By Melissa Pette

As you may know, Costa Rica will observe Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 28. The Pura Vida country has declared it an official holiday in 2022.

Now that the American holiday is part of Costa Rica's end-of-year celebrations, we can cook this delightful meal with ingredients readily available in any grocery shop.

This is an original recipe by American top grilling expert Jamie Purviance. So, let's go to the kitchen!

To serve between 6 to 10 guests the ingredients are:

Dry brine:

• 2 teaspoons sea salt.
• 2 teaspoons chipotle chilli powder.
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin.
• 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar.
• 1 boneless, skin-on turkey breast half, 680 to 900 g.
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted.

Tropical salsa:

• 1/2 pineapple, peeled and cut crosswise into 1 cm thick slices.
• 1/2 cup diced red capsicum, in 5 mm dice.
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper (I prefer with seeds).
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves and tender stems.
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice.
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt.

First, in a bowl stir together all the brine ingredients, breaking up any clumps. Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Set the turkey on a wire rack on a baking tray. Rub the turkey on all sides with the brine mixture, then refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.

Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Brush the top and sides of the turkey with the melted butter. Prepare the barbecue for direct and indirect cooking over medium heat (180° to 200°C).

Grill the pineapple slices over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until lightly charred and tender, 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 2 minutes and swapping places to ensure even cooking. Transfer the pineapple to a cutting board and let rest.

Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on the grill(s) over indirect heat. Roast the turkey breast over indirect medium-low heat, with the lid closed as much as possible.

Cook until the skin is dark brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 65° to 68˚C, 45 to 60 minutes. Start checking the internal temperature after the first 30 minutes of cooking, rotating the turkey breast if one side is cooking faster than the other.

Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut away the core from each pineapple slice, then cut the pineapple into 1-cm dice and transfer to a medium bowl. Add all the remaining salsa ingredients and toss to combine.

Cut the turkey crosswise into 5 mm to 1 cm thick slices. Transfer the slices to a platter and drizzle with any juices from the cutting board.

Another option is to bake the turkey or fry it in an air fryer.

Serve warm or at room temperature with the salsa. This turkey meal is incredibly juicy and delicious!

Have a Pura Vida Thanksgiving!

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Everyone is invited to share their recipes with a horizontal photo of the dish by emailing  food@amcostarica.com. More Costa Rica's delightful recipes can be found on the AM Costa Rica Food page.