats are cooked first in water or stock, then combined with a squash or pumpkin seed–based sauce. It is very similar to the popular central Mexican mole sauces, and to the classic yaguaste sauces of Guatemala, which are thickened with browned pumpkin seeds. Another Spanish name for turkey is pavo.

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Bring the turkey, stock, and minced garlic to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until tender. Reserve warm in the stock.

Toast the sesame seeds, peppercorns, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon stick together in a dry skillet over moderate heat until the seeds take on a light color. Remove from the heat and add the ground cloves. Put the toasted spice and seed mix in the workbowl of a food processor.

Char the tomato, tomatillos, onion, and garlic cloves under a broiler or on the grill until they are softened and lightly charred.

Carefully toast the dried chiles over an open flame until they puff up, being careful not to burn them. Remove the stems and some of the seeds and soak in enough of the hot turkey stock to cover for about 10 minutes.

Add the charred tomato mixture, soaked chiles, bell peppers, achiote, sugar, and salt to taste with the stock to the processor. Blend the contents to a smooth paste.

Return the turkey breast in the stock to a simmer. Add the sauce and the breadcrumbs and cook 20 to 30 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add warm water or additional stock, if available, to thin it.

Remove the turkey breast and slice it. Serve 4-ounce [110-g] portions. Dress the turkey slices with the mole sauce and serve with tortillas.

]]> http://www.chow.com Arthur L. Meyer 50 Main 2 pounds [900 g] turkey breast

]]> 4 cups [960 mL] chicken or turkey stock

]]> 2 garlic cloves, minced

]]> 6 tablespoons [90 mL] sesame seeds

]]> ½ teaspoon [3 mL] black peppercorns

]]> ⅓ cup [80 mL] pumpkin or squash seeds, hulled, unsalted

]]> 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

]]> Liberal pinch of ground cloves

]]> 1 ripe tomato

]]> 3 tomatillos, husked and rinsed

]]> 1 small onion, peeled and halved

]]> 2 garlic cloves, peeled

]]> 2 dried Guajillo or New Mexico red chiles

]]> 2 red bell peppers, chopped

]]> 1 teaspoon [5 mL] achiote

]]> 1 teaspoon [5 mL] sugar

]]> Salt to taste

]]> ½ cup [120 mL] unseasoned breadcrumbs, toasted warm tortillas

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