The hot summer days are officially here. That said, whether you are firing up the grill or the stove, the heat to change up your dinner routine is present. If you are bored with the usual burgers, Occo is here to change this. Lisa Carson and Connie Wang are the founders of the brand and they have decided to take the spice brand to grill season and way beyond.

Why Occo?

The idea behind Occo is fairly simple. Pre-portioned packets of ethically sourced spice come in groups of single-serve recipe cards. What is this, you may ask? It means no measuring or waste is required. The environmentally friendly packaged spices include “pre-measured micro amounts of high-quality spices, sealed in airtight ‘forever fresh’ spice pods” as well as a QR code that can be used to find a variety of recipes that go with them. The goal is to inspire home cooks to try new things without going broke or generating a lot of garbage.

While the spice decks, as they’re known, are exclusively available at www.eatocco.com, you can keep up with the latest spice blends by following @eatocco on Twitter. Burger au Poivre, Spicy Sichuan Burger, Lebanese Kafta Burger, and Garlic & Herb Butter Burger are among the new flavors available in the Burger Sampler packages.

Award-Winning Chefs Approve Occo’s Idea

Occo partnered with a host of award-winning chefs to offer a variety of recipes and signature spice decks when it first launched. The following recipes were prepared by chefs such as Nina Compton, Asha Gomez, Gregory Gourdet, Deuki Hong, Mei Lin, and Adriana Urbina to help home cooks widen their horizons and demystify the often difficult and expensive process of harvesting spices.

Chef Deck Cards include:

• Kebabs Four Ways by Chef Mei Lin
• Any-Season One-Pan Meals by Chef Gregory Gourdet
• Grand Latin American by Chef Adriana Urbina
• Cook in Color by Chef Asha Gomez
• Caribbean-Creole Bistro by Chef Nina Compton
• Late Nite Koreatown by Chef Deuki Hong

Occo is also intended to assist cooks in learning the fundamentals, stocking their pantries, and experimenting with novel flavor combinations. Cooks are also encouraged to make their own cards with a mix-and-match component to add variety to their culinary routine. For more ideas, see the pre-made cards below or follow @eatocco on Instagram.

• American Overachiever has eight unique spices that provide a special touch to your cookery.
• The Herb Garden is a collection of 16 dried herbs with a wide range of uses and seasons.
• The Chile Sampler is a collection of eight ground chile peppers from around the world that honors our shared passion for heat.
• The Pepper Sampler includes eight different types of ground pepper to help you broaden your salt’s social circle.
• The Cinnamon Sampler has four distinct cinnamons, allowing everyone to decide which is the finest.

Every Thanksgiving is a time for the family to get together, give thanks, and share a grand meal. Pavochon is the centerpiece for a classic Thanksgiving dinner in Puerto Rico and this easy-to-follow recipe makes sure that all the iconic flavors come out just right!

The Ingredients Needed for This Meal

Pavochon can be served with cornbread and any classic sides. Achiote paste is crucial for bringing out the rich flavor and achieving the deep color of the turkey. Here are the necessary ingredients:

• One 12lb turkey without the giblets and neck
• One lemon halved
• Three tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature
• ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• Three tablespoons of achiote paste
• Two tablespoons of dry oregano
• Two tablespoons of granulated garlic
• One large onion halved
• Five cloves of garlic
• Two teaspoons of ground cumin
• Two celery stalks
• Salt and pepper

The Steps to Prepare Excellent Pavochon

To prepare Pavochon, we start by gently separating the skin from the flesh, starting at the neck. The outside of the turkey is rubbed with the cut sides of the lemon. It is then seasoned generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Butter is rubbed on the breast meat underneath the skin.

The next step is to mix the oil, achiote paste, cumin, granulated garlic, and oregano in a bowl until it forms a paste. An even layer of this paste is then spread on the turkey, and the legs are tied using bakable string. The seasoned turkey is left to rest at room temperature for two hours.

The oven is preheated to 450. The turkey is stuffed with onion, garlic, celery, and the reserved lemon. It is then placed on a wire rack inside the roasting pan and the pan is filled with 1½ cups of water. Bake the turkey for 25-30 minutes and rotate if the browning is uneven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and continue to bake for another hour and a half, basting the turkey with pan juices every 30 minutes. Let the turkey rest on the cutting board for 30 minutes before carving.